Reflexive Meaning Changes

Ir vs irse, dormir vs dormirse, poner vs ponerse. How SE creates entirely new verbs.

Verbs that change meaning with SE

Many Spanish verbs have a completely different meaning when used reflexively. This is NOT the same as reflexive "doing to oneself" — these are distinct verbs.

Movement verbs

Non-reflexiveReflexive
ir = to go
Voy al cine. (I'm going to the movies.)
irse = to leave / go away
Me voy. (I'm leaving.)
volver = to return
Volvió a casa. (He returned home.)
volverse = to become / turn around
Se volvió loco. (He went crazy.)
caer = to fall
La manzana cayó. (The apple fell.)
caerse = to fall down (accidentally)
Me caí en la calle. (I fell in the street.)
salir = to go out / leave
Salgo a las ocho. (I leave at 8.)
salirse = to overflow / come out
El agua se sale. (The water is overflowing.)

State changes

Non-reflexiveReflexive
dormir = to sleep
Duermo ocho horas. (I sleep 8 hours.)
dormirse = to fall asleep
Me dormí en clase. (I fell asleep in class.)
poner = to put / place
Puse el libro en la mesa.
ponerse = to put on (clothes) / become
Me puse el abrigo. / Se puso nervioso.
quedar = to remain / meet up
Quedan dos. / Quedé con Juan.
quedarse = to stay / keep
Me quedé en casa. / Quédate con esto.
encontrar = to find
Encontré las llaves.
encontrarse = to feel / run into
Me encuentro bien. / Me encontré con Juan.

Communication and perception

Non-reflexiveReflexive
llevar = to carry / take
Llevo las bolsas.
llevarse = to get along / take away
Se llevan bien. (They get along.) / Me lo llevo. (I'll take it.)
parecer = to seem
Parece difícil. (It seems hard.)
parecerse (a) = to look like / resemble
Se parece a su madre. (He looks like his mother.)
acordar = to agree / decide
Acordaron un precio.
acordarse (de) = to remember
No me acuerdo de nada. (I don't remember anything.)
fijar = to fix / set
Fijaron una fecha.
fijarse (en) = to notice
¿Te fijaste en eso? (Did you notice that?)

Consumption verbs — reflexive = eat/drink ALL of it

Reflexive emphasizes completion — the whole thing

Comí pizza. (I ate pizza.) — general
Me comí toda la pizza. (I ate the WHOLE pizza.) — emphasis on completion
Bebí agua. (I drank water.) — general
Me bebí toda la botella. (I drank the whole bottle.)
Leyó el libro. (He read the book.) — neutral
Se leyó el libro entero. (He read the entire book.)

Other important pairs

More meaning shifts

Meter = to put in → Meterse en = to get involved in / meddle
Negar = to deny → Negarse a = to refuse
Ocupar = to occupy → Ocuparse de = to take care of
Tratar = to treat → Tratarse de = to be about
Dar = to give → Darse cuenta = to realize

Quick quiz

1. Se _____ nervioso. (became — ponerse)

2. Me _____. (I'm leaving. — irse)

3. Se _____ a su madre. (looks like — parecerse)

4. No me _____ de nada. (don't remember — acordarse)

5. Se _____ bien. (They get along — llevarse)

6. Me _____ toda la pizza. (ate ALL of it)

7. Se _____ loco. (became crazy — volverse)

8. Me _____ en clase. (fell asleep — dormirse)

9. ¿Te _____ en eso? (notice — fijarse)

10. "Me di cuenta" means _____.

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