Pattern
Reflexive verbs take a reflexive clitic before the verb that matches the subject: mă, te, se, ne, vă, se. Example: a se trezi (to wake up) → eu mă trezesc, tu te trezești, el se trezește…
Explanation
A reflexive verb is one whose action loops back to the subject — like "I wake myself up," "she dresses herself." Romanian marks this with a small pronoun (clitic) placed before the verb: mă (myself), te (yourself), se (himself/herself/themselves), ne (ourselves), vă (yourselves), se (themselves).
Many everyday actions are reflexive in Romanian even when they aren't in English: a se trezi (to wake up), a se spăla (to wash), a se îmbrăca (to get dressed), a se odihni (to rest), a se uita (to look at). The infinitive includes se, signaling the verb is reflexive.
The clitic always precedes the conjugated verb in the present: Mă trezesc devreme (I wake up early). Te speli pe dinți? (Do you brush your teeth?). Se uită la televizor (He's watching TV). Don't drop the clitic — without it the verb means something different or is ungrammatical.
Conjugation
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu (I) | mă trezesc |
| tu (you, informal) | te trezești |
| el/ea (he/she) | se trezește |
| noi (we) | ne trezim |
| voi (you pl.) | vă treziți |
| ei/ele (they) | se trezesc |
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Eu mă trezesc la șapte. | I wake up at seven. |
| Tu te speli pe dinți? | Are you brushing your teeth? |
| Copilul se îmbracă singur. | The child dresses himself. |
| Noi ne odihnim după muncă. | We rest after work. |
| Ei se uită la un film. | They are watching a movie. |
Common mistakes
- Dropping the reflexive clitic: Trezesc la șapte sounds wrong; you need mă trezesc.
- Using the wrong clitic for the person: Eu se trezesc is wrong; it should be mă trezesc.
- Placing the clitic after the verb: Trezesc mă is wrong in present tense — it goes BEFORE.
Heritage learner note
Heritage speakers usually have the reflexive system internalized from childhood. The forms mă, te, se come automatically. The trouble shows up when you start reading or writing: heritage speakers may write ma trezesc (without diacritic) or merge the clitic in spelling (matrezesc). Slow down in writing — mă is a separate word from the verb. Also watch for the difference between reflexive se (he/she does to himself) and the passive/impersonal se (one does, "Se mănâncă bine aici" — One eats well here). They look the same but function differently.