Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook

(WallPaper) #1

UNIT TWENTY


Reflexive pronouns


1Reflexive pronouns correspond to ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, etc. in phrases like
‘you flatter yourself’, ‘the cat’s licking itself’, ‘the recorder’s switched itself
off’. In such cases, the subject and the object of the verb are the same person
or thing:


These examples show how the reflexive pronouns are the direct objects of
the verbs lavare, guardare and vestire and denote the same person as the
subject.
There are very many verbs which can be used in the reflexive form in Italian
and which do not correspond to English reflexive verbs. Here is a list of some
of the most common ones:


Ti guardi sempre allo specchio.

Mi lavo.
Anna si veste per la festa.

You always look at yourself in the
mirror.
I get washed. [lit. I wash myself]
Anna’s getting dressed for the party.
[lit. Anna’s dressing herself]

addormentarsi
alzarsi
annoiarsi
dimenticarsi
lavarsi
offendersi
ricordarsi
riposarsi
sbagliarsi
scusarsi
sedersi
sentirsi
svegliarsi
vestirsi

to fall asleep [lit. to send oneself to sleep]
to get up [lit. to raise oneself]
to get/be bored [lit. to bore oneself]
to forget [lit. to forget oneself]
to get washed [lit. to wash oneself]
to take offence [lit. to offend oneself]
to remember [lit. to recall oneself]
to rest [lit. to rest oneself]
to be wrong/mistaken [lit. to mistake oneself]
to apologise [lit. to excuse oneself]
to sit down [lit. to seat oneself]
to feel (well, ill, etc.) [lit. to feel oneself]
to wake up [lit. to waken oneself]
to get dressed [lit. to dress oneself]
Free download pdf