Reflexive verbs. Cant get my head around them..

Question

Hi I have just started learning about reflexive verbs..

Im confused, Lets take the word "LAVANTARSE" So I know the verb is LEVANTAR - To get up.

Now the SE is added as it means to do to oneself. Ok I get this.

But if i wanted to say I wanted to get myself up ive been told i have to say "me lavanto"

Well this is where i am confused!! As i said before, the SE means to do to oneself, so if i am getting myself up why cant i say "me lavantarse" because i am getting myself up!!??

You get what im trying to say?

Good question comfortablynumb. I think all beginners have problems with these. - 0095ca4c, Dec 6, 2012

Answer 1

This is going to seem strange as we don't always have an English equivalent, although we do have instances where we say something along the same lines.

I need to wake myself up, where's the coffee?

You need to get over yourself. (lol this one would probably have a Spanish speaker scratching their head).

The trick with verb forms such as levantarse, is that the 'se' part on the end is just one of the available 'reflexive' pronouns.

levantar + se

It's tacked on the end of the verb infinitive to show you that when you're ready to use the verb if you're going to conjugate it (change it to suit the person you're talking about) you must also remember to choose the applicable reflexive pronoun but this won't always be se. Then, rather than leave it on the end however you bring it round to the front.

The reflexive pronouns are as follows:

me (myself) te (yourself) se (himself, herself, yourself) nos (ourselves) os (yourselves) se (themselves, yourselves)

That's why you say:

me levanto - I get (myself) up

• it would sound rather strange if you said 'I get oneself up'

not only do you conjugate levantar to match 'yo' - levanto

but you choose the reflexive pronoun to match 'yo' which is 'me'

If 'he' was getting ('himself') up, then you would conjugate levantar to match 'él' - 'levanta'

and you would choose the reflexive pronoun to match - 'se' and you'd bring it round to the front - se levanta.

I hope that helps a little.

Also this lesson may be a bit advanced but on the other hand it may shed a little more light on the subject.

Well done. - gringojrf, Dec 6, 2012

gracias amigo :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 6, 2012

Gracias! made perfect sense! :) - comfortablynumb, Dec 7, 2012

kewl bananas :) happy I could help! - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 10, 2012

Answer 2

"Levantarse" is the infinitive.

Conjugated it is:

"(yo) me levanto"

"(tú) te levantas"

"(Ud, él, ella) se levanta"

"(nosotros) nos levantamos"

"(Uds, ellos) se levantan"

Thank you. - 0095ca4c, Dec 6, 2012

Answer 3

I think you seem to have it now.

Note, it may be helpful, when you see a reflexive infinitive, to think of the SE on the end as a place holder for the reflexive particle, and an indicator that it´s need. Note further that if there is another conjugated verb, then the particle, though it might not be SE, will be attached to the in the same location.

I wake up -- Me levanto I want to wake up -- Quiero levantarme

hth

true, true, good point, I forgot to address that in my post, good job Rog :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 6, 2012

Answer 4

I can barely understand what are you trying to say, but I think I can get it.

Well, the verb levantarSE means 'to wake up'. But the literal translation would be 'to wake oneself up'.

The correct conjugation of this verb is:

Yo ME levanto Tú TE levantas Él/ella SE levanta Nosotros NOS levantamos Vosotros OS levantáis Ellos SE levantan

The conjugation for reflexive verbs is (person + reflexive pronoun + conjugated verb)

The person is the one who does the action, the reflexive pronoun is who gets that action (often in oneself) and the verb is the action in question.

Answer 5

Just change the se to me "leventarme"

Se is when you are refering someone else in this form.

Hijo mio, leventarse ya, ¡pudese!

Voy a leventarme.