Reflexive Pronouns in Portuguese with Examples

Introduction

Reflexive pronouns are essential building blocks in Portuguese grammar that allow speakers to express actions performed by subjects upon themselves. Whether you’re saying you’re getting dressed, introducing yourself, or describing someone looking at themselves in a mirror, reflexive pronouns make these everyday expressions possible and natural.

Understanding Reflexive Pronouns in Portuguese

Reflexive pronouns in Portuguese, known as pronomes reflexivos, indicate that the subject of a verb is also the recipient of the action. In simpler terms, these pronouns show that someone is doing something to or for themselves. Just as English uses words like myself, yourself, and themselves, Portuguese has its own set of reflexive pronouns that correspond to each person.

The pronomes reflexivos in Portuguese are:

me – myself
te – yourself (informal singular)
se – himself, herself, itself, yourself (formal singular), themselves, yourselves
nos – ourselves
vos – yourselves (rarely used in modern Brazilian Portuguese)

Notice that se serves multiple functions, covering third-person singular, formal second-person address, and all plural third-person forms. This versatility makes se the most frequently encountered reflexive pronoun in everyday Portuguese.

How Reflexive Pronouns Work with Verbs

When verbs become reflexive in Portuguese, they’re called verbos reflexivos. These verbs always appear alongside a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject. The pronoun typically comes before the conjugated verb in standard affirmative sentences.

Let’s examine the reflexive verb lavar-se (to wash oneself) in the present tense:

Eu me lavo – I wash myself
Você se lava – You wash yourself
Ele/Ela se lava – He/She washes himself/herself
Nós nos lavamos – We wash ourselves
Vocês se lavam – You all wash yourselves
Eles/Elas se lavam – They wash themselves

The positioning of these pronouns follows specific rules in Portuguese. In most declarative sentences, the reflexive pronoun precedes the verb. However, in certain grammatical contexts, the pronoun attaches to the verb, either in the middle or at the end.

Pronoun Placement Before the Verb

The reflexive pronoun appears before the conjugated verb in these situations:

When negative words are present: Eu não me lembro disso (I don’t remember that)

With certain adverbs and conjunctions: Já me vesti para a festa (I already got dressed for the party)

In subordinate clauses: Espero que você se divirta na viagem (I hope you enjoy yourself on the trip)

With question words: Como você se chama? (What is your name?)

Pronoun Placement After the Verb

In formal writing and European Portuguese, reflexive pronouns often attach to the end of verbs with a hyphen. This happens in affirmative commands and when starting sentences in formal contexts.

Sente-se, por favor (Please sit down)

Levanto-me cedo todos os dias (I wake up early every day)

In Brazilian Portuguese, especially in spoken language, Brazilians prefer placing the pronoun before the verb even in situations where formal grammar would suggest otherwise.

Common Reflexive Verbs in Daily Conversation

Many everyday activities in Portuguese require reflexive constructions. Learning these verbos reflexivos will immediately improve your conversational ability.

Morning and Evening Routines

Acordar-se (to wake up): Eu me acordo às sete horas (I wake up at seven o’clock)

Levantar-se (to get up): Ela se levanta cedo (She gets up early)

Vestir-se (to get dressed): Nós nos vestimos rapidamente (We get dressed quickly)

Pentear-se (to comb one’s hair): Você se penteou hoje? (Did you comb your hair today?)

Barbear-se (to shave): Meu pai se barbeia todo dia (My father shaves every day)

Maquiar-se (to put on makeup): Ela se maquia antes de sair (She puts on makeup before going out)

Deitar-se (to lie down, go to bed): Eles se deitam tarde (They go to bed late)

Social Interactions

Chamar-se (to be named): Como você se chama? (What’s your name?)

Apresentar-se (to introduce oneself): Deixe-me apresentar (Let me introduce myself)

Despedir-se (to say goodbye): Vamos nos despedir aqui (Let’s say goodbye here)

Encontrar-se (to meet each other): Nós nos encontramos no café (We meet at the café)

Emotions and States

Sentir-se (to feel): Eu me sinto feliz hoje (I feel happy today)

Preocupar-se (to worry): Não se preocupe com isso (Don’t worry about that)

Divertir-se (to have fun): Vocês se divertiram na festa? (Did you all have fun at the party?)

Orgulhar-se (to be proud): Eles se orgulham dos filhos (They’re proud of their children)

Interessar-se (to be interested): Ela se interessa por música (She’s interested in music)

Movement and Position

Sentar-se (to sit down): Por favor, sente-se (Please sit down)

Mover-se (to move): O gato se move devagar (The cat moves slowly)

Virar-se (to turn around): Ele se virou para olhar (He turned around to look)

Reflexive Pronouns with Infinitives and Gerunds

When reflexive verbs appear in infinitive or gerund form, the pronoun can attach to the end of the verb or precede an auxiliary verb.

With Infinitives

The reflexive pronoun attaches directly to infinitives:

Preciso vestir-me agora (I need to get dressed now)

Vou deitar-me mais tarde (I’m going to lie down later)

É importante lembrar-se disso (It’s important to remember that)

Alternatively, especially in Brazilian Portuguese, the pronoun can come before the auxiliary verb:

Preciso me vestir agora (I need to get dressed now)

Vou me deitar mais tarde (I’m going to lie down later)

With Gerunds

With gerunds, the pattern is similar:

Estou vestindo-me para o trabalho (I’m getting dressed for work)

Or: Estou me vestindo para o trabalho

Ela estava sentindo-se mal (She was feeling sick)

Or: Ela estava se sentindo mal

Reciprocal Actions Using Reflexive Pronouns

Portuguese also uses reflexive pronouns to express reciprocal actions, where two or more people do something to each other. These constructions use the plural reflexive pronouns nos, se, or vos.

Nós nos amamos (We love each other)

Eles se ajudam muito (They help each other a lot)

Vocês se conhecem? (Do you know each other?)

Maria e João se encontram toda semana (Maria and João meet each other every week)

As crianças se abraçaram (The children hugged each other)

When context doesn’t make the reciprocal meaning clear, you can add clarifying expressions:

Eles se olharam um para o outro (They looked at each other)

Nós nos respeitamos mutuamente (We respect each other mutually)

Changes in Meaning with Reflexive Pronouns

Some Portuguese verbs change meaning significantly when used reflexively. Understanding these differences is crucial for proper communication.

Verbs That Transform with Reflexive Pronouns

Ir (to go) vs. Ir-se (to leave, go away):
Eu vou ao mercado (I’m going to the market)
Eu me vou embora (I’m leaving)

Lembrar (to remind) vs. Lembrar-se (to remember):
Isso me lembra minha infância (That reminds me of my childhood)
Eu me lembro da minha infância (I remember my childhood)

Esquecer (to forget something) vs. Esquecer-se (to forget about):
Esqueci minha carteira (I forgot my wallet)
Eu me esqueci da reunião (I forgot about the meeting)

Parecer (to seem) vs. Parecer-se (to resemble):
Ele parece cansado (He seems tired)
Ela se parece com a mãe (She resembles her mother)

Encontrar (to find) vs. Encontrar-se (to meet, to be located):
Encontrei minhas chaves (I found my keys)
Vamos nos encontrar às cinco (Let’s meet at five)

Reflexive Pronouns in Commands

Commands or imperative forms in Portuguese handle reflexive pronouns differently depending on whether the command is affirmative or negative.

Affirmative Commands

In affirmative commands, the reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the verb with a hyphen:

Sente-se! (Sit down!)

Levante-se cedo! (Get up early!)

Divirtam-se! (Have fun!)

Vista-se bem! (Dress well!)

Acalme-se! (Calm down!)

Negative Commands

In negative commands, the pronoun comes before the verb:

Não se sente aí! (Don’t sit there!)

Não se levante tarde! (Don’t get up late!)

Não se preocupem! (Don’t worry!)

Não te esqueças disso! (Don’t forget that!)

Special Cases and Exceptions

Verbs That Are Always Reflexive

Certain verbs in Portuguese exist only in reflexive form. These are inherently reflexive and cannot be used without their reflexive pronoun.

Queixar-se (to complain): Ele se queixa de tudo (He complains about everything)

Arrepender-se (to regret): Eu me arrependo daquilo (I regret that)

Suicidar-se (a serious topic): This verb exists only in reflexive form

Atrever-se (to dare): Ela não se atreve a falar (She doesn’t dare to speak)

Optional Reflexive Constructions

Some verbs can be used with or without reflexive pronouns, sometimes with subtle meaning differences:

Casar vs. Casar-se (to marry, to get married):
O padre casou o casal (The priest married the couple)
Eles se casaram em junho (They got married in June)

Mudar vs. Mudar-se (to change vs. to move residence):
Vou mudar de trabalho (I’m going to change jobs)
Vou me mudar para outra cidade (I’m going to move to another city)

Cultural Notes on Reflexive Verb Usage

Understanding how native speakers actually use verbos reflexivos helps you sound more natural in Portuguese.

Informal Brazilian Portuguese

In casual Brazilian conversation, speakers often drop reflexive pronouns entirely, especially with certain verbs:

Formal: Eu me lembro disso (I remember that)
Informal: Eu lembro disso

Formal: Vou me casar (I’m going to get married)
Informal: Vou casar

However, with many verbs, dropping the pronoun sounds incorrect or changes the meaning, so learners should practice the standard forms first.

Regional Variations

Different Portuguese-speaking regions show variations in reflexive pronoun usage. Brazilian Portuguese tends toward simpler constructions and pre-verbal pronoun placement, while European Portuguese maintains more formal positioning rules and uses reflexive constructions more consistently.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun

Learners often forget to include the reflexive pronoun with inherently reflexive verbs:

Incorrect: Eu levanto às sete
Correct: Eu me levanto às sete

Remember that certain daily routine verbs always require their reflexive pronouns in standard Portuguese.

Using the Wrong Pronoun

Make sure the reflexive pronoun matches the subject:

Incorrect: Você me senta aqui
Correct: Você se senta aqui

Incorrect Positioning

While Brazilian Portuguese is flexible, certain contexts require specific positioning:

In negative sentences: Não me lembro (not: Não lembro-me)

After question words: Quando você se levanta? (not: Quando levanta-se você?)

Practice Tips for Mastering Reflexive Pronouns

Building comfort with pronomes reflexivos requires consistent practice and exposure.

Create a Daily Routine Narrative

Write or speak about your daily routine using reflexive verbs. Start with simple sentences and gradually add complexity:

Eu me acordo às sete. Depois, me levanto e me visto. Me sinto bem quando tomo café. À noite, me deito às dez.

Label Actions

As you go through your day, mentally label actions using reflexive verbs in Portuguese. When you wash your hands, think: Estou me lavando as mãos.

Focus on High-Frequency Verbs

Master the most common reflexive verbs first: chamar-se, sentir-se, sentar-se, levantar-se, vestir-se, and divertir-se. These appear constantly in everyday conversation.

Listen to Native Content

Watch Brazilian shows, listen to podcasts, or follow social media content in Portuguese. Pay attention to how native speakers use reflexive constructions naturally in context.

Practice with Partners

If possible, practice with conversation partners or tutors. Ask each other questions that require reflexive answers:

A que horas você se levanta?
Como você se sente hoje?
Onde vocês vão se encontrar?

Advanced Applications of Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns for Emphasis

Sometimes Portuguese uses reflexive pronouns to add emphasis or clarity, even when the verb isn’t typically reflexive:

Ele foi-se embora (He left – with emphasis on departure)

Ela ria-se muito (She laughed a lot – emphasizing her own laughter)

Passive Voice Alternative

Portuguese frequently uses reflexive constructions as an alternative to passive voice, especially with the pronoun se:

Fala-se português aqui (Portuguese is spoken here)

Vendem-se casas (Houses for sale – literally: Houses sell themselves)

Fazem-se bolos por encomenda (Cakes made to order)

Impersonal Constructions

The pronoun se also creates impersonal constructions similar to English one or you in general statements:

Vive-se bem aqui (One lives well here)

Come-se muito bem neste restaurante (One eats very well at this restaurant)

Building Your Reflexive Vocabulary

Expanding your repertoire of verbos reflexivos enhances your expressive range in Portuguese.

Emotional and Mental States

Aborrecer-se (to get bored): Eu me aborreço facilmente (I get bored easily)

Zangar-se (to get angry): Ele se zanga rapidamente (He gets angry quickly)

Admirar-se (to be amazed): Nós nos admiramos com a vista (We’re amazed by the view)

Envergonhar-se (to be ashamed): Ela se envergonha facilmente (She gets embarrassed easily)

Physical Actions and Care

Cortar-se (to cut oneself): Cuidado para não se cortar! (Be careful not to cut yourself!)

Machucar-se (to hurt oneself): Ele se machucou jogando futebol (He hurt himself playing soccer)

Queimar-se (to burn oneself): Eu me queimei no fogão (I burned myself on the stove)

Enxugar-se (to dry oneself): Ela se enxugou depois do banho (She dried herself after the bath)

Communication and Expression

Expressar-se (to express oneself): Ele se expressa bem (He expresses himself well)

Comunicar-se (to communicate): Eles se comunicam por email (They communicate by email)

Manifestar-se (to express opinion): Vou me manifestar sobre isso (I’m going to express my opinion about that)

Conclusion

Mastering pronomes reflexivos represents a significant milestone in your Portuguese learning journey. These essential grammatical tools enable you to describe daily activities, express emotions, and communicate naturally in countless situations. With consistent practice and attention to context, reflexive pronouns will become second nature, allowing you to focus on more advanced aspects of Portuguese communication.