Conjugating reflexive verbs in Italian

Yesterday, we took a moment to understand reflexive verbs, and various ways in which they might be used. Today, we’re going to figure out how to use them in Italian.

Reflexive Italian verbs

As we’ve already learned, Italian verbs have three endings: -are, -ere, and -ire. All three endings end on an e, and that’s all we need to know.

To make any verb reflexive you simply drop that e and replace it with si. Thus, Italian reflexive verbs end in -arsi, -ersi, or -irsi.

Conjugating reflexive Italian verbs

That si on the end of the verb is call the “reflexive pronoun”. Any time you see that -si on the end of a verb, you know that it is reflexive. But it’s only on the end in the infinitive form. When conjugating the verb, you remove that ending and move it to the front, making sure to match the subject. Then, conjugate the verb normally.

The reflexive pronouns are:

  singular plural
1st person mi ci
2nd person ti vi
3rd person si si

So for instance, to conjugate the verb larvarsi (to wash), you move the ending to the front, changing it for the correct reflexive pronoun above. Then conjugate the verb normally:

  singular plural
1st person mi lavo ci laviamo
2nd person ti lavi vi lavate
3rd person si lava si lavano

Not so hard.

Using reflective verbs in Italian

Some verbs which which are not reflexive in English become reflexive when you use them in Italian.

chiamarsi
To be named. Literally, “to call yourself.”
farsi la doccia
Take a shower. Literally, “to make yourself a shower.”
vestirsi
Get dressed. Literally, “to dress yourself”.

Thus, to say “I am taking a shower”, you would say io mi faccio la doccia. Or to say “my name is Randy”, I say io mi chiamo Randy.

As we learned yesterday, we can also use the reflexive to indicate reciprocal action. For instance, Maria e Pietro si baciano — “Maria and Pietro kiss each other.”

And to speak in a more passive manner, we can use the anticausative, such as la porta si apre a la sinistra, to say “the door opens to the left.” Or, we can use the intransitive, for instance to describe a library:

Questa è una biblioteca. Qui si leggono i libri.
This is a library. Books are read here.

As you can see, understanding reflexive verbs is not only vital for certain verbs, but also opens the door to advanced grammatical constructs!

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  • http://manuela-esperanto.blogspot.com/ manuela

    good lesson! let me just “correct” a thing. In the last exemple you should say “Questa è una biblioteca, qui si LEGGONO i libri”. The sentence should preferably be considered passive, so the subject is the plural “books”.Apart from that, I'm a teacher of Italian language to foreigners and I'm learning some new ideas and tips from your blog…so, thank you! :-)

  • http://manuela-esperanto.blogspot.com manuela

    good lesson! let me just “correct” a thing. In the last exemple you should say “Questa è una biblioteca, qui si LEGGONO i libri”. The sentence should preferably be considered passive, so the subject is the plural “books”.
    Apart from that, I'm a teacher of Italian language to foreigners and I'm learning some new ideas and tips from your blog…so, thank you! :-)

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    Thanks for the correction, I've updated the text.And thank you for your compliments! If you can spare a minute to tell me, I'm curious to know what are some examples of new ideas and tips that you've picked up from the blog?

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    Thanks for the correction, I've updated the text.

    And thank you for your compliments! If you can spare a minute to tell me, I'm curious to know what are some examples of new ideas and tips that you've picked up from the blog?

  • http://manuela-esperanto.blogspot.com/ manuela

    actually I was not referring to some specific example… In general I find it useful for me to see how a foreign student has taken the rules of Italian and explains them to others. After reading I wonder if I disagree with the explanation, or, if there is any uncertainty, I ask myself if it should be absolutely corrected or if you can accept to make it easier to understand.Moreover, I've never taught English-speaking students, but, if this will ever happen in the next future, I'll already have some sentences to use as examples or some comparisons with English language, which I studied too much time ago to remember well ! That's all. I just try to improve myself, in whatever way I can. :)

  • http://manuela-esperanto.blogspot.com manuela

    actually I was not referring to some specific example… In general I find it useful for me to see how a foreign student has taken the rules of Italian and explains them to others. After reading I wonder if I disagree with the explanation, or, if there is any uncertainty, I ask myself if it should be absolutely corrected or if you can accept to make it easier to understand.
    Moreover, I've never taught English-speaking students, but, if this will ever happen in the next future, I'll already have some sentences to use as examples or some comparisons with English language, which I studied too much time ago to remember well ! That's all. I just try to improve myself, in whatever way I can. :)

  • Susanna Duffy

    Thank you for this, I really couldn’t get my head around the concept of reflexive verbs. You’ve made it simple. Now I just have to remember the vocabulary!

  • Guest

    What I dont understand is you wrote vestirsi “to dress yourself”. So I could say to someone “ti vesti dobbiamo andare” for example. But could I also say “vestirsi dobbiamo andare?” I dont think so. I’m having a hard time grasping how to use the reflexive verb in its full form. amarsi, vestirsi, lavarsi etc…
    I could say “non lavarsi qui” – “Dont wash your self here”
    But why wouldnt I just say “non si lava qui” or “non ti lavi qui” or “non lavarti qui”
    I dont understand!

  • tolinrome

    Hello everyone,
    What I dont understand is you wrote vestirsi “to dress yourself”. So I could say to someone “ti vesti dobbiamo andare” for example. But could I also say “vestirsi dobbiamo andare?” I dont think so. I’m having a hard time grasping how to use the reflexive verb in its full form. amarsi, vestirsi, lavarsi etc…
    I could say “non lavarsi qui” – “Dont wash your self here”
    But why wouldnt I just say “non si lava qui” or “non ti lavi qui” or “non lavarti qui”
    I dont understand!

  • http://www.yearlyglot.com/ Randy the Yearlyglot

    To your first example, you could say “vestati! dobbiamo andare!” although I personally have found that construct less common than the “ti vesti” form.

    But I think what you’re having trouble understanding is that the full form of the reflexive verb is really just a full (non-conjugated) verb form. For example, you could say “aspettami, che devo lavarmi le mani”. Take note that the verb form becomes infinitive, but the reflexive pronoun still changes to match the subject of action. Another example: “Dispiace – non posso uscire. Sto per guardare le donne vestirsi.”

  • tolinrome

    Thansk Randy for the quick reply. When would I though use the full verb form in a sentence? Like those verbs I listed in the first post? Such as amarsi, lavarsi, arrabiarsi….When I hear people speaking Italian I hear them use it but cant understand myself when to use them. I do understand, however, the si lavanno, ci conosciamo, si vede etc….Like if I wanted to say to someone not to say something or the 3rd person will become mad….would I, or could I, say “non dirlo che lui si arrabiarsi?” or “non dirlo che lui arrabiarsi?” Thanks for your help.

  • http://www.yearlyglot.com/ Randy the Yearlyglot

    Not quite. Rather, the full form is used more like a gerund. For example, “I have to go” — devo andare. With a reflexive verb, you might say, “I have to get dressed” — devo vestirmi. Or, in the 3rd person, “lui deve vestirsi.”

    I suspect you’re probably more accustomed to hearing verb forms like “si deve vestire” and thinking it’s the same, but this construct is slightly more generic — “si va” isn’t actually reflexive, although it looks like it is. This is actually how Italians say something like “one goes” or “people go”. So where “deve vestirsi” would sound more like “he has to get dressed”, whereas “si deve vestirsi” is closer to “one must dress”.

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