Italian Reflexive Verbs: Step-by-Step Conjugation Guide 

What’s a Reflexive Verb?

Reflexive verbs (verbi riflessivi) are verbs that require a reflexive pronoun in their conjugation and their default form (the infinitive). For example:

• Divertirsi (to enjoy oneself): Ci divertiamo alla festa (We enjoy ourselves at the party)

• Lavarsi (to wash oneself): Mi lavo le mani (I wash my hands)

• Svegliarsi (to wake up): Ti svegli presto (You wake up early)

Reflexive verbs are essentially the same as regular verbs, with the addition of the reflexive pronoun. The only difference is that reflexive verbs have the reflexive pronoun “si” attached to the end of their infinitive form, and when conjugated, they use the appropriate reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) that matches the subject.

How To Conjugate Reflexive Verbs in Italian

To conjugate reflexive verbs in Italian, follow these steps:

1. Remove the “si” from the end of the infinitive form of the verb.
2. Add an “e” to the infinitive form. 
3. Conjugate the verb as any other regular verb 
4. Don’t forget to use the corresponding reflexive pronouns  for the subject in front of the conjugated verb.

For example, to conjugate the reflexive verb “lavarsi” (to wash oneself):

1. Remove the “si” ending → lavar 
2. Add an “e” to the end→ lavar+ e = LAVARE
3. Conjugate “lavare” (in any tense you want!)
4. Add the reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) in front of the conjugated forms.

Lavarsi (to wash oneself) 

Another way to conjugate reflexive verbs in Italian is to drop the last four letters of the infinitive form and add the appropriate conjugation endings.

For example, the reflexive verb “divertirsi” (to have fun) becomes “divert” as the root verb, and the conjugation endings can be added, such as:

Divertirsi (to have fun) 

24 Everyday Italian Reflexive Verbs

The vast majority of Italian verbs are not reflexive, however, there are more reflexive verbs in Italian than in English. This is a list of the most common ones.

Reflexive Verbs in Italian with Passato Prossimo (Past Tense)

This is an intermediate grammar topic, so if you are a beginner, you can skip it for now.

Italian grammar is made up of simple tenses and compound tenses.

A simple tense is a simple verb (made of just one verb, e.g., the present simple), while a compound tense is a verb made of a combination of a helping verb (auxiliary verb) and another verb, the past participle (e.g., the past perfect).

When a reflexive verb appears in a compound form, for example, the past tense, the auxiliary will always be “essere”.

To conjugate reflexive verbs into the past tense in Italian, follow this pattern:

• Subject
• Reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si)
• Helping verb (essere)
• Past participle

For example, the past tense (passato prossimo) of the verb “divertirsi”, “lavarsi” and “svegliarsi” would be:

• Io mi sono divertito/a – I had fun
• Tu ti sei lavato/a – you washed yourself
• Noi ci siamo svegliati/e – we woke up

The same pattern applies for all of the other compound tenses (e.g. past perfect, compound future, past conditional, past subjunctive, etc.). In all of the compound forms, the helping verb will always be essere.

Also remember that, using essere as a helping verb implies that the past participle has to agree with the gender and number of the subject.

The pattern for conjugating reflexive verbs into other compound tenses, such as the past perfect, compound future, past conditional, past subjunctive, etc., remains the same. The auxiliary verb will always be “essere”.

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Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns

Position Rules

1. With conjugated verbs: The pronoun comes before the verb
   • Mi lavo le mani (I wash my hands)
   • Ti svegli presto (You wake up early)
2. With modal verbs (volere, potere, dovere): The pronoun can either:
   • Attach to the infinitive: Devo vestirmi (I must get dressed)
   • Or come before the modal verb: Mi devo vestire (I must get dressed)

Reflexive Verbs and Negative Sentences 

The “non” always precedes the reflexive pronouns. For example:

• Non mi diverto – I’m not having fund
• Non mi sono arrabbiata – I didn’t get mad 

Reflexive Verbs and Parts of the Body

When using reflexive verbs with parts of the body, possessive pronouns are usually not used as it sounds redundant.

A common mistake in Italian language is to include possessive pronouns when not necessary when using reflexive verbs with parts of the body. For example: 

• Mi lavo le mia faccia – I wash my face (WRONG)
• Mi lavo la faccia – I wash my face (CORRECT)
• Mi lavo i miei capelli  -I wash my hair (WRONG)
• Mi lavo i capelli – I wash my hair (CORRECT)
• Mi faccia la mia barba – I shave (WRONG)
• Mi faccio la barba – I shave (CORRECT)