| reflexive verbs (i verbi riflessivi)
Reflexive verbs, generally, are verbs in which the subject and the object are the same; in English, you use the reflexive pronouns myself, yourself, himself, etc.
io mi lavo=I wash myself
tu ti lavi=you wash yourself
lui/lei si lava=he/she washes him/herself
noi ci laviamo=we wash ourselves
voi vi lavate=you wash yourself
loro si lavano=they wash themselves
But things are not so simple. Reflexive verbs often
1. replace the use of the possessive in English:
mi lavo le mani=I wash my hands
si mette i pantaloni=he/she puts on his/her pants
2. have a reflexive form but not necessarily a reflexive meaning in English; here are some examples:
accorgersi=to realize
alzarsi=to get up
annoiarsi=to get bored
chiamarsi= to be named
divertirsi=to have fun
lamentarsi=to complain
muoversi=to move (as in Galileo's famous "Eppur si muove")
trasferirsi=to move
3.sometimes non-reflexive verbs can be used in a reflexive form:
mi sono comprato una macchina=ho comprato una macchina (per me)
ci siamo mangiate una pizza=we ate a pizza
4. in the plural, non-reflexive verbs can be used with reflexive pronouns to indicate a reciprocal construction--some fun verbs are included here ;-)
ci siamo innamorati=we fell in love with each other
ci siamo baciati=we kissed each other
ci siamo abbracciati=we embraaced each other
Also:
**Reflexive verbs always take essere, never avere.
**Reflexive pronouns precede a conjugated verb or are attached to the infinitive.
**If the infinitive is preceded by a form of dovere, potere, volere, the reflexive pronouns can either precede the conjugated verb or be attached to the infinitive.
noi vogliamo alzarci=noi ci vogliamo alzare
non devi fermarti=non ti devi fermare
ACCORDO DEL PARTICIPIO PASSATO
Normally, as with all verbs that take essere, the past participle agrees with the subject.
Mi sono messa i pantaloni=I put my pants on
Ci siamo lavate i denti=we brushed our teeth
Sara si è vestita bene=Sara dressed well
If a direct object pronoun precedes the verb, however, the past participle agrees with it rather than with the subject. Obviously, these are all going to be cases of double object pronouns, since you will have the reflexive pronoun + the direct object pronoun
Ti sei portata l'ombrello? Sì, me lo sono portato
Vi siete lavate i denti? Sì ce li siamo lavati
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