What a reflexive verb is
A reflexive verb turns the action back on the subject: alzarsi (to get up), lavarsi (to wash oneself), chiamarsi (to be called). The dictionary form ends in -si.
Italian uses reflexives for large parts of the daily routine where English uses plain verbs: waking, getting up, getting dressed, having fun. The verb itself conjugates normally; the extra piece is a pronoun that matches the subject.
Chiamarsi is the reflexive you have used since your first lesson: Come ti chiami? literally asks 'How do you call yourself?'
| Person | alzarsi (to get up) |
|---|---|
| io | mi alzo |
| tu | ti alzi |
| lui / lei | si alza |
| noi | ci alziamo |
| voi | vi alzate |
| loro | si alzano |
The daily-routine core
- svegliarsi: to wake up. Mi sveglio alle sette.
- alzarsi: to get up. Ti alzi sempre tardi.
- lavarsi: to wash. Si lava i denti dopo cena.
- vestirsi: to get dressed. Ci vestiamo in fretta.
- divertirsi: to have fun. Vi divertite al corso?
- sentirsi: to feel. Non mi sento bene oggi.
| Mi sveglio alle sette, ma mi alzo alle sette e mezza. | I wake up at seven, but I get up at half past seven. svegliarsi is waking; alzarsi is leaving the bed. |
| Marco si arrabbia facilmente. | Marco gets angry easily. |
| Come ti chiami? | What is your name? Literally: how do you call yourself? |
The past: always essere
Every reflexive verb forms its passato prossimo with essere, and the participle agrees with the subject: Mi sono alzato if a man is speaking, Mi sono alzata if a woman is. Plural subjects take -i or -e: Ci siamo divertiti. Le ragazze si sono vestite.
This rule has no exceptions, which makes it a gift: see the -si infinitive, choose essere, apply agreement.
| Mi sono alzata tardi stamattina. | I got up late this morning. Female speaker, so alzata. |
| Ci siamo divertiti moltissimo alla festa. | We had a great time at the party. |
Pronoun placement with infinitives
With a conjugated verb, the pronoun goes before it: mi alzo. With an infinitive, the pronoun attaches to the end, and the infinitive drops its final e: alzarmi, alzarti, alzarsi.
After modal verbs like volere, potere and dovere you have two equally correct options: Voglio alzarmi presto or Mi voglio alzare presto. Pick one style and be consistent within a sentence.
| Non voglio alzarmi, fa troppo freddo. | I do not want to get up, it is too cold. Pronoun attached to the infinitive. |
| Ti devi svegliare prima delle sei. | You have to wake up before six. Pronoun before the modal works equally well. |
The pronoun must match the subject even when attached to an infinitive. Voglio alzarmi, vuoi alzarti, vuole alzarsi. A frozen 'alzarsi' after every subject is a common error.
Each other: the reciprocal use
In the plural, the same pronouns can mean 'each other': Ci vediamo domani (we will see each other tomorrow), Si salutano ogni mattina (they greet each other every morning). Context separates 'themselves' from 'each other', and in practice the reciprocal reading is usually obvious.
| Ci sentiamo pi霉 tardi. | We will talk to each other later. A standard sign-off on the phone and in messages. |
Pronunciation corner
Reflexive forms bundle small words together fast. These clusters keep learners honest.
| mi sveglio | /mi 藞zve蕩蕩o/ | mee ZVEH-lyoh s before v is voiced, like z; gli is the 'million' sound. |
| ti alzi | /ti 藞altsi/ | tee AHL-tsee z here is ts, one crisp sound. |
| si veste | /si 藞v蓻ste/ | see VEH-steh |
| ci divertiamo | /t蕛i diver藞tjamo/ | chee dee-vehr-TYAH-moh ci is 'chee'. |
| si arrabbia | /si ar藞rabbja/ | see ar-RAHB-byah Double r and double b, both held. |
Practice drill
Conjugate the reflexive verb in brackets for the person shown. Item 5 asks for the passato prossimo.
(svegliarsi, io) ___ alle sette.Show answer
mi sveglio
(chiamarsi, tu) Come ___?Show answer
ti chiami
(alzarsi, noi) ___ presto durante la settimana.Show answer
ci alziamo
(chiamarsi, lei) ___ Maria.Show answer
si chiama
(alzarsi, io, female speaker, passato prossimo) Ieri ___ tardi.Show answer
mi sono alzataessere + feminine agreement.
(divertirsi, voi) ___ ai concerti?Show answer
vi divertite
(vedersi, loro) ___ ogni giorno.Show answer
si vedono
Rewrite with the pronoun attached: (io) Voglio + svegliarsi presto.Show answer
Voglio svegliarmi prestoMi voglio svegliare presto is equally correct.
Frequently asked questions
How can I recognise a reflexive verb in the dictionary?
The infinitive ends in -si: alzarsi, vestirsi, divertirsi. Remove -si to find the base verb, conjugate it normally, and add the matching pronoun: mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si.
Do all reflexive verbs take essere in the past?
Yes, without exception. Mi sono alzato, ti sei vestita, si sono divertiti. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
Is 'Mi voglio alzare' or 'Voglio alzarmi' correct?
Both are fully correct and interchangeable. The pronoun either precedes the modal verb or attaches to the infinitive. What you cannot do is use both positions at once.
What is the difference between svegliarsi and alzarsi?
Svegliarsi is waking up, opening your eyes. Alzarsi is physically getting up. Italians routinely use both in one sentence: Mi sveglio alle sette ma mi alzo alle otto.