Lesson 9: Reflexive Verbs

As in probably all european languages, Romanian has reflexive verbs. In this lesson, you
will learn how reflexive verbs are constructed in Romanian and we'll start you off with
some of the most important ones you'll need to know.
Following is a list of the forms for the personal pronouns as used in reflexive verbs.

Pronoun

Reflexive

eu

tu

te

el

se

ea

se

noi

ne

voi

ei

se

ele

se

The following are 5 of the most commonly used reflexive verbs:

a se uita (la)

to look (at)

m uit

ne uitm

te uii

v uitai

se uit

se uit

a se spla

to wash oneself

m spl

ne splm

te speli

v splai

se spal

se spal

a se trezi

to get up / wake up

m trezesc

ne trezim

te trezeti

v trezii

se trezete

se trezesc

a se ntoarce

to go back / return

m ntorc

ne ntoarcem

te ntorci

v ntoarcei

se ntoarce

se ntorc

M spl pe dini. I'm brushing my teeth.

El se duce la piscin. He's going to the pool.
Ne trezim la opt diminea. We're getting up at eight in the morning.
Ea se ntoarce n Ungaria. She's returning to Hungary.
La ce v uitai? What are you looking at?
M duc la biserc. I'm going to church.

a se duce

to go

m duc

ne ducem

te duci

v ducei

se duce

se duc

Te speli? Do you wash?

Se duc la coal s se uit la noua cldire. They're going to the school to see the new building.
V ntoarcei rspoimine? Are you coming back three days from now?
O s te uii la televizor? Are you going to watch television?
Te vei duce la cri acuma sear? Are you going to the river tonight?
O s se trezeasc dup mine. He will get up after me.
Trebuie s se duc i Daniel. Daniel has to go too.

Romanian language lesson: Reflexive

verbs (Verbele reflexive)
There are two types of reflexive verbs in Romanian: preceded by the reflexive pronouns
se (in the accusative) and i (in the dative).
[audio:http://www.romania-insider.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/06/reflexive_verbs.mp3|titles=reflexive_verbs]
Examples of verbs with the reflexive pronouns se:
(engl. to wake up)

a se scula

a se pieptna
a se mbrca
a se aeza

(engl. to comb)

(engl. to dress)

(engl. to sit down)

(engl. to go)

a se duce

a se ntoarce
a se culca

(engl. to return)

(engl. to sleep)

Conjugation model with se in the Present

Affirmative form
A se trezi

(engl. to wake up)

Eu m trezesc

Noi ne trezim

Tu te trezeti

Voi v trezii

El / ea se trezete

Ei / ele se trezesc

Negative form
A se trezi

(engl. to wake up)

Eu nu m trezesc

Noi nu ne trezim

Tu nu te trezeti

Voi nu v trezii

El / ea nu se trezete

Ei / ele nu se trezesc

Examples of verbs with the reflexive pronoun i:

a i imagina
a i aminti

(engl. to imagine)

(engl. to remember)

Conjugation model with i in the Present

Affirmative form
A-i aminti (engl. to

remember)

Eu mi amintesc

Noi ne amintim

Tu i aminteti

Voi v amintii

El / ea i amintete

Ei / ele i amintesc

Negative form
Eu nu mi (nu-mi) amintesc

Noi nu nu ne amintim

Tu nu i (nu-i) aminteti

Voi nu v amintii

El / ea nu i (nu-i) amintete

Ei / ele nu i (nu-i) amintesc

Reflexive verbs
(Verbele reflexive)

Play: reflexive verbs

There are two types of reflexive verbs in Romanian: preceded by the reflexive pronouns
"se" (in the accusative) and i (in the dative).

Examples of verbs with the reflexive pronouns "se":

a se scula (engl. to wake up)
a se pieptna (engl. to comb)
a se mbrca (engl. to dress)
a se aeza (engl. to sit down)
a se duce (engl. to go)
a se ntoarce (engl. to return)
a se culca (engl. to sleep)

Conjugation model with "se" in the Present Indicative

Affirmative form
A se trezi (engl. to wake up)

Eu m trezesc

Noi ne trezim

Tu te trezeti

Voi v trezii

El / ea se trezete

Ei / ele se trezesc

Negative form
A se trezi (engl.to wake up)

Eu nu m trezesc

Noi nu ne trezim

Tu nu te trezeti

Voi nu v trezii

El / ea nu se trezete

Ei / ele nu se trezesc

Examples of verbs with the reflexive pronoun "i":

a i imagina (engl. to imagine)
a i aminti (engl. to remember)

Conjugation model with "i" in the Present

Affirmative form
A-i aminti (engl. to remember)

Eu mi amintesc

Noi ne amintim

Tu i aminteti

Voi v amintii

El / ea i amintete

Ei / ele i amintesc

Negative form
Eu nu mi (nu-mi) amintesc

Noi nu nu ne amintim

Tu nu i (nu-i) aminteti

Voi nu v amintii

El / ea nu i (nu-i) amintete

Ei / ele nu i (nu-i) amintesc

Romanian Pronouns
If you're trying to learn Romanian Pronouns you will find some useful resources
including a course about Personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns, relative pronouns,
reciprocal or reflexive pronouns... to help you with your Romanian grammar. Try to
concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes
its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn
Romanian. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!

Romanian Pronouns
Learning the Romanian Pronouns is very important because its structure is used in
every day conversation. The more you practice the subject, the closer you get to
mastering the Romanian language. But first we need to know what the role of Pronouns is
in the structure of the grammar in Romanian.
Romanian pronouns include personal pronouns (refer to the persons speaking, the persons
spoken to, or the persons or things spoken about), indefinite pronouns, relative pronouns
(connect parts of sentences) and reciprocal or reflexive pronouns (in which the object of a
verb is being acted on by verb's subject).
Grammar Tips:
In English personal pronouns are (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they), and (me, you, him,
her, it, us, you, them), In Romanian, the personal pronouns are:
Eu (I), tu (you), el (he), ea (she),
Noi (we), voi (you plural), ei (they masc.), ele (they fem.)
Examples: eu nv (I learn), tu nvei (you learn), el nva (he learns), ea nva (she
learns), Dumneavoastr nvai (you learn [polite]), noi nvm (we learn), voi nvai
(you learn [plural, friendly]), ei nva (they learn), ele nva (they learn).
Indirect Object Pronouns:
Indirect object pronouns are words that replace the indirect object, which is usually a
person.
Mi (me), te (you), le (him, her, you (formal), nou (us), vou (you), lor (them):
Examples: D-mi cartea (give me the book). Te iubesc (I love you).
Possessive Pronouns:

Al meu (mine masc.), a mea (mine fem.), ai mei (mine, plural masc.), ale mele (mine,
plural fem.), ale tale (yours), ale lui / ale ei (his, hers), ale noastre (ours), ale voastre
(yours), ale lor (theirs).
Here are some examples:
English Pronouns Romanian Pronouns
Pronouns
Pronumele
I
eu
you
tu
he
el
she
ea
we
noi
they
ei
me
you
him
her
us
them

m
tu
lui
ei
ne
lor

my
your
his
her
our
their

mea
dumneavoastr
lui
ei
noastre
lor

mine
yours
his
hers
ours
theirs

a mea
a ta
a lui
a ei
al nostru
al lor

As you can see from the example above, the structure of the Pronouns in Romanian has a
logical pattern. Locate the Pronouns above and see how it works with the rest of the
sentence in Romanian.

List of Pronouns in Romanian

Below is a list of the Personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns, relative pronouns,
reciprocal or reflexive pronouns in Romanian placed in a table. Memorizing this table
will help you add very useful and important words to your Romanian vocabulary.
English Pronouns Romanian Pronouns
I speak
eu vorbesc
you speak
tu vorbeti
he speaks
el vorbete
she speaks
ea vorbete
we speak
noi vorbim
they speak
ei vorbesc
give me
give you
give him
give her
give us
give them

d-mi
i dau
i dau lui
i dau ei
ne d nou
le dm lor

my book
your book
his book
her book
our book
their book

cartea mea
cartea dvs.
cartea lui
cartea ei
cartea noastr
cartea lor

Personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns, relative pronouns, reciprocal or reflexive

pronouns have a very important role in Romanian, therefore they need very special
attention.