Reflexive Verbs in Catalan

Overview

Reflexive verbs describe actions that the subject performs on themselves. In Catalan, they are formed with a weak pronoun that matches the subject: em rento (I wash myself), et rentes (you wash yourself). The infinitive form includes the pronoun -se: rentar-se, llevar-se, sentir-se.

At the A2 level, reflexive verbs are important because they are extremely common in daily Catalan. Many routine actions — getting up, washing, getting dressed, feeling — use reflexive constructions. Some verbs are always reflexive, while others can be used both reflexively and non-reflexively with different meanings.

The reflexive pronoun follows the same placement rules as other weak pronouns: before conjugated verbs, after infinitives and imperatives. Mastering reflexive verbs significantly expands your ability to describe actions and states.

How It Works

Reflexive Pronouns

Person	Before consonant	Before vowel	After verb
jo	em	m'	-me
tu	et	t'	-te
ell/ella	es	s'	-se
nosaltres	ens	ens	-nos
vosaltres	us	us	-vos
ells/elles	es	s'	-se

Common Reflexive Verbs

Catalan	English
llevar-se	to get up
rentar-se	to wash (oneself)
dutxar-se	to shower
vestir-se	to get dressed
asseure's	to sit down
sentir-se	to feel
trobar-se	to feel / to meet
dir-se	to be called
divertir-se	to enjoy oneself
quedar-se	to stay
anar-se'n	to leave

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Em llevo a les set.	I get up at seven.	Daily routine
Es renta les mans.	He/she washes his/her hands.	Body part
Ens divertim molt.	We enjoy ourselves a lot.	Fun
Com et trobes?	How do you feel?	Health check
Em dic Anna.	My name is Anna.	Self-introduction
S'asseu a la cadira.	He/she sits down on the chair.	Before vowel
Vesteix-te!	Get dressed!	Imperative
No et preocupis.	Don't worry.	Negative imperative
Ens quedem a casa.	We stay at home.	Staying
Se'n van a les sis.	They leave at six.	anar-se'n

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the reflexive pronoun

• Wrong: Llevo a les set.
• Right: Em llevo a les set.
• Why: Without the pronoun, "llevar" would mean "to remove" (transitive), not "to get up."

Using the wrong pronoun for the subject

• Wrong: Ella em renta. (She washes me — not reflexive!)
• Right: Ella es renta. (She washes herself — reflexive)
• Why: The reflexive pronoun must match the subject. "Em" = me/myself, "es" = himself/herself/themselves.

Wrong placement with imperatives

• Wrong: Et vesteix!
• Right: Vesteix-te! (affirmative) / No et vesteixis! (negative)
• Why: In affirmative imperatives, the pronoun goes after the verb. In negative imperatives, it goes before.

Practice Tips

1. Practice your morning routine as a chain: "Em llevo, em dutxo, em vesteixo, esmorzo, em rento les dents."
2. Compare reflexive and non-reflexive meanings: "rento el cotxe" (I wash the car) vs. "em rento" (I wash myself).
3. Practice all persons: "Em llevo, et lleves, es lleva, ens llevem, us lleveu, es lleven."

Related Concepts

• Basic Weak Pronouns — the pronoun system reflexives belong to
• Daily Routine — practical context for reflexive verbs