At a glance
- Pronouns: mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si
- Infinitive: the pronoun attaches to the end (vestirsi, lavarsi)
- Position: before the conjugated verb, after the infinitive and affirmative imperative
- Passato prossimo: always with essere, past participle agrees
- Pitfall: some pronominal verbs have no reflexive meaning (farcela, andarsene)
Italian pronominal verbs are recognized by their infinitive ending in -si: vestirsi, lavarsi, addormentarsi. They generally follow the same logic as their equivalents in other Romance languages, with position rules and a passato prossimo that deserve special attention.
Formation and reflexive pronouns
The reflexive pronoun changes according to the person and is placed before the conjugated verb.
| Pronoun | Form | Example (truccarsi) |
|---|---|---|
| io | mi | mi trucco |
| tu | ti | ti trucchi |
| lui/lei | si | si trucca |
| noi | ci | ci trucchiamo |
| voi | vi | vi truccate |
| loro | si | si truccano |
Ogni sera mi trucco prima di uscire.
Every evening, I put on makeup before going out.
The infinitive: the pronoun attached to the verb
In the infinitive, the pronoun does not precede the verb: it attaches after, replacing the final e. Vestire thus becomes vestirsi, never si vestire.
Preferisco vestirmi con calma la mattina.
I prefer to get dressed calmly in the morning.
The pronoun adapts to the person even when attached to the infinitive: vestirmi (myself), vestirti (yourself), vestirsi (himself, herself), and so on.
Position of the pronoun according to the mood
Three scenarios govern the placement of the reflexive pronoun.
| Mood | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Conjugated verb | Before the verb | Mi lavo velocemente prima di cena. |
| Infinitive | Attached after the verb | Devo lavarmi prima di uscire. |
| Affirmative imperative | Attached after the verb | Vestiti in fretta, siamo in ritardo! |
Special case: the negative imperative
For the tu form, the negative imperative of a pronominal verb is built with non, followed by the infinitive without the final e, to which the pronoun attaches.
Non ti preoccupare per questo.
Don’t worry about that.
With noi and voi, the pronoun remains attached to the imperative as in the affirmative form; only the negation non changes the structure.
The passato prossimo: always with essere
Unlike ordinary verbs that sometimes hesitate between avere and essere, a pronominal verb is systematically conjugated with essere in the Italian present perfect, and the past participle agrees with the subject.
Le ragazze si sono truccate per la festa.
The girls put on makeup for the party.
Stressed pronouns: se stesso and company
To emphasize the reflexive, Italian has a series of stressed pronouns placed after a preposition: me stesso, te stesso, se stesso, noi stessi, voi stessi, loro stessi.
Dopo il litigio, si sono chiusi in se stessi.
After the argument, they withdrew into themselves.
Reciprocal verbs: a shared action
The same pronouns also express a reciprocal action between several people, without it being a reflexive in the strict sense.
Ci scriviamo ogni settimana.
We write to each other every week.
Idiomatic pronominal verbs
A separate category groups together verbs built like pronominals, without any reflexive meaning: their pronoun is an integral part of a fixed expression.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| farcela | to make it, to cope | Non ce la faccio più a stare sveglio. |
| andarsene | to leave, to go away | Me ne vado, è tardi. |
| cavarsela | to get by, to manage | Se l’è cavata bene all’esame. |
| prendersela | to take it badly, to be upset | Non prendertela, non era colpa tua. |
These verbs are conjugated on two fronts at once, the reflexive pronoun and a second pronoun (la, ce, ne), which explains why they are often learned as whole blocks rather than broken down, much like how the Italian imperative is learned for certain fixed expressions.
Practical exercise
Test your knowledge:
Question 1: What is the correct infinitive of “to wash oneself” in Italian?
Question 2: Where is the reflexive pronoun placed with a conjugated verb?
Question 3: Which auxiliary is used in the passato prossimo for a pronominal verb?
Question 4: How do you say “don’t worry” in Italian (negative imperative, tu)?
Question 5: What does the idiomatic verb “cavarsela” mean?
Question 6: “Ci scriviamo ogni settimana” illustrates which use of the reflexive pronoun?
Your score
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