Portuguese Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns

Reflexive verbs are everywhere in Portuguese and are widely used in everyday speech.

It’s easy for learners, especially those unfamiliar with Romance languages, to overlook the reflexive pronoun when it’s required. And yet, that small word can change everything.

Often, the non-reflexive version of a verb means something completely different. Take the verb “atrapalhar” as an example:

Ele atrapalhou-se e perdeu o controlo.
He fumbled and lost control.

Saí porque não quis atrapalhar ninguém.
I left because I didn’t want to disturb anyone.

Another hurdle is getting the word order right. Where does the reflexive pronoun go?

In this article, you’ll learn (1) what reflexive verbs are and how they’re formed, (2) where to place reflexive pronouns, (3) common Portuguese reflexive verbs, and (4) other uses of the pronoun -se.

Read on.

Portuguese reflexive verbs and pronouns

Reflexive verbs describe actions where the subject and object are the same — the action points back to the subject.

In English: I washed myself. In Portuguese: Eu lavei-me.

Here’s a quick table of reflexive pronouns:

Subject	Reflexive Pronoun	Lavar-se ^{Present tense}
Eu	me	lavo-me
Tu	te	lavas-te
Ele, ela	se	lava-se
Nós	nos	lavamo-nos*
Vocês	se	lavam-se
Eles, elas	se	lavam-se

* Note: cortamos drops the final -s before adding -nos: cortamo-nos. This is always the case for the 1-person plural to any verb.

Reflexive verbs are more common in Portuguese than in English. Often, the reflexive Portuguese verb maps to a non-reflexive verb in English. For example, lembrar-se (to remember):

Eu lembro-me
Tu lembras-te
…

What’s more, Portuguese reflexive verbs often have a non-reflexive counterpart with a different meaning. For instance:

Lembrar-se (to remember) vs Lembrar (to remind)

And many English phrases like get dressed, get lost, or get hurt also use reflexive verbs in Portuguese: vestir-se, perder-se, magoar-se.

If you’re not familiar with Romance languages, you might need to learn these by heart. No stress — examples are coming up.

Placement of Portuguese reflexive pronouns

Single verbs

Reflexive pronouns are by default placed after the verb and connected by a hyphen:

Vejo-me ao espelho todas as manhãs.
I see myself in the mirror every morning.

But in certain cases, the pronoun moves before the verb. Triggers for pronoun-precedes-verb order are:

Negative words	não, nunca, ninguém, nenhum, nada, jamais
Question words	o que, porque, quanto/a(s), quando, qual/quais , onde, quem
Conjunctions (subordinative)	que, porque, se, como, conforme, etc.
Prepositions	para, por, em, de, etc.
Adverbs	ainda, já, sempre, também, talvez, pouco, bastante, muito, tanto, tão, só, lá etc.
Pronouns (indefinite)	tudo, todo/a(s), muito/a(s), pouco/a(s), alguém, algo, etc.

🔎The placement behavior for object pronouns is the same: Portuguese Object Pronouns: What Are They for and Where to Place Them.

Let’s look at a few examples.

Negative words

Eu não me penteei hoje.
I didn’t comb my hair today.

Nunca te lembras do meu aniversário.
You never remember my birthday.

Ninguém se sentou à mesa.
No one took a seat around the table.

Nada se perde, tudo se transforma.
Nothing gets lost, everything is transformed.

Question words

Onde te encontras?
Where are you?

Como te chamas?
What’s your name?

Quem se atrasou?
Who got in late?

Quando é que te mudas para cá?
When are you moving here?

Conjunctions

Acho que te enganas a ti próprio.
I think you’re fooling yourself.

Ele foi-se embora porque se chateou comigo.
He left because he got upset with me.

Ela soube como se apresentar.
Now she knew how to introduce herself.

É melhor se te levantares mais cedo .
It’d be better if you got up earlier.

Prepositions

Ele fala comigo para se recordar dos bons velhos tempos.
He talks to me to remember the good old days.

O Rui acabou por se curar.
Rui managed to heal in the end.

Tenho de me lembrar de tomar o comprimido.
I must remember to take the pill.

Ela anda a falar em se mudar para o Brasil.
She has been talking about moving to Brazil.

Adverbs

Já te esqueceste de mim?
Have you already forgotten me?

Talvez me divirta logo à noite.
Maybe I will have fun later in the evening.

Pouco me importa o que os outros pensam.
I don’t care about what other people might think.

Sempre te sentas ao meu ao meu lado para conversarmos?
Are you finally sitting next to me to have a chat?

💡Note: Sempre in the example means finally. In other contexts, however, sempre means always and, in that case, comes after the verb form, thus causing no word order change:

Sentas-te sempre ao meu lado.
You always sit next to me.

Pronouns (indefinite)

Sinto-me muito sensível, tudo me magoa.
I feel quite sensitive, everything hurts me.

Alguém se magoou?
Did someone get hurt?

Poucos se lembram do meu aniversário.
Few bothered to remember my birthday.

Todos se riem de mim.
Everyone is laughing at me.

Future and conditional

In the Future tense and the Conditional tenses, the pronoun goes between the verb stem and the ending:

Future

Levantar-me-ei mais cedo amanhã.
I will get up earlier tomorrow.

Conditional

Levantar-me-ia mais cedo se não tivesse tão cansado.
I would get up earlier if I were not this tired.

💡Note: The tone in the examples above is very formal. In everyday life, people would rather say:

_{Future with the auxiliary ir}_{(learn more)}
Vou-me levantar mais cedo amanhã.
I’m going to get up earlier tomorrow.

_{Conditional with P. Imperfeito}_{(learn more)}
Levantava-me mais cedo se não tivesse tão cansado.
I would get up earlier if I were not this tired.

Two verbs

Auxiliary + reflexive verb

When using an auxiliary (like ir, querer, começar), you’ve got two options: either (1) place the pronoun after the reflexive verb, or (2) after the auxiliary verb:

(1) Vou deitar–me agora.
(2) Vou–me deitar agora. ^{(more casual)}
I will go to bed now.

If the sentence begins with a trigger word (negative, interrogative, etc.), the pronoun goes before the auxiliary:

Já me vou deitar.
I am already going to bed.

Todos se vão deitar cedo esta noite.
Everyone will go to bed early tonight.

Hoje não me vou deitar antes das 3 da manhã.
Today, I am not going to bed before 3 am.

Compound tenses (using Ter)

In Portuguese, we use the verb ter to build compound tenses, just like we use have in English (Perfect tenses). In that case, the reflexive pronoun usually follows ter:

Tenho–me deitado tarde.
I have been going to bed late at night.

Trigger words still push the pronoun forward:

Nunca me tinha deitado tão tarde antes.
I had never gone to bed so late before.

Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese is a bit looser. The reflexive pronoun often comes before the verb:

Ontem me lembrei de você.
Yesterday, you were on my mind.

Se sente aqui do meu lado.
Sit here by my side.

🔎 Learn how European and Brazilian Portuguese compare.

Commonly used Portuguese reflexive verbs

Reflexive in both Portuguese and English

These are intuitive because both languages use them reflexively:

REFLEXIVE	NON-REFLEXIVE
Apresentar-se Present oneself Ela apresentou-se como sendo líder de equipa. She presented herself as the team leader.	Apresentar Present, introduce Amanhã vou apresentar a minha namorada aos meus pais. Tomorrow I will introduce my girlfriend to my parents.
Convencer-se Convince oneself Ele convenceu-se de que conseguia, e conseguiu! He convinced himself that he could do it, and he did it!	Convencer Convince Tenta convencer o Rodolfo a fazer o mesmo. Try to convince Rodolfo to do the same.
Cortar-se Cut oneself Ela cortou-se com uma faca. She cut herself with a knife.	Cortar Cut Ela cortou a laranja a meio. She cut the orange in half.
Encontrar-se Find oneself, be (location) Encontro-me numa situação delicada. I find myself in a delicate situation. Encontro-me em Lisboa I am in Lisbon	Encontrar Find, run into Encontrei os meus óculos, finalmente. I found my glasses at last. Encontrei o Paulo no outro dia. I ran into Paulo the other day.
Enganar-se (a si mesmo) Fool oneself, deceive oneself Ele está apenas a enganar-se a si mesmo. He’s only fooling himself.	Enganar Fool, deceive Vai enganar outro! Go away and try to fool someone else!
Magoar-se Hurt oneself Vais magoar-te! You’re going to hurt yourself!	Magoar Hurt As tuas palavras magoaram o teu amigo. Your words hurt your friend.
Pôr-se Put oneself Põe-te no meu lugar. Put yourself in my place.	Pôr Put Põe o livro na mesa. Put the book on the table.
Ver-se See yourself Devias ver-te ao espelho. You should see yourself in the mirror.	Ver See Ela viu um espelho e comprou-o. She saw a mirror and bought it.
. . .

Reflexive in Portuguese only

These are trickier because they appear non-reflexive in English.

Both reflexive and non-reflexive versions often exist, and sometimes with different meanings altogether:

REFLEXIVE	NON-REFLEXIVE
Agarrar Grab, get hold of Isto é uma oportunidade única. Agarra-a! This is a unique opportunity. Grab it!	Agarrar Grab, get a hold of Isto é uma oportunidade única. Agarra-a! This is a unique opportunity. Grab it!
Adaptar-se Adapt Ele adaptou-se rápido ao novo trabalho. He adapted fast to his new job.	Adaptar Adapt something Adaptei a guitarra para esquerdinos. I adapted the guitar for left-handed people.
Aleijar-se Get injured A Sandra aleijou-se a jogar futebol. Sandra got injured while playing soccer.	Aleijar Hurt (physically) Ele aleijou-me no joelho. He hurt me on my knee.
Apaixonar-se To fall in love Apaixonaste-te outra vez? Did you fall in love again?	–
Aproveitar-se Take advantage Não deixes que eles se aproveitem de ti. Don’t let them take advantage of you.	Aproveitar Take the opportunity Aproveita que estás no Porto para ir visitar o Palácio de Cristal. Since you are in Porto, take the opportunity to visit the Palácio de Cristal.
Aproximar-se Move oneself closer Ela está-se a aproximar novamente dele. She is getting closer to him again.	Aproxima Move something closer Podes aproximar um pouco a luz? Can you move the light a few inches closer?
Arranjar-se Get ready (to go out) Arranjo-me em menos de 10 minutos. I get ready in less than 10 minutes.	Arranjar Fix, repair Conseguiste arranjar a máquina de lavar? Could you fix the washing machine? Preciso de arranjar o cabelo antes de sair. I need to fix my hair before I leave.
Arrepender-se Regret Ele vai arrepender-se! He will regret it.	–
Atrapalhar-se Fumble, get nervous O malabarista atrapalhou-se e deixou cair as bolas. The juggler fumbled and dropped the balls.	Atrapalhar Disturb, hinder Fui-me embora porque não a queria atrapalhar. I went away because I didn’t want to disturb her.
Atrasar-se Run late Atrasei-me, desculpa! I am late, sorry!	Atrasar Delay, retard As tuas exigências estão a atrasar o processo. Your demands are delaying the process.
Calar-se Shut up, stop talking Calei-me quando percebi que não me ouvias. I stopped talking when I realized you were not listening. Cala-te! Shut up!	Calar Silence someone Os meus argumentos calaram a Carla. My arguments made Carla silent.
Casar-se Get married Vou-me casar para o próximo ano. I am getting married next year.	Cansar Tire out Tu falas muito, assim acabas por cansar as pessoas. You talk too much; that way, you end up tiring out people around you.
Cansar-se Get tired Acredita em mim! Vais-te cansar. Believe me! You’ll get tired.	Cansar Tire out Tu falas muito, assim acabas por cansar as pessoas. You talk too much; that way, you end up tiring out the people around you.
Chamar-se Call oneself (literally) Chamo-me Rita. My name is Rita.	Chamar Call Ainda não chamaste o médico? Have you called the doctor yet?
Chatear-se Get upset Ela chateou-se com o pai dela. She got upset with her father.	Chatear Annoy, hassle Porque é que me estás a chatear? Why are you nagging me?
Concentrar-se Focus Concentrate-te! Focus!	Concentrar Concentrate, bring together (something) A indústria está concentrada no norte. All the entire industry is concentrated in the north.
Curar-se Heal, cure Ele estava mal, mas curou-se. He had been very ill but he healed.	Curar Heal, cure (someone) O médico curou-o. The doctor healed him.
Confundir-se Get confused A Joana confunde-se facilmente quando está cansada. Joana gets easily confused when she’s tired.	Confundir Confuse (someone) Eu não quero confundir a Joana. I don’t want to confuse Joana.
Enganar-se Get something wrong, make a mistake Enganei-me e virei à esquerda em vez da direita. I got it wrong, and I turned left instead of right.	Enganar Cheat, deceive Para de enganar as pessoas. Stop cheating around.
Demorar-se Linger Ele demora-se muito tempo para se vestir. He takes a long time to get dressed.	Demorar Take time Quanto tempo demora? How much time does it take?
Deitar-se Lie down, go to bed Deita-te no sofá. Lie down on the sofa. A que horas te costumas deitar? What time do you usually go to bed?	Deitar Lay / pour Deita-o aqui nesta cama. Lay him on this bed. Deita alguma água aqui. Pour some water here.
Desenrascar-se Manage, fend for oneself Foi difícil no início, mas acabou por se desenrascar. It was challenging at the start, but she managed it eventually.	Desenrascar Fix, make (make do) A cozinheira foi de férias e tive que ser eu a desenrascar o nosso almoço. The cook went on vacation and I had to make our lunch myself.
Despachar-se Hurry up Estamos atrasados, despacha-te! We are running late. Hurry up!	Despachar Dispatch Esta manhã consegui despachar todas as encomendas. This morning I managed to dispatch all the orders.
Despedir-se Say farewell Despedi-me e fui embora. I said bye and went away.	Despedir Fire, dismiss Ela tem de despedir 15 empregados. She must fire 15 employees.
Dirigir-se Go (formal) Ele dirigiu-se aos correios. He went to the post office	Dirigir Conduct Sonho em dirigir uma orquestra sinfónica. I dream about conducting a symphonic orchestra.
Divertir-se Have fun Divertiste-te ontem à noite? Did you have fun last night?	Divertir Entertain Fiquei em casa a divertir as crianças. I stayed home entertaining the children.
Divorciar-se (also Separar-se) Get divorced A Teresa divorciou-se do Miguel. Teresa divorced Miguel.	–
Encostar-se Lean oneself against Encosta-te a mim para não caires. Lean against me so that you don’t fall.	Encostar Leaning something against something Encosta a bicicleta à parede. Lean the bicycle against the wall.
Esquecer-se Forget Ela esqueceu-se da reunião. She forgot about the meeting.	Esquecer Forget (imperative) Esquece a reunião! Foi cancelada. Forget about the meeting! It got canceled.
Ferir-se Get wounded O Simão feriu-se gravemente na guerra. Simão got badly wounded in the war.	Ferir Hurt someone Ele feriu-me sem razão para tal. He hurt me for no reason.
Levantar-se Get up Hoje levantei-me cedo. I got up early today.	Levantar Lift/pick up Podes levantar a cadeira? Can you lift the chair?
Habituar-se (also Acostumar-se) Get oneself used to Ela já se habituou à nova casa. She got used to the new house quickly.	Habituar (also Acostumar) Get something/someone used to Tenho de habituar o cão a dormir fora. I must get the dog used to sleeping outside.
Lembrar-se (also Recordar-se) Remember Lembro-me de quando tinha cinco anos. I remember when I was five.	Lembra (also Recordar) Remind Lembra a Rita para tomar o comprimido. Remind Rita to take the pill.
Lixar-se Get busted Lixaste-me bem! You screwed me over!	Lixar Sand Precisas de lixar a mesa antes de a pintar. You’ve got to sand the table before you paint it.
Meter-se Meddle Não te metas! Don’t get involved!	Meter Put, throw in Meteste o meu lanche na mochila? Did you put my snacks in the backpack?
Mexer-se Do something Tive de me mexer, senão estava lixado, I had to do something, otherwise, I was screwed.	Mexer Touch, stirr Não mexas nisso! Don’t touch that! Continua a mexer o arroz. Keep stirring the rice.
Mudar-se Move (change place permanently) Quando é que te mudas para a Suécia? When are you moving to Sweden?	Mudar Change Nunca mudas! You never change!
Pentear-se Comb (do one’s hair) Ele penteia-se três vezes ao dia. He styles his hair three times a day.	Pentear Comb (do someone else’s hair) Penteio a Gabriela todos os dias antes de ela sair para a escola. I do Gabriela’s hair every day before she leaves for school.
Perder-se Get lost O Mário perdeu-se nas montanhas. Mário got lost in the mountains.	Perder Lose Perdi as minhas chaves. I’ve lost my keys.
Portar-se (also Comportar-se) Behave Não te sabes portar bem! You don’t know how to behave!	–
Preocupar-se Worry Preocupas-te em vão! You worry in vain!	Preocupar Get someone worried Não faças isso, vais preocupar os teus pais. Don’t do that; you will get your parents worried.
Queixar-se Complain Estás sempre a queixar-te! You always complain!	–
Resolver-se Make up one’s mind Resolvi-me! Fico cá. I’ve made up my mind! I’ll stay around.	Resolver Decide, solve Resolvi ficar cá. I decided to stay around. Consegui resolver o problema. I managed to solve the problem.
Sentar-se Take a seat, sit Sente-se, por favor! Take a seat, please!	Sentar Place (sitting someone somewhere) Onde vais sentar o teu pai? Where are you placing your father?
Sentir-se Be, feel Sentes-te bem? Are you (feeling) well? Sinto-me cansado. I feel tired.	Sentir Feel, have a feeling Adoro sentir o calor do verão. I love to feel summer’s heat. Sinto que há não me amas. I have a feeling that you don’t love me anymore.
Tornar-se Become Ele tornou-se num monstro. He became a monster.	Tornar Do again, come back Tornaste a fazer isso? Did you do that again? Nunca mais tornes aqui! Don’t ever come back!
Transformar-se Become Ele transformou-se num monstro. He became a monster.	Transformar Transform, turn Consegues transformar chumbo em ouro? Can you turn lead into gold?
Vestir-se Get dressed Vou-me vestir. I will get dressed.	Vestir Put on (clothes) Veste este casaco. Put on this jacket.
Voltar-se (also Virar-se) Turn around Podes voltar-te para mim? Can you turn around to face me?	Voltar Come back Tens de voltar a Lisboa! You must come back to Lisbon!
. . .

Other uses of -se

Impersonal sentences

Used to avoid a clear subject. Think you, they, or people:

Fala-se muito de política nesta casa.
People talk a lot about politics in this house.

Come-se bem naquele restaurante.
You eat well in that restaurant.

Reciprocal actions

Used when two subjects act on each other. Often with um ao outro:

Eles abraçam-se.
They hug each other.

Nós ajudamo-nos um ao outro.
We help one another

Eles vão-se matar.
They will kill each other.

Other common reciprocal verbs: beijar, amar, magoar, odiar, casar, encontrar.

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Portuguese Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns

Portuguese reflexive verbs and pronouns