Properly Placing Spanish Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used in conjunction with reflexive verbs to express that an action is performed by a subject on itself. In order for a reflexive pronoun to make sense, you have to know how to place it properly within a sentence. (But first, make sure you’re familiar with the pronouns themselves. Reflexive pronouns are exactly the same as direct and indirect object pronouns except for the third-person singular and plural [se; seh] forms.) Read on for the rules of reflexive pronoun placement in Spanish.

1

Reflexive pronouns normally go before the conjugated verb.

For example, me goes before aplico in the sentence Me aplico en la clase de español (I apply myself in Spanish class).

2

You can choose where to place the reflexive pronoun in certain situations.

In sentences with two verbs that follow one subject or in sentences with a gerund, you can place the reflexive pronoun either before the conjugated verb or after it, attached to the infinitive or gerund.

You must add an accent on the stressed vowel when you attach the pronoun to a gerund. To place the accent correctly, count back three vowels and add it, as in the sentence Ella está peinándose (She is combing her hair).

3

A negative goes before the pronoun when it precedes the verb.

In the sentence No me voy a maquillar (I’m not going to put on my make-up), you’ll notice that no goes before me, because me is in front of voy.

Comments (2)

  1. Posted by Diana
    I like the manner in which your data is presented. Where is the placement of the "no".. the negative with the reflexive verbs? Do you have Advanced Spanish for Dummies? Please respond. Thank you.
  2. Posted by Dummies Online Editor
    Diana, See line 3 in this article about placement of no. You might also find some clues in Answering Spanish Questions in the Negative .
    We do have Intermediate Spanish For Dummies . If you click the Store button in the upper-right corner of this page, you'll get to our books. Just enter spanish in the search box to see what For Dummies has to offer.

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