In this lesson, we will delve into the use of reflexive verbs in affirmative commands in Spanish. We’ll begin by exploring the structure of these commands, followed by practicing with example sentences. You’ll then have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in an engaging dialogue with the García family, which will help you see how these commands work in real-life scenarios. Finally, we’ll reinforce our knowledge with targeted fill-in-the-blank exercises to solidify your understanding of reflexive verbs in commands.
Objectives:
- Explore the structure of affirmative imperative with reflexive verbs.
- Practice with example sentences.
- Apply the commands in an extended dialogue with the García family.
- Reinforce our knowledge with fill-in-the-blank exercises.
Structure of Affirmative Imperative with Reflexive Verbs in Spanish
To create the affirmative imperative for reflexive verbs:
- For “tú”: Add the reflexive pronoun “te” to the end of the command, dropping the “s” from the “tú” form of the present tense verb.
- For “vosotros”: Remove the “r” from the infinitive verb and replace it with “os”.
- For “nosotros“: Add the reflexive pronoun “nos” at the end of the command.
- For “usted” and “ustedes”: Add the reflexive pronoun “se” at the end of the command.
For example, for the verb “levantarse” (to get up):
- Tú: levántate
- Vosotros: levantaos
- Usted: levántese
- Nosotros: levantémonos (See the Explanation at the end of this lesson to see how levantémonos is built)
- Ustedes: levántense
Conjugations of affirmative imperative with reflexive verbs in Spanish
| Spanish | Tú | Usted | Vosotros | Ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acostarse (to go to bed) | Acuéstate | Acuéstese | Acuestaos | Acuéstense |
| levantarse (to get up) | Levántate | Levántese | Levantaos | Levántense |
| bañarse (to bathe oneself) | Báñate | Báñese | Bañaos | Báñense |
| vestirse (to get dressed) | Vístete | Vístase | Vestíos | Vístanse |
| despertarse (to wake up) | Despiértate | Despiértese | Despertaos | Despiértense |
| relajarse (to relax oneself) | Relájate | Relájese | Relajaos | Relájense |
Morning Routine in the García Household
In this dialogue, the García family is getting ready to enjoy a beautiful day at the beach. The scene provides a great example of how to use the affirmative imperative with reflexive verbs, focusing on the family’s morning routine. Read or listen closely to how each family member encourages one another to get ready for the day.
| Spanish Dialogue | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Antonio: Levántate, Juan. Vamos a la playa temprano hoy. | Antonio: Get up, Juan. We’re going to the beach early today. |
| Juan: Ay, papá, déjame dormir un poco más. Acuéstate tú también. | Juan: Oh, Dad, let me sleep a bit more. Go to bed, you too. |
| Antonio: No, no. ¡Levántate! El sol ya salió. | Antonio: No, no. Get up! The sun is already out. |
| Penélope: Levantémonos todos, chicos. Es un hermoso día. | Penélope: Let’s all get up, kids. It’s a beautiful day. |
| Lucía: Vamos, Juan. Levántate. Hoy podemos bañarnos en el mar. | Lucía: Come on, Juan. Get up. Today we can bathe in the sea. |
| Juan: Bueno, está bien. Me levantaré. Pero antes, quiero relajarme un poco más. | Juan: Well, alright. I’ll get up. But first, I want to relax a bit more. |
| Abuela Rosa: Levántate, Juanito. Es un buen día para disfrutar en familia. | Grandma Rosa: Get up, Juanito. It’s a good day to enjoy with family. |
| Abuelo Miguel: Vámonos, muchachos. Nos esperaremos abajo. | Grandpa Miguel: Let’s go, kids. We’ll wait for you downstairs. |
| Antonio: Sí, y vístete rápido, Juan. No queremos llegar tarde. | Antonio: Yes, and get dressed quickly, Juan. We don’t want to be late. |
| Penélope: Lucía, despiértate y acuéstate un rato si necesitas más sueño. ¡Luego, vístete con tu traje de baño! | Penélope: Lucía, wake up and lie down for a while if you need more sleep. Then, get dressed with your swimsuit! |
| Lucía: Voy a bañarme rápido, mamá. Quiero relajarme un poco antes de salir. Relajémonos todos antes de irnos. | Lucía: I’m going to bathe quickly, Mom. I want to relax a bit before going out. Let’s all relax before we go. |
| Juan: Me vestiré rápido, papá. Vámonos ya. | Juan: I’ll get dressed quickly, Dad. Let’s go already. |
Practicamos un poco
Levantémonos
The imperative form “levantémonos” comes from the reflexive verb “levantarse,” which means “to get up.”
In Spanish, when you want to give a command or suggestion to a group of people, including yourself (the “nosotros” form), you use the imperative form of the verb along with the appropriate reflexive pronoun.
Here’s how “levantémonos” is formed:
- Start with the “nosotros” form: The present tense “nosotros” form of the verb “levantarse” is “nos levantamos.”
- Change to the imperative: In the affirmative imperative, the “nosotros” form ends with “-emos” for -ar verbs like “levantarse.” So, you remove the “-amos” ending from “nos levantamos” and replace it with “-emos,” forming “levantemos.”
- Add the reflexive pronoun: The reflexive pronoun for “nosotros” is “nos.” In the imperative, reflexive pronouns are attached to the end of the verb. So, “levantemos” becomes “levantémonos.”
- Add the accent: To preserve the stress on the original syllable, an accent is added, resulting in “levantémonos.”
Thus, “levantémonos” means “let’s get up” or “let’s rise.” This command is used when you want to suggest to a group of people, including yourself, that it’s time to get up or rise from a sitting or lying position.