What is a reflexive verb (verbo riflessivo)? A verb is reflexive when the action carried out by the subject is performed on the same subject. Not all verbs are reflexive. In order to make a verb reflexive, drop the -e of its infinitive ending and add the pronoun si. For example, pettinare (to comb) becomes pettinarsi (to comb oneself) in the reflexive. Si is an additional pronoun, known as the reflexive pronoun, which is needed when conjugating reflexive verbs.

The reflexive pronouns (i pronomi reflessivi), mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si, are identical in form to direct object pronouns, except for the third-person form si (which is the same in the singular and in the plural). The following table includes the reflexive pronouns in Italian.

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

PERSON
 

SINGULAR
 

PLURAL

I
 

mi (myself)
 

ci (ourselves)

II
 

ti (yourself)
 

vi (yourselves)

III
 

si (himself; herself; itself; yourself, formal)
 

si (themselves; yourselves, formal)

To see how reflexive pronouns work with verbs, see a sample conjugation of lavarsi (to wash oneself) in the table below.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB LAVARSI (TO WASH ONESELF)

PERSON
 

SINGULAR
 

PLURAL

I
 

(io) mi lavo
 

(noi) ci laviamo

II
 

(tu) ti lavi
 

(voi) vi lavate

III
 

(lui, lei, Lei) si lava
 

(loro, Loro) si lavano

Just like direct object pronouns, reflexive pronouns are placed before a conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive. Note that the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject even when attached to the infinitive:

Mi alzo. (I'm getting up.)

Voglio alzarmi./Mi voglio alzare. (I want to get up.)

Mi, ti, si, and vi may drop the i before another vowel or an h and replace it with an apostrophe. Ci may drop the i only before another i or an e:

Voi v'arrabbiate facilmente. (You get angry easily.)

I ragazzi s'alzano alle sette. (The boys woke up at seven o'clock.)

A casa, m'annoio. (At home, I get bored.)

For a list of common reflexive verbs in Italian, see the following table.

COMMON REFLEXIVE VERBS

accorgersi (di)
 

to notice

addormentarsi
 

to fall asleep

alzarsi
 

to get up

arrabbiarsi
 

to get angry

chiamarsi
 

to be named

coprirsi
 

to cover oneself

divertirsi
 

to have fun, to enjoy oneself

farsi il bagno
 

to bathe oneself

farsi la doccia
 

to take a shower

farsi male
 

to get hurt, hurt oneself

innamorarsi (di)
 

to fall in love with

lavarsi
 

to wash oneself

laurearsi
 

to graduate

mettersi
 

to put (clothing) on

pettinarsi
 

to comb one's hair

radersi
 

to shave

sbarbarsi
 

to shave

sedersi
 

to sit down

sentirsi
 

to feel

spogliarsi
 

to undress

sposarsi (con)
 

to get married

svegliarsi
 

to wake up

vestirsi
 

to get dressed

Remember that some reflexive verbs can be used nonreflexively—without the reflexive pronouns. In this case, their meaning changes:

Tu ti alzi. (You get up.)

Tu alzi la sedia. (You lift the chair.)