How do you distinguish between pronominal and reflexive verbs?
I have difficulty distinguishing between pronominal and reflexive verbs. It seems to me that in reflexive verbs the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject. Whereas pronominal verbs agrees with the object. Please, can you elaborate so as to help me know the difference?
16 Answers
Grammatical terminology can be very problematic when different people use the same terms for different things, but it is even worse when we use the same terms for different languages with different grammars.
Reflexive means that the action is done (or reflected) upon the subject, and although in English grammar it is normal to talk about reflexive verbs, in Spanish and many other languages, 'reflexive' is a term that makes more sense for situations and constructions, not for verbs. In other words, if you see someone else, it is not a reflexive construction, but if you see yourself, it is a reflexive construction. Some pronouns look different in reflexive constructions, but others don't, and verbs are not necessarily intrinsically related with the idea of 'reflexive'.
'Pronominal' means 'relative to the pronoun', and in most grammars this terms refers to constructions where the pronoun (hence 'pronominal') agrees with the verb and the subject. This definition excludes constructions like the impersonal or the passive reflexive, that are formally classified differently. A few pronominal constructions are reflexive, but the rest, although they are likely to concern the subject, are not executed by the subject, which is why 'reflexive' makes little sense.
In any case, almost no native understands these differences even though they speak perfect Spanish. These grammatical differences do not really help to improve your Spanish; only your ability to analyse it formally.
http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/7876/transitive-reflexive-pronominal-verbs-and-pronouns
Edit: let me simplify that...
Reflexive verbs are only one type of pronominal verbs.
Pronominal use is the umbrella that covers the following...
Pronominal reflexive verbs. ( the subject and the object are the same)
Me lavo el pelo. I wash my hair (I wash myself the hair)
Pronominal reciprocal verb. ( reciprocity of the action)
Casarse. Van a casarse... they are going to marry each other.
Se besan: they kiss (each other)
Pronominal passive construction: ( the passive se)
Se robó el reloj : the watch was stolen.
Pronominal verb for emphasis:
Like comerse : come la pizza: he eats the pizza . Se come la pizza : he eats up the pizza. RIP dear pizza.
There are other uses of pronominal verbs which I'm still trying to digest. 
That's my own understanding of the pronominal verbs, I hope I got it right and didn't confuse you in the process.
This is a serious question, not meant to be snide or combative:
Does it matter how it is labeled? Pronominal, reflexive? I can use these in sentences and understand them when listening/reading them (most? some? of the time).
When I start to try to understand the definitions of things like pronominal and some other grammar terms my brain sends an SOS to my eyes to say "danger, look away!" Should I make the effort to learn the technical aspects? Will it help me learn the language better. If so, I'll try to brave it. Otherwise I'm going to skip along on my rosy path of avoiding terms like pronominal.
Has anyone seen Lazarus lately? 
If the person doing the action is also receiving the action then it's reflexive.
Me llamo Kiwi Girl. Reflexive because I actually just call myself Kiwi Girl - it's not my real name, surprising I know je je.
But 'El hombre se llama Pedro' - pronominal 'The man is called/his name is Pedro' not that he particularly called or calls himself Pedro.
Te quiero. Pronominal because I'm saying I love you not that I love myself.
I hope that helps.
There are no reflexive verbs, but reflexive actions:
Me levanto, me baño, me lavo, me peino, me miro en el espejo, me visto, me pongo los zapatos...
Note that these verbs can be used as well as transitives and even as intransitives:
Los levanto, los baño, las lavo, le pongo los zapatos, miro...
The pronominal verbs, like arrepentirse (to repent) are used always with a pronoun in all the cases.
me arrepiento, te arrepientes, se arrepiente...
You can not say: él arrepiente, ellos arrepienten.
Maybe that is the important thing.
Gustar and querer can be used for reflexive actions:
Me gusto como soy. No me gusto cuando me veo en el espejo.
Me quiero. Es un egocéntrico y sólo se quiere a sí mismo. Quiérete un poco más.
all the verbs (transitives and intransitives) agree with the subject, always.
(Yo) me peino. (peinarse, reflexive).
(Yo) me siento a gusto. (sentirse, pronominal).
I know, I know, dog with a bone ....
But anyways 
Is this true?
What sets pronominal verbs apart from non-pronominal verbs is that pronominals must be must be conjugated with a reflexive pronoun, which always agrees with the subject.
and this too?
Reflexive verbs must be used with a reflexive pronoun in order to indicate that the subject is performing the action of the verb upon itself.
So what's the difference? I was thinking that pronominal verbs have to be used with a pronoun sure but not that the pronoun had to agree with the subject and that was what was the difference between the verb being just pronominal instead of reflexive.
Eg isn't sorprenderse pronominal?
but can't you say 'Juan me sorprendió?' so that the pronoun doesn't match the subject
Ok I know that most of what follows has been said here or elsewhere but just to see if I have it all straight in my head I thought I'd type up a bit of a summary on this subject:
Pronominal verbs are verbs that appear in the dictionary with se attached to the end.
..
Pronominal verbs can be used in a number of ways.
Reflexively (lavarse), reciprocally (eg bañarse often used with el uno al otro etc to avoid ambiguity), emphatically (comerse), passively (convertirse) or there are some that don't fit into these four categories but are just intrinsically pronominal (reírse etc).
Where the confusion may set in. With transitive verbs and their objects.
Transitive verbs need to have one if not two objects to work (direct and indirect if there's two).
Direct and indirect object pronouns (except in the third person) are identical to the reflexive pronouns that are used with pronominal verbs. When a sentence contains both an indirect and direct object pronoun the third person indirect object pronouns will change from le or les to se - looking exactly like a reflexive pronoun. But this does not make the verb pronominal because as stated above pronominal verbs are only those that appear in the dictionary with 'se' attached to the end.
Where the confusion may also come in. With intransitive verbs used with reflexive pronouns.
Other verbs such as the intransitive gustar can be used with the reflexive pronouns but this does not make gustar intrinsically pronominal.
Ok that's it - I shall now wait, cringeing in the corner to see where I've gone wrong je je - all comments gratefully accepted!
Yes this is a tricky one but basically pronominal verbs can be used reflexively but they don't have to be.
I'm probably not the best person to be explaining this as I've only just started to get my head around it myself but what the heck je je
Pronominal verbs are used reflexively when the action of the verb reflects back on the subject - making them the object as well as the subject. Sounds like gobbledy-gook I know lol - here's some more examples:
Me quiero. I love myself - reflexive because I (the subject) love myself (the object).
Te quiero. I love you - pronominal because I (the subject) love you (the object)
Me gusto. I like myself. reflexive because I (the subject) am pleasing to myself (the object.
Me gustas. I like you - pronominal because You (the subject) are pleasing to me (the object)
Palin, please do not double post, if you have any more questions, please ask them on this thread, thanks
This is a great question, but trying to comprehend the answer may very well drive you insane.
I suggest that until you have a very, very good handle on how to use both reflexive and pronomial verbs, leave the grammar alone. I 've found that at least for me, once I've learned how to use certain constructions and have gotten proficient at it, the grammar behind it becomes crystal clear and what was once a nightmare is now incredibly simple.
While grammar can be interesting it can also confuse things and cripple your ability to move forward. I suggest you continue learning and speaking, then revist the subject 6 months to a year later and everything will seem so much clearer.
Suerte!
So 'he likes himself' would be.....
"Se gusta a sí mismo"?? (Gustarse) or
"Le gusta a sí mismo" ?? (Intransitive gustar)
They like themselves:
Se gustan a sí mismos?? (Gustarse) or
Les gustan a sí mismos?? (Intransitive gustar)
They love themselves: se quieren a sí mismos??
I asked some native speakers on another forum, they said...
Gustar and querer can be used reflexively
He likes himself
Se gusta (a sí mismo) RIGHT
Le gusta a sí mismo Wrong
They like themselves:
Se gustan (a sí mismos) RIGHT
Les gustan a sí mismos. Wrong
They love themselves:
Se quieren (a sí mismos). RIGHT
LuisCacheux said:
Gustar and querer can be used for reflexive actions:
Me gusto como soy. No me gusto cuando me veo en el espejo.
Me quiero. Es un egocéntrico y sólo se quiere a sí mismo. Quiérete un poco más.
Although our conjugator says that gustar and querer cannot be reflexive, you're saying we do have gustarse and quererse, hmmm interesting!
I haven't slept in 30 hours but let's see...
So 'he likes himself' would be.....
"Se gusta a sí mismo"?? (Gustarse) or
"Le gusta a sí mismo" ?? (Intransitive gustar)
They like themselves:
Se gustan a sí mismos?? (Gustarse) or
Les gustan a sí mismos?? (Intransitive gustar)
They love themselves: se quieren a sí mismos??
I'm sorry, Kiwi, but 'te quiero' is not pronominal (i.e quererse). Querer here acts transitively and 'te' is the direct object.
"Me quiero. I love myself - reflexive".
EDIT: I don't think querer can be reflexive. I'm not even sure if querer is used this way unless it's followed by a reflexive verb, quiero irme / me quiero ir.
"Te quiero. I love you - pronominal".
No. Reason mentioned above.
"Me gusto. I like myself. reflexive"
Gustar can NEVER be reflexive. Put gustar in the conjugator you'll get this message:
This verb cannot be reflexive.
So, a mí me gusto. I'm not sure if that makes sense to a native speaker, but grammatically speaking, A mí is the indirect object and 'me' is its pronoun.
"Me gustas. I like you - pronominal"
No. This is intransitive gustar. See above
A mí me gustas.
A mí : the indirect object, and whenever there is an indirect object, there must be an indirect object pronoun, hence
Me: the indirect object pronoun.
Lazaruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuus, where are you, buddy???
