Understanding Reflexive Verbs

Question

I'm learning about reflexive verbs and I don't understand them. Why is it that when you say "Maria puts on makeup" you say "Maria se maquilla" instead of "Maria maquillarse"? Doesn't adding the se to maquilla make it mean she puts on her makeup? Why put se first?

I COMPLETELY agree, sizemored. I mean, don't they mean EXACTLY the same things? I 've looked up several articles trying to understand the concept, but none of them have seemed to help. :/ I'm not gonna do well on this portion of my Spanish exam. :( - Peyton_meff, May 14, 2014

Answer 1

This reference article might help. Reflexive verbs

~Jessica

Answer 2

Looked at another way, there has to be a conjugated verb in the sentence.

Maria maquillarse does not have a conjugated verb. Only the infinitive.

But, a sentence with some sort of helping verb, or what we´d call a modal, can have those verbs be the conjugated one, and then you do can (and must) use the infinitive form of maquillarse.

This is the same for both normal, and reflexive verbs, btw.

Thus Chileno´s good example such as .

María tuvo que maquillarse

Or mine.

María quiere maquillarse or María se quiere quiere maquillar.

hope that helps

Roger

Answer 3

Because it would sound like if we said in English.

Maria to puts on makeup on herself.

Or something like it,

now, in other instances the following can be said.

María tuvo que maquillarse

or

María se tuvo que maquillar.

These last to forms are correct.