Italian Reflexive Verbs Made Easy: The Trick to Conjugating Them Without Thinking

As an Italian learner, I know that there are a few things about Italian that seem tricky. For me, one of these was reflexive verbs. However, you don’t have to worry: once you learn this simple, step-by-step method, you will be able to conjugate Italian reflexive verbs in your sleep.

What Are Italian Reflexive Verbs?

Verbi riflessivi, or reflexive verbs, are verbs that are used to describe actions that one does to oneself. They are always composed of two parts put together: the verb itself, and the reflexive pronoun. The infinitive form is created by removing the final “e” and adding the reflexive pronoun. For example:

alzare + si= alzarsi

Common Italian Reflexive Verbs

You might be surprised to learn that many reflexive verbs are used on a daily basis in Italian. Here is a list of some of the most common from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

Italian Verb	English Translation
acommodarsi	to make oneself comfortable
alzarsi	to get up
ammalarsi	to get sick
annoiarsi	to get bored
arrabbiarsi	to get angry
confondersi	to get confused
divertirsi	to enjoy oneself
lavarsi	to wash oneself
mettersi	to put on
pettinarsi	to comb hair
preoccuparsi	to worry
svegliarsi	to wake up

How to Conjugate Italian Reflexive Verbs (Step by Step Instructions)

If you are trying to learn Italian fast, you are probably looking for some tips and tricks to help you pick up things like verb conjugation more quickly. Well, we’ve got good news for you: there is a trick to make learning how to conjugate Italian reflexive verbs simple and easy!

Step 1: Break Things Down

Italian reflexive verbs are composed of two parts: the verb and the reflexive pronoun. Together, they give you a verb that might look weird to you, but we can simplify it. To start conjugating Italian reflexive verbs, break the word into its two parts:

svegliarsi = svegliare+ si

Step 2: Choose the reflexive pronoun

Once you have separated the verb from the pronoun, you can start forming the conjugation you need by choosing the correct pronoun based on the subject of your sentence. Here’s a quick guide to the Italian reflexive pronouns:

Italian Reflexive Pronoun	English Translation
mi	myself
ti	yourself
si	himself/herself
ci	ourselves
vi	yourselves
si	themselves

Step 3: Conjugate the verb itself

Now for the part you probably know how to do! In the present tense, you conjugate verbs exactly as you normally would. Check whether the verb is an –are, –ere, or –ire verb and then conjugate it accordingly based on the subject. For instance:

I wake up = (io) sveglio

Step 4: Form the reflexive verb

Once you have chosen the reflexive pronoun and conjugated the verb properly, all you have to do is put it together. In the present tense, you usually form reflexive verbs by putting the reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb, like so:

mi sveglio – I wake (myself) up

Mi sveglio alle sette ogni mattina – I wake (myself) up at seven every morning.

You can also attach the reflexive pronoun to the end of the verb if the verb itself is not conjugated. For example:

Preferisco svegliarmi presto. – I prefer to wake (myself) up early. 

When used with modal verbs like dovere (to have to), potere (to be able to), and volere(to want), you can put the pronoun at the beginning or the end. 

Mi devo svegliare presto – I have to wake (myself) up early.

Devo svegliarmi presto – I have to wake (myself) up early.

Conjugating Reflexive Passato Prossimo Verbs

There is one important thing to keep in mind when using the passato prossimo form of reflexive verbs: while many “normal” verbs are conjugated with avere as the auxiliary verb (ho letto, “I read,” for example), all reflexive verbs take essere in the passato prossimo tense.

You form them like this:

reflexive pronoun + present tense form of essere + past participle

So, for instance:

Mi sono svegliato/a – I woke (myself) up

Mi sono svegliato alle sette stamattina. – I woke (myself) up at seven this morning.

FAQs

Are reflexive verbs used a lot in Italian?

Italians use reflexive verbs more often than you might think! Many of the verbs used to describe things you do on a daily basis are reflexive. Any time you speak about waking up (svegliarsi), getting up (alzarsi) or washing up (lavarsi), for example, you use a reflexive verb. So, understandably, this is an important construction to learn!

Does an Italian verb change meaning if it is reflexive?

In many cases, yes. For instance, sentire usually means “to hear,” but sentirsi means to feel something emotionally or physically. Non mi sento bene, for example, means “I don’t feel well (physically).” Sentirci also means “to hear from each other.”

How many reflexive verbs are there in Italian?

It is difficult to give an exact number, but according to University of Iowa Pressbooks, there are more reflexive verbs in Italian than in English. There could be thousands, but the regularly used reflexive verbs number between 100 and 200. 

Final Takeaway

Conjugating reflexive verbs and other verb conjugation might make learning Italian seem intimidating at first, but once you learn to break them down, it is a breeze. To see those verbs in action, check out Jolii.ai’s extensive library of resources and learning tools.