A1 · The present tense
Reflexive verbs
The pronoun goes in front — and more verbs need one than in English.
A reflexive verb carries a se on the end of its base form: levantarse, ducharse, llamarse. The verb itself is conjugated normally and the pronoun moves to the front: me levanto, te levantas, se levanta.
The pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se. They stand before the conjugated verb — Me ducho — but attach to a base form or a gerund: Voy a ducharme, Estoy duchándome.
A daily routine is made almost entirely of these verbs, which is why the topic comes so early: despertarse, levantarse, ducharse, vestirse, peinarse, acostarse. English mostly manages without a pronoun at all — «I get up», not «I get myself up» — so the whole class has to be built rather than translated.
Die Form
| yo | me levanto |
| tú | te levantas |
| él, ella, usted | se levanta |
| nosotros | nos levantamos |
| vosotros | os levantáis |
| ellos, ustedes | se levantan |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
The pronoun stands before the conjugated verb.
Me levanto a las seis y media.I get up at half past six.
It attaches to a base form.
Tengo que acostarme temprano.I have to go to bed early.
With parts of the body Spanish uses the article, not the possessive.
Me lavo las manos.I wash my hands.
Some verbs change meaning with se.
Voy a dormir. — Me voy a dormir.I am going to sleep. — I am falling asleep.
Woran man es erkennt
- se
- me
- te
- nos
- os
- por la mañana
Beispielsätze
¿Cómo te llamas? — Me llamo Julia.What is your name? — My name is Julia.
Nos vemos a las siete delante del cine.We are meeting at seven in front of the cinema.
Los niños se visten solos.The children dress themselves.
Se está peinando en el baño.She is combing her hair in the bathroom.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
Two things at once. First, parts of the body and clothing take the article where English says «my»: Me lavo las manos, not mis manos — the me already says whose they are. Second, the pronoun never moves behind the conjugated verb: Levanto me is not a Spanish sentence.
Before the conjugated verb, attached to the base form.
Jetzt selbst
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