A verb in Portuguese is reflexive if the subject and the object are the same. This means that the subject is doing the action to itself, not to something or someone else. For instance, “I wash myself” is reflexive, while “I wash my car” is not reflexive.
Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive Verbs in Portuguese
Some verbs in Portuguese are commonly used in the reflexive form. Let us take one example that we are familiar with. The verb “chamar” means “to call,” e.g., “Ele chama seu amigo de mentiroso” (He calls his friend a liar). However, the reflexive form of the verb “chamar-se,” which literally means “to call oneself,” is used to express one’s name. For instance, “Eu me chamo Carlos” means “My name is Carlos,” which is literally “I call myself Carlos.”
One should avoid starting a sentence with a reflexive pronoun in formal speech. However, this rule is seldom respected in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. Thus, “Me chamo Carlos” is often used.
Conjugation of Reflexive Verbs
There are many verbs in Portuguese that have reflexive forms. We will discuss some examples. However, let us first learn how to conjugate reflexive verbs.
| Object Personal Pronoun | e.g., chamar | |
| eu | me | chamo |
| ele/ela/você | se | chama |
| nós | nos | chamamos |
| eles/elas/vocês | se | chamam |
As shown in the table, we add the object personal pronoun before the verb. Note that the subject and object personal pronouns are of the same gender and number because the subject and the object are essentially the same.
When the verb is used in reflexive form, the infinitive ends in “se,” separated from the verb by a hyphen, e.g., “chamar-se.”
Examples of Reflexive Verbs in Portuguese
Here are more examples of reflexive verbs.
| barbear-se | to shave | aborrecer-se | to get bored |
| banhar-se | to take a bath | alegrar-se | to be glad (about) |
| cuidar-se | to take care of oneself | cansar-se | to get tired |
| chatear-se | to get upset | arrumar-se | to get ready |
| distrair-se | to distract oneself | divertir-se | to have fun |
| embebedar-se | to get drunk | apaixonar-se | to fall in love |
| maquiar-se | to put on makeup | levantar-se | to get up |
| pentear-se | to comb one’s hair | esquecer-se | to forget |
| sentar-se | to sit down | enganar-se | to make a mistake |
| vestir-se | to get dressed | sentir-se | to feel |
Let us look at some examples:
| Banhar-se na banheira é relaxante. | Bathing in the tub is relaxing. |
| Eu me aborreço rapidamente em casa. | I get bored fast at home. |
| Ela sempre se levanta cedo. | She always gets up early. |
| Nos divertimos muito ontem. | We had a lot of fun yesterday. |
One can add the reflexive pronoun to verbs that are not regularly reflexive to make them reflexive. For example:
| ver-se | to see oneself | ouvir-se | to listen to oneself |
| lavar-se | to wash oneself | cortar-se | to cut oneself |
Some verbs are used only in reflexive form. For example:
| arrepender-se | to regret or repent | atrever-se | to dare |
| dar-se conta de | to realize | gabar-se | to boast |
| queixar-se | to complain | suicidar-se | to commit suicide |
Change in Meaning
Some verbs change their meaning when they are used in reflexive form. For example:
| aborrecer | to bore | aborrecer-se | to get bored |
| lembrar recordar | to remind | lembrar-se recordar-se | to remember |
| deitar | to put to bed | deitar-se | to lie down or go to bed |
| despedir | to fire or dismiss | despedir-se | to say goodbye |
| apresentar | to present | apresentar-se | to introduce oneself |
| ir | to go | ir-se | to leave or go away |
| tornar | to render or turn into | tornar-se | to become |
| negar | to deny | negar-se | to refuse |
| parecer | to seem | parecer-se | to resemble |
| mudar | to move (something) | mudar-se | to move (to relocate) |
| curar | to cure or heal | curar-se | to get cured or healed |
| perder | to lose | perder-se | to go astray or be lost |
Next: Time Expressions: Ainda, Já, Acabar, and Desde
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