Once you understand how The Reflexive Pronouns are used you will be be the master of reflexive verbs – Simply learn these 4 Tricks to remember the reflexive verbs! If you are looking for Direct Object Personal Pronouns click here

What are Reflexive Verbs?

The Reflexive Verbs describe actions where the subject and the object are the same—meaning the person does something to themselves. In English, these often involve words like “myself,” “yourself,” “ourselves,” etc.

Example in English:
“I washed myself.”
Portuguese equivalent:
“Eu lavei-me.”

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Reflexive Pronouns in Portuguese

Reflexive verbs use specific pronouns that reflect back on the subject. These pronouns are:

Subject Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun	Example Verb (Lavar-se)
Eu	me	Eu lavo-me
Tu	te	Tu lavas-te
Ele/Ela/Você	se	Ele lava-se
Nós	nos	Nós lavamo-nos
Eles/Elas/Vocês	se	Eles lavam-se

📝 Note: In the 1st person plural (nós), the final -s of the verb is dropped before adding -nos:
lavamos + nos → lavamo-nos

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When to Use The Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are used in several contexts: Here are the 4 Tricks to remember how to use the Reflexive Verbs

1. Daily Routines

These are common in describing personal care or habits.

Vestir-se – to get dressed
Ex: Eu visto-me antes do pequeno-almoço.

Lavar-se – to wash oneself
Ex: Ela lava-se todas as manhãs.

2. Emotional or Mental States

Used to express internal actions or feelings.

Lembrar-se – to remember
Ex: Nós lembramo-nos do aniversário.

Esquecer-se – to forget
Ex: Eles esqueceram-se do compromisso.

3. Accidental or Unintentional Actions

Sometimes used to show that something happened to the person.

Magoar-se – to hurt oneself
Ex: Ele magoou-se ao cair.

Perder-se – to get lost
Ex: Eu perdi-me no centro da cidade.

4. Reciprocal Actions

When two or more people do something to each other.

Abraçar-se – to hug each other
Ex: Eles abraçaram-se no aeroporto.

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Placement of Reflexive Pronouns

In European Portuguese, reflexive pronouns are typically placed after the verb, connected by a hyphen. This is especially true in formal writing.

Correct (normal):
Ela veste-se rapidamente.

Ele senta-se aqui sempre.

Exceptions & Variations:

With negative sentences, the pronoun often comes before the verb:

Não me lembro do nome. (I don’t remember the name)(Lembrar-se)

With infinitives and compound tenses, it may follow the verb:
Vou vestir-me. (I’m going to get dressed.) (Vestir-se)

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Reflexive vs Non-Reflexive Verbs

Some verbs change meaning depending on whether they’re reflexive:

Verb	Reflexive Meaning	Non-Reflexive Meaning
Lembrar-se	To remember	Lembrar – To remind
Sentir-se	To feel (emotionally)	Sentir – To feel (physically)
Chamar-se	To be called (name)	Chamar – To call

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Practice Examples

Try translating and identifying the reflexive structure:

1. I call myself João. → Chamo-me João.
2. We got lost in Lisbon. → Perdemo-nos em Lisboa.
3. She hurt herself. → Ela magoou-se. 
4. I hurt myself → Eu maguei-me

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Final Tips for Mastery

1. Reflexive verbs are more common in Portuguese than in English—don’t expect a one-to-one translation.
2. Pay attention to verb conjugation and pronoun placement, especially in writing.
3. Practice with daily routine verbs to build fluency.
4. Listen to native speakers and notice how reflexive verbs are used in context.

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In European Portuguese, certain words—especially adverbs and conjunctions—invert the normal placement of reflexive pronouns, which normally follow the verb. Making the pronoun come before the verb instead of after.

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Words That Invert Reflexive Pronoun Order (Proclisis)

Here are common words and expressions that force the reflexive pronoun to precede the verb:

Temporal Adverbs

• já (already)
  Ex: Ela já se levantou.
  (She has already gotten up.)
• ainda (still/yet)
  Ex: Eu ainda me lembro daquele dia.
  (I still remember that day.)
• sempre (always)
  Ex: Nós sempre nos ajudamos.
  (We always help each other.)

Negative Words

• não (not)
  Ex: Eu não me sinto bem.
  (I don’t feel well.)
• nunca (never)
  Ex: Ela nunca se queixa.
  (She never complains.)
• jamais (never/ever)
  Ex: Eles jamais se esquecerão disso.
  (They will never forget that.)

Indefinite Pronouns

• alguém (someone)
  Ex: Alguém se enganou.
  (Someone made a mistake.)
• ninguém (no one)
  Ex: Ninguém se magoou.
  (No one got hurt.)

Conjunctions

• que (that)
  Ex: É importante que te lembres disso.
  (It’s important that you remember that.)
• porque (because)
  Ex: Perdeu o comboio, porque se atrasou.
  (He missed the train, because he was late.)

Additive Adverbs

• também (also)
  Ex: Nós também nos divertimos muito.
  (We also had a lot of fun.)
• só (only)
  Ex: Só se preocupam com o dinheiro.
  (They only worry about money.)

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