italian reflexive verbs - i verbi riflessivi

So far we’ve seen that a verb has a subject (the person, place or thing doing the verb), and an object (the person, place or thing the verb is done to). Usually these two are distinct. One person does the verb, another receives it. For example, “I can’t hear you.”

But when the subject and object are one and the same person, place or thing, you need what’s called a “reflexive verb”. This is just a verb you can use with a “reflexive pronoun” to indicate that the subject of the verb is also its recipient. For example, “I can’t hear myself.”

Reflexive Pronouns in English and Italian (the Italian ones are easier for once)

English	Italian
myself	mi
yourself	ti
	si
himself	si
herself	si
itself	si
ourselves	ci
yourselves	vi
themselves	si

Some English Examples

I hurt myself playing tennis.

I bought myself a new top.

Once she moved to Vancouver, she found herself feeling lonely.

An Italian reflexive verb in the infinitive (dictionary form) always drops its final vowel and attaches “si”.

Some Examples

svegliarsi – to wake up

alzarsi – to get up

lavarsi – to wash oneself

vestirsi – to dress oneself

To conjugate a reflexive verb, you replace the infinitive “si” with the reflexive pronoun corresponding to the person doing the action (mi for io, ti for tu, si for lui, etc.), and conjugate the verb as you ordinarily would any –are, –ere or –ire verb. Like any pronoun, the reflexive ones go before the conjugated verb.

For example:

alzarsi – to get up

(io) mi alzo

(tu) ti alzi

(Lei) si alza

(lui/lei) si alza

(noi) ci alziamo

(voi) vi alzate

(loro) si alzano

Tricky Points

A lot of the reflexive pronouns in Italian are identical to each other, and to other pronouns (e.g. the object ones). This can sometimes create confusion for beginners.

Also, in Italian, some verbs are always reflexive, some non-reflexive, and some both depending on context, often with different meanings for each. A verb’s reflexivity in Italian doesn’t always parallel English. So a verb that isn’t reflexive in English, might be in Italian. You have to gain a sense of what Italians consider to be a reflexive action (one whose object is also its subject). Logic and English aren’t always good guides. The best thing to do is to start with a list of common reflexives, then pick up more along the way. Check the "vocabolario" section soon (like, tomorrow) for a good list.

A Few Examples of Reflexives That Mean Something Different Non-Reflexively

alzare, to raise or lift
alzarsi, to get up

chiamare, to call
chiamarsi, to be named

domandare, to ask
domandarsi, to wonder

sentire, to hear
sentirsi, to feel

OK, that's all for today. Ciao for now!