Italian Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs, or verbi riflessivi in Italian, are a special type of transitive verbs where the subject and the object coincide.
Look at the following pair of sentences:
- Transitive non-reflexive verb:
Io lavo il mio cane.
I wash my dog.
Io is the subject, lavo is the verb, and il mio cane is the direct object of the sentence: in fact, the verb is a transitive verb and therefore the object is directly linked to it without the use of any preposition.
- Reflexive verb:
Io mi lavo.
I wash myself.
Io is the subject as above, lavo is the verb, but here mi is a reflexive pronoun that stands for me stesso/a (myself). This object is still a direct object, because the verb is still a transitive verb, but in this case it coincides with the subject.
It is the same as if saying:
Io mi lavo = Io lavo me stesso/a.
I wash myself.
However, some verbs behave like reflexive verbs, but technically they’re not reflexive. They’re called riflessivi impropri (false reflexives), and this is what I will be discussing in this article.
“Riflessivi Impropri” in Italian
Different Types of False Reflexives
In Italian, there are 3 types of riflessivi impropri:
- Forma riflessiva apparente (apparent reflexive form);
- Forma riflessiva reciproca (reciprocal reflexive form);
- Forma pronominale (pronominal form).
Here, I will discuss the third one: verbi riflessivi pronominali(pronominal reflexive verbs).
Pronominal Form
The verbi riflessivi pronominali (pronominal reflexive verbs) are verbs that do not have a reflexive meaning. The reflexive pronouns they make use of are an integral part of the verb, needed to fulfil the meaning of the verb itself.
Unlike the other types of false reflexives, the Italian verbi pronominali do not need a direct object. Under this perspective, they are more similar to intransitive verbs than to transitive ones.
Non voglio entrare, mi vergogno.
I don’t want to go in, I’m ashamed.
Ci siamo pentiti di non essere venuti.
We regretted not coming.
Gli Italiani in estate si abbronzano molto!
Italians in summer get very tanned!
As you can see in the examples above, these verbs use the same pronouns as reflexive verbs, but they do not have a reflexive meaning.
Standard Reflexive Verbs vs Pronominal Reflexive Verbs
Spotting the difference between standard reflexive verbs and pronominal reflexive verbs might be hard. Therefore, consider the following points:
- Standard reflexive verbs indicate that the subject performs the action on itself. Therefore, the reflexive pronoun reflects back to the subject. For instance: vestirsi (to dress oneself)
Mi vesto rapidamente.
I dress myself quickly.
Here, both the subject and the object is io, meaning that I dress myself.
- Pronominal reflexive verbs use reflexive pronouns as an integral part of the verb, as they are necessary to fulfill the meaning of the verb. These verbs often do not have a clear reflexive meaning and sometimes have idiomatic meanings. For instance: accorgersi (to realize)
Mi accorgo del problema sempre troppo tardi.
I always realize the problem too late.
Here, subject is io but I do not receive anything from the action I perform. The reflexive pronoun mi is just an integral and necessary part of the verb.
Riflessivi Pronominali: Conjugation
Even if they have a different meaning and function, the verbi riflessivi pronominali are conjugated in the same way as all reflexive verbs:
| Presente | |||
| Addormentarsi (to fall asleep) |
Annoiarsi (to get bored) |
Pentirsi (to regret) |
|
| io | mi addormento | mi annoio | mi pento |
| tu | ti addormenti | ti annoi | ti penti |
| lui, lei | si addormenta | si annoia | si pente |
| noi | ci addormentiamo | ci annoiamo | ci pentiamo |
| voi | vi addormentate | vi annoiate | vi pentite |
| loro, Loro | si addormentano | si annoiano | si pentono |
Mi sono reso conto dell’errore.
I realized the mistake.
Che belle vacanza. Mi sono goduto il tempo con voi.
Such a nice holiday. I enjoyed the time with you.
Remember: when you conjugate reflexive verbs in the passato prossimo (present perfect), they always require the auxiliary essere (to be).
Mi sono sbagliato ieri, scusa.
I was wrong yesterday, sorry.
