English

Reflexive verbs: em desperto, et rentes

The morning ritual is told in reflexive verbs: the pronoun goes before the verb. em desperto — I wake up, et rentes — you wash, s'afaita — he shaves. 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 the Valencian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.

Updated September 1, 2026 · Lingofly

How it works

The morning ritual is told in reflexive verbs: the pronoun goes before the verb. em desperto — I wake up, et rentes — you wash, s'afaita — he shaves.

In the plain form it clings behind: 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 negation is ordinary: no m'aixeco tard. And "-se" shifts the sense beyond the morning: aturar-se — to stop, ficar-se al llit — to go to bed.

Table

Reflexive verbs: em desperto, et rentes
formmeaningexample
em / et / esto me/himselfem desperto
ens / us / esto us/you/themselvesens rentem
-se on the infinitivethe dictionary formdespertar-se

By example

  • Em desperto a les set i m'aixeco de pressa
    I 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 mirall
    He 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 Valencian?

The morning ritual is told in reflexive verbs: the pronoun goes before the verb. em desperto — I wake up, et rentes — you wash, s'afaita — he shaves.

What does it look like in an example sentence Valencian?

“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.

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Test the rule on examplesPractice