Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1-A2

3 min read

Test yourself (23 questions)

Conjugating Spanish Reflexive Verbs in the Present Tense

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

A reflexive verb in the present is the normal verb with a pronoun in front that matches the person:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  • . - I'm staying at home.
  • . - He/she is staying at home.

What reflexive verbs mean, and the thirty you will use most, are on Spanish reflexive verbs. This page is the tables.

The formula

the reflexive pronounthe part that changesWhat do the colours mean?
  1. Take the - off the infinitive.
  2. Conjugate the verb as normal.
  3. Put the pronoun for the person in front.
Drop -se, conjugate, add the pronoun: me quedo
PersonPronounquedarse (to stay)
yo
, ,
,

The ending changes with the person, and so does the pronoun. and take , like and :

  • ¿ ? - Are you staying?

Where the pronoun goes

Straight before the conjugated verb, with nothing in between. A no goes in front of the pronoun:

No
Pronoun
Verb
Rest
empty
Juan
empty
  • Juan. - My name is Juan.
  • . - I don't get up early.
Six panels following the same woman with long hair and a bow through her day: the alarm clock rings beside her bed while she is still asleep; she stretches as she gets up, the sun at the window; she has breakfast at a table with a bowl, toast and a cup; she talks on the phone; she shops, holding a full bag in front of the shelves; she comes home to her house in the evening.
  1. .
  2. .
  3. .
  4. .

Her morning: se despierta and se levanta are reflexive, she does them to herself. Desayuna and llama are not.

Regular reflexive verbs: -ar, -er and -ir

The endings are the ones you already know for each class. Only the pronoun is new:

Personlavarse (-ar)ponerse (-er)aburrirse (-ir)
yo
, ,
,

keeps the irregular yo of : . Three everyday reflexives follow exactly:

VerbExampleEnglish
.We' staying here.
.I worry about my brother.
.I'm glad to see you.

. on its own is the everyday "I'm glad".

Stem-changing reflexive verbs

The pronoun does nothing to stop a stem change. The boot is the same as without it: and keep the vowel of the infinitive.

Personsentarse (e > ie)acostarse (o > ue)
yo
, ,
,
  • . - I'll sit here.
  • . - I go to bed at eleven.
  • solos. - The children get dressed by themselves.

changes e to i, like : . One collision to watch: is also the yo form of , to feel. Context settles it:

  • Me . - I feel well.

Irse: ir with a pronoun

means to leave, to go away. It keeps every irregular form of :

Personir (to go)irse (to leave)
yo
, ,
,

wants a destination; is about leaving where you are:

  • . - I'm going home.
  • . - I'm off.
  • ¿ ? - Are you leaving already?

With an infinitive or a gerund

After a, , or , the pronoun can go before the conjugated verb or on the end of the infinitive. Both are correct:

Before the verbOn the infinitiveEnglish
. .I want to stay.
. sentarme.I'm going to sit down.

The pronoun still matches the person: , never " ". With a gerund the same choice applies, and the attached form needs an accent: duchando or duchándome.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
Yo . .yo takes me
Me no . .no goes first
. .the pronoun matches yo
sientamos. . keeps the e
a . .getting up needs the me

What to do next

  1. Conjugate aloud, pronoun and all.
  2. Learn and as words in their own right.
  3. For what reflexives mean, read Spanish reflexive verbs.

The 5 verbs in this curriculum

Curriculum
5 words
# Freq Word
1155irseto leave, to go away
2272quedarseto stay, to remain
3395sentarseto sit down
4918preocuparseto worry, to get worried
55095alegrarseto be glad, to be pleased

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/7

Which reflexive pronoun goes with each subject?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Put the words in order

0/4

Put the words in order.

  1. Add the negative: me levanto temprano.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. We stay at home.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. My brother is leaving tomorrow.

    Your sentence is empty.

  4. They don't worry about anything.

    Your sentence is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the right form for each gap.

Lucía's morning

Lucía ducha a las siete. Yo quedo en la cama hasta las ocho. Después nosotras sentamos a desayunar. A las nueve Lucía va al trabajo.

Gap 1 of 4

Fill in the blank

0/4

Type the pronoun and the verb, conjugated for the subject.

  1. Yo en casa. (quedarse) (me + the yo form)

  2. Ellos por todo. (preocuparse) (se + the ellos form)

  3. Tú aquí. (sentarse) (e becomes ie)

  4. Nosotros ahora. (irse) (irse is as irregular as ir)

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Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate a reflexive verb in Spanish?
Take the -se off the infinitive, conjugate the verb as normal, and put the pronoun that matches the subject in front: me, , , , , . gives , , , , , . Being reflexive changes nothing about the endings.
Are reflexive verbs regular or irregular in the present tense?
Whatever the verb without -se is. and are regular because and are. ( ) and ( ) change their stem because and do. is as irregular as : , , .
Where does the reflexive pronoun go?
Straight in front of the conjugated verb, with nothing between them: , . A negative goes before the pronoun: , never . With an infinitive the pronoun can also go on the end: or .
How do you conjugate in the present tense?
changes e to ie everywhere except and : , , , , , . is also the yo form of , to feel: is I sit here, is I feel well.
What is the difference between and ?
is to go, and wants a destination: a , I'm going home. is to leave, to go away: , I'm off. keeps every irregular form of and adds the pronoun: , , , , , .