Reflexive verbs: em desperto, et rentes
The morning ritual Catalan says in reflexive verbs: the infinitive with -se, and before the verb — the pronoun: em desperto — I wake up ("wake myself"), et rentes — you wash yourself, s'afaita — he shaves. The pronouns stand by the verb or attach to the infinitive: he de despertar-me — I have to wake up. For example: “Em desperto a les set i m'aixeco de pressa” — I wake at seven and get up in a hurry. A rule from…
How it works
The morning ritual Catalan says in reflexive verbs: the infinitive with -se, and before the verb — the pronoun: em desperto — I wake up ("wake myself"), et rentes — you wash yourself, s'afaita — he shaves. The pronouns stand by the verb or attach to the infinitive: he de despertar-me — I have to wake up.
Body parts take the article, not the pronoun: em rento les mans — I wash my hands (whose is clear anyway). The reflexive "-se" changes the sense beyond the morning too: aturar-se — to stop, ficar-se al llit — to get into bed. The negation is ordinary: no m'aixeco tard.
Table
| form | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| em / et / es | to me/himself | em desperto |
| ens / us / es | to us/you/themselves | ens rentem |
| -se on the infinitive | the dictionary form | despertar-se |
By example
- Em desperto a les set i m'aixeco de pressaI wake at seven and get up in a hurry
- Et rentes les mans abans de dinar?Do you wash your hands before lunch?
- S'afaita cada matí davant del mirallHe shaves every morning in front of the mirror
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Reflexive verbs: how does it work in Catalan?
The morning ritual Catalan says in reflexive verbs: the infinitive with -se, and before the verb — the pronoun: em desperto — I wake up ("wake myself"), et rentes — you wash yourself, s'afaita — he shaves. The pronouns stand by the verb or attach to the infinitive: he de despertar-me — I have to…
What does it look like in an example sentence Catalan?
“Em desperto a les set i m'aixeco de pressa” — I wake at seven and get up in a hurry. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.