Italian reflexive verbs for beginners: learn fast with practice

What are reflexive verbs in Italian? Common reflexive verbs explained

Reflexive verbs (verbi riflessivi) are very common in Italian and can be tricky at first. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use Italian reflexive verbs, including common reflexive verbs in daily life. If you have ever wondered why Italians say mi lavo instead of lavo, or the difference between ricordarsi and ricordare, this post will help you. You will learn: how reflexive verbs are formed;
the role of reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si); the difference between direct, indirect and reciprocal verbs and the most common reflexive verbs in daily life.
By the end, you’ll be able to use them naturally in everyday conversations.

Reflexivity: the action that comes back to us

Imagine looking in a mirror: what you see is yourself. Reflexive verbs in Italian work the same way: the action reflects back on the subject. Using Italian reflexive verbs correctly will help you describe actions that directly involve the subject.

For example, when we say "io mi lavo" (I wash myself), we do not simply mean "io lavo" (I wash) as if we were washing something external, but rather that the action of washing directly affects the subject: I wash myself (click here to learn more about reflexive verbs and daily routines in Italian). 

How are they formed?

This reflexivity is made clear by the use of reflexive pronouns and they are formed using the reflexive pronoun + the verb. 

The reflexive pronouns are:

Reflexive pronoun	Stands for
mi	Io (I)
ti	Tu (you, singular)
si	Lui/Lei/Lei (he / she / you formal)
ci	Noi (we)
vi	Voi (you, plural)
si	Loro (they)

How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs: Example with Lavarsi (to wash oneself) 

• Io mi lavo (I wash myself)
• Tu ti lavi (You wash yourself)
• Lui/Lei si lava (He/She washes himself/herself)
• Noi ci laviamo (We wash ourselves)
• Voi vi lavate (You wash yourselves)
• Loro si lavano (They wash themselves)

Click here to learn more about how the three families of verbs are used in Italian.

Let's take an everyday example using common Italian reflexive verbs:

• Io lavo i denti (I brush my teeth): here, the action is directed at an object, the teeth.

• Io mi lavo i denti (I brush my own teeth): here, the subject performs the action on themselves, emphasising that they are brushing their own teeth.

A matter of details: Direct, indirect and reciprocal reflexive verbs

In Italian, reflexive verbs are often divided into different categories, depending on how the pronoun (e.g., mi, ti, si) interacts with the verb and the object of the action (e.g., i capelli, le mani).

Direct reflexive verbs

In these cases, the reflexive pronoun can be thought of as “me stesso” (myself’), "te stesso" (yourself) and so on. 

For example:

• Luca si siede al tavolo (Luca sits 'himself' at the table): in other words, Luca sits himself down, emphasising that the action directly affects the subject.

• Giorgia si alza in piedi (Giorgia stands 'herself' up) and tu ti asciughi (You dry 'yourself') work the same way.

When an action directly involves the subject, the reflexive pronoun plays a clear and recognisable role.

Direct → action reflects directly on the subject

Indirect reflexive verbs: What are they and how do they work?

Indirect reflexive verbs (more advanced level) are a special category of verbs that conjugate like normal reflexive verbs, but their pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) is not a direct object complement. In other words, the action does not refer directly to the subject, but to something else. For this reason, we cannot replace the pronoun with “me stesso” (myself’), "te stesso" (yourself), etc. as we do with direct reflexive verbs.

Let's look at some examples to get a better understanding:

• Mi aspetto grandi cose da te. (I expect great things from you)
  Here, the object of the action is grandi cose (great things), not me stesso (myself).
  Here, the verb aspettarsi does not mean "to wait for oneself" but rather "to have expectations".

• Ti penti di averlo fatto. (You regret having done it)
  Here, the verb pentirsi does not mean "to regret yourself" but rather "to feel regret".
  The action does not reflect directly back on the subject.

• Lei si ricorda di me. (She remembers me)
  The verb ricordarsi does not mean "to remember oneself" but simply "to have a memory of something or someone". Di me (of me) is the real object of the action.

• Noi ci fidiamo di te. (We trust you)
  The verb fidarsi does not mean "to trust ourselves" but rather "to have trust in someone".

• Loro si arrendono. (They are giving up)
  The verb arrendersi doesn't mean that the subject "gives up" but rather that they stop fighting or give in.

Indirect → action affects something else

Reciprocal verbs

Finally, we have reciprocal verbs, which describe situations where two or more subjects perform an action towards each other. Think of situations like:

• I due bambini si abbracciano. (The two children hug each other.)
• Marta e Giorgio si amano. (Marta and Giorgio love each other.)

In these sentences, the action is shared, and the expression  "l'un l'altro" (each other)  can often be added to make the reciprocity clearer.

Reciprocal → action shared between subjects

Common reflexive verbs in Italian

To help you memorise and recognise these verbs, here a full list of common Italian reflexive verbs you will use in daily conversations.

Direct reflexive verbs

Verb	Meaning
Alzarsi	to get up
Asciugarsi	to dry oneself
Bagnarsi	to get wet
Fermarsi	to stop
Lavarsi	to wash oneself
Rilassarsi	to relax
Sedersi	to sit down
Svegliarsi	to wake up

Indirect reflexive verbs (or pronominal verbs)

Verb	Meaning
Accorgersi	to realise
Addormentarsi	to fall asleep
Ammalarsi	to get sick
Chiamarsi	to be called
Fidarsi	to trust
Impossessarsi	to take possession of
Mettersi	to put on
Pentirsi	to regret
Prendersi	to take for oneself
Procurarsi	to obtain for oneself
Ribellarsi	to rebel
Ricordarsi	to remember
Sentirsi	to feel

Reciprocal verbs

Verb	Meaning
Abbracciarsi	to hug each other
Aiutarsi	to help each other
Amarsi	to love each other
Baciarsi	to kiss each other
Conoscersi	to know each other
Guardarsi	to look at each other
Incontrarsi	to meet each other
Lasciarsi	to break up
Litigarsi	to argue with each other
Scriversi	to write to each other
Sentirsi	to keep in touch
Vedersi	to see each other

Tips for everyday use

Whenever you use a reflexive verb, always put the reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) before the verb.

Check your knowledge: try this sentence, try to write some sentences using Italian reflexive verbs. 

For example:
Io mi sveglio alle 7:00. (I wake up at 7:00.)
Noi ci rilassiamo dopo il lavoro. (We relax after work.)

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! With practice, the use of reflexive verbs will become natural.

To conclude

Reflexive verbs are an essential part of the Italian language, and learning them will help you express yourself more fully and naturally. I hope this explanation has clarified things for you and given you new insights to explore this topic further.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes—daily practice is the key to improvement!

If you have any questions or would like to share your learning experience, please leave a comment below. I'm curious to know how you are progressing on your language journey!

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