Reflexive Verbs in Portuguese: Se, Me, and Te in Everyday Routines
Recognize the pronoun attached to a reflexive verb and practice common actions such as waking up and getting dressed.
Real Life Portuguese · 9 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
A Portuguese infinitive may end in -se to show that a pronoun is part of the verb: chamar-se (to be called), levantar-se (to get up), and sentir-se (to feel). In a sentence, the pronoun changes with the subject: eu me chamo, você se chama, and a gente se chama.
Recognize the pronoun that goes with a reflexive verb
The pronoun is not always a literal “oneself.” Some verbs commonly appear with a reflexive pronoun because of how Portuguese expresses an action or state. Learn the verb together with its pronoun and a complete example.
Eu me chamo Ana.
My name is Ana. (literally: I call myself Ana.)
Ele se sente melhor hoje.
He feels better today.
A gente se prepara para a aula.
We get ready for class.
Use reflexive verbs to describe a daily routine
Common routine verbs with a reflexive pronoun include levantar-se (to get up), vestir-se (to get dressed), preparar-se (to get ready), sentar-se (to sit down), and deitar-se (to lie down). Acordar (to wake up) is often used without a pronoun. In Brazilian conversation, speakers may also leave off a pronoun with verbs such as levantar when the meaning is clear, so learn the usage you hear in context.
The pronoun usually appears before the conjugated verb in everyday Brazilian speech: eu me levanto, ela se veste, nós nos preparamos. The form agrees with the subject, while the verb changes for tense and person.
Eu me levanto às seis e meia.
I get up at six thirty.
Ela se veste antes do café da manhã.
She gets dressed before breakfast.
Nós nos preparamos para sair.
We get ready to go out.
Match me, te, se, nos, and se to the subject
The common pronouns are me for eu, te for você in familiar Brazilian speech, se for ele/ela/você/a gente, nos for nós, and se for vocês/eles/elas. Regional patterns and formality affect pronoun choices; these are useful standard examples for learners. With a gente, use se: a gente se chama and a gente se sente.
If you use você in a formal or neutral learner sentence, se is a dependable reflexive pronoun: você se prepara. For tu, pronoun and verb patterns vary by region, so notice the form used by the people around you.
Você se lembra do endereço?
Do you remember the address?
A gente se encontra depois do trabalho.
We’ll meet after work.
Vocês se conhecem há muito tempo?
Have you known each other for a long time?
Practice with a morning and evening routine
Describe three steps in your morning using a reflexive verb where it fits. Then say one sentence about how you feel and one about a plan to meet someone. Keep the pronoun beside the verb in each example so you can hear the complete phrase.
Connect this guide with Real Life Portuguese lessons on daily routines and subject pronouns. I Speak Portuguese teacher practice can help you check whether a verb commonly uses a reflexive pronoun in your sentence. Do not add se automatically; learn it as part of the verb when it is standard.
Depois que acordo, me levanto e me preparo para trabalhar.
After I wake up, I get up and get ready for work.
Eles se sentem felizes com a mudança.
They feel happy about the change.
Amanhã nós nos encontramos na estação.
Tomorrow we’ll meet at the station.
Put it into practice
Learn the pronoun with the verb: eu me levanto, você se prepara, nós nos encontramos. Some verbs vary in everyday use, so follow real examples.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “She gets dressed before breakfast”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.