Ch 32 · Lesson 16Spanish · Chapter 32 · Lesson 16 · Grammar primer
Reciprocal verbs: se quieren (each other)
How Spanish says 'each other' with the plural pronouns / / and a plural subject: , , .
The short version
There is no Spanish word for each other
.
Why?Hide
The reciprocal meaning lives in the plural reflexive pronoun plus a plural subject, not in an extra phrase: , , . When 'themselves' and 'each other' would genuinely mean different things, pin it down with or mutuamente, and use a to force the reflexive reading instead.
Reciprocal verbs at a glance
The pronoun matches the subject, and the subject is plural, because it takes two:
| Subject | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| . See you tomorrow. | |
| ¿ ? Do you know each other? | |
| , | | . They love each other a lot. |
These are the plural pronouns of reflexive verbs, doing a second job. is literally "we see each other", which is why it means "see you".
A singular subject works when it means a group: . (The couple love each other.)
The verbs that go reciprocal
Most verbs that take a person as their object (direct or indirect) can go reciprocal, and the verbs of meeting, talking and feeling do it all the time:
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
. | They met at school. | |
. | See you on Monday. | |
. | The neighbours help each other. | |
. | We write to each other every week. | |
. | We call each other every day. | |
. | We understand each other without words. | |
. | They kissed at the door. | |
. | They' always fighting. | |
. | They don't speak to each other any more. |
Take care with : . is "they call each other every day", but Ana Pedro. is "they' called Ana and Pedro". The rest of the sentence decides.
Going further: Each other or themselves? and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
Spanish · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 16 of 28 in this chapter