An excellent guide to reflexive verbs in Italian, with 102 examples

10 September 2026

Author:

Berlitz

In Dubai and across the UAE and the Gulf, you’ll see these words and phrases show up in real - life conversations, study, and work.

“Ciao! Mi chiamo Tina.”

This is often one of the very first phrases learners hear when studying Italian - and many students in the UAE, especially those learning Italian for travel, business, or cultural interest, may not realise it already contains a reflexive verb.

Reflexive verbs are extremely common in everyday Italian conversation. Mastering them allows learners to move beyond basic introductions and communicate more naturally and confidently - something strongly emphasised in Berlitz UAE’s Italian language courses, where real - life communication is always the priority.

This guide will help you confidently use Italian reflexive verbs in a wide range of situations. It includes: A clear explanation of Italian reflexive verbs How to recognise them How to conjugate them 102 reflexive verbs conjugated in the present tense A realistic sample conversation Let’s get started! What are reflexive verbs?
A verb is considered reflexive when the subject and the direct object are the same. In Italian, this means the action reflects back onto the subject. Examples: Lui si è vestito. → He dressed himself / He got dressed Noi ci divertiamo. → We enjoy ourselves / We have fun In these cases, Italian uses reflexive pronouns to show who receives the action. Learning these pronouns early makes everything else much easier - especially for learners progressing quickly through structured programmes like those offered by Berlitz UAE. Italian reflexive pronouns *The third - person singular also includes the formal “you” (Lei), commonly used in professional and polite settings. How to recognise reflexive verbs in Italian?
You’ll always be able to tell if a verb is reflexive based on its ending of “ - si”. Italian reflexive verbs end in one of three ways: - arsi, - ersi, or - irsi. Italian definitely has more reflexive verbs than the English language. Interestingly, verb phrases that include “get” in English likely translate into reflexive phrases in Italian. You’ll see these translations in our list down below, but here are some common examples: (to) get angry → arrabbiarsi (to) get dressed → vestirsi (to) get lost → perdersi To fully grasp reflexive verbs in Italian, it takes practice and understanding a conversation’s context. Let’s look at a few common examples: Did you notice that the last example was conjugated using the simple past tense? That brings us to our next topic: conjugating these verbs! How to conjugate reflexive verbs in Italian
As we know, reflexive verbs in Italian have one of the following endings. Here’s how they are conjugated: arsi: addormentarsi (to fall asleep) → conjugated like an - are verb ersi: muoversi (to move) → conjugated like an - ere verb irsi: divertirsi (to have fun) → conjugated like an - ire verb As you may notice, the reflexive verbs are conjugated exactly like non - reflexive verbs, with the addition of the reflexive pronoun! This means that you don’t need to learn any “new” conjugations to use reflexive verbs in conversation. However, you should make sure that you’re familiar with the numerous irregular verbs in Italian, because an irregular reflexive verb is conjugated just like a non reflexive irregular verb. If you’re looking for a refresher on Italian conjugations, this article will give you a helpful guide when it comes to conjugations of regular and irregular verbs in the present simple tense! To use reflexive verbs in Italian, just drop the “ - si” ending and understand whether the verb is conjugated as an - are, - ere, or - ire verb. And don’t forget to put the reflexive pronoun before the verb! Don’t worry, the next few sections will give you plenty of examples. Next, we’re going to conjugate five common reflexive verbs in eight different tenses. These verbs will include an: - arsi verb (conjugated like - are) - ersi verb (conjugated like - ere) - ire verb (one Type 1 - ire verb and one Type 2 - ire verb) irregular verb Reflexive verbs in the present tense in Italian
Our first conjugation is the present tense. Notice how the reflexive pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. Here are two examples: Che ti metti stasera? Mi metto i jeans. → What are you wearing tonight? I’m wearing jeans. Guarda! I gattini si lavano. → Look! The kittens are washing themselves. Reflexive verbs in the past simple and present perfect tenses in Italian
Next, we have reflexive verbs in the past. Keep in mind that all reflexive verbs require the essere verb when conjugated in the passato prossimo tense. Check out this article for a review on how to do that! In the meantime, here are some examples: Mi sono messa il costume per andare in spiaggia. → I’ve put on my swimsuit to go to the beach. Ci siamo vestiti nello stesso modo! → We dressed the same! Reflexive verbs in the imperfect tense in Italian
If you’re speaking in the imperfect tense (otherwise known as the the past continuous tense in English), you would translate the reflexive verbs like this: Mentre mi facevo la doccia, è suonato il campanello. → While I was taking a shower, the doorbell rang. Mentre gli attori si vestivano, il cantante ha finito la sua canzone. → While the actors were getting dressed, the singer finished her song. Reflexive verbs in future simple tense in Italian
This table shows the conjugations of the future simple tense. Two examples of this would be: Mi trasferirò all’estero. → (I’m going to move abroad. / I will move abroad.) Mi laverò la faccia. → (I’m going to wash my face. / I will wash my face.) Reflexive verbs in present conditional tense in Italian
If you’re speaking in hypothetical situations, you would use the present conditional tense. Let’s look at an example: Se non dovessi andare in palestra, mi farei la doccia adesso. → (If I didn’t have to go to the gym, I’d take a shower now.) Se non avessi appena accettato il nuovo lavoro, mi trasferirei in Irlanda. → (If I hadn’t just accepted the new job, I would move to Ireland.) Reflexive verbs in present subjunctive tense in Italian
Using the congiuntivo tense (also known as the present subjunctive tense) can take a lot of practice, especially if you’ve just started your Italian language learning journey. For this article, just keep in mind that “che” is translated as “that”. It’s included in this table, since the congiuntivo is used after phrases like “credo” (I believe) and “penso” (I think). For example: Credo che lui si trasferisca all’estero. → (I think that he’s going to move abroad.) Penso che lui si metta la cravatta. → (I think that he’s going to wear a tie.) Reflexive verbs in formal and informal imperative tense in Italian
The following table shows you how to use the reflexive verbs in the imperative tense. Keep in mind that the “Lei” form (third person singular) is also the formal “you” tense. So, if you wanted to use the formal imperative to tell someone to wash their hands, you would say: Si lavi le mani, per favore. → Wash your hands, please. But if you wanted to tell your close friend the same thing, you could say: Dai, lavati le mani! → Come on, wash your hands! Notice how only the third person tense keeps the reflexive pronoun before the verb. The other tenses attach the reflexive pronoun to the end of the verb. *Although the “loro” pronoun was once used to address groups in the formal tense, the “voi” pronoun is now acceptable to use when addressing groups with a formal tone. Reflexive verbs in gerund in Italian
You can also use the reflexive verbs as a gerund. In these cases, the reflexive pronoun moves to the end of the word. Let’s take a look at some examples. Lavandoci le mani, evitiamo di ammalarci. → By washing our hands, we can avoid getting sick. Trasferendomi in Italia, spero di migliorare il mio italiano. → By moving to Italy, I hope to improve my Italian. List of the 102 most common reflexive verbs in Italian
Now we’re ready to dive into 102 reflexive verbs! Going through this list and learning unfamiliar words is a great way to build your vocabulary. Afterwards, you’ll find some of these verbs used in a sample conversation. 1. Abbandonarsi - to surrender 2. Abbassarsi - to oneself lower down 3. Abbinarsi - to match up with something or someone 4. Abituarsi - to get used to something 5. Accorgersi - to realize, to notice something 6. Addormentarsi - to fall asleep 7. Affacciarsi - to look upon 8. Affrettarsi - to hasten, to hurry 9. Alimentarsi - to consume food 10. Allontanarsi - to move far 11. Alzarsi - to get up, to stand up 12. Ambientarsi - to become comfortable with something 13. Ammalarsi - to get sick 14. Annoiarsi - to become bored 15. Arrabbiarsi - to get angry 16. Avvedersi - to perceive, to become aware 17. Avvicinarsi - to approach 18. Barcamenarsi - to tread carefully 19. Badarsi - to look after oneself 20. Bagnarsi - to get wet 21. Bruciarsi - to burn oneself 22. Burlarsi - to make fun of, to laugh at 23. Buttarsi - to throw oneself into (something) 24. Calmarsi - to calm oneself down 25. Capirsi - to understand each other 26. Chiamarsi - to call oneself, to be named 27. Commuoversi - to be moved (emotionally) 28. Comportarsi - to behave oneself 29. Concedersi - to indulge (in something) 30. Concentrarsi - to concentrate, to focus 31. Coricarsi - to lie down, to go to bed 32. Curarsi - to take care of oneself 33. Dimenticarsi - to forget 34. Dimettersi - to resign 35. Divertirsi - to enjoy oneself, to have fun 36. Effetfuarsi - to take place 37. Emaciarsi - to become emaciated 38. Emozionarsi - to get excited 39. Farsi il bagno - to take a bath 40. Farsi la barba - to shave (the face) 41. Farsi la doccia - to take a shower 42. Fermarsi - to stop 43. Fidarsi - to trust, to confide 44. Imbecillirsi - to become foolish 45. Imbiondirsi - to become blonde 46. Imbruttirsi - to become ugly 47. Infurbirsi - to become shrewd 48. Infuriarsi - to become angry 49. Ingannarsi - to be deceived 50. Innamorarsi - to fall in love with 51. Lagnarsi - to complain, to lament 52. Lamentarsi - to complain >53. Lavarsi - to wash oneself 54. Liberarsi - to break free 55. Loggarsi - to log on 56. Mettersi - to put on, to wear 57. Mostrarsi - to show yourself 58. Muoversi - to move 59. Nascondersi - to hide yourself 60. Ostinarsi - to be adamant 61. Perdersi - to lose oneself (in something), to get lost 62. Pettinarsi - to comb oneself 63. Piegarsi - to bend over 64. Preoccuparsi - to worry oneself 65. Prepararsi - to prepare oneself 66. Promettersi - to promise 67. Radersi - to shave oneself 68. Regolarsi - to adjust 69. Rassegnarsi - to resign oneself 70. Riavvicinarsi - to get closer 71. Ricordarsi - to remember 72. Rifiutarsi - to refuse 73. Riprendersi - to recover 74. Riunirsi - to get together 75. Rivolgersi - to turn to, to call on, to apply 76. Saziarsi - to become full/satisfied 77. Sbagliarsi - to make a mistake, to be mistaken 78. Sborniarsi - to get drunk 79. Sbottonarsi - to unbutton oneself, to open up 80. Sdraiarsi - to lie down 81. Sentirsi - to feel 82. Separarsi - to break up with, to separate oneself from 83. Sfamarsi - to satisfy one’s hunger, to feed yourself 84. Sfogarsi - to get something off one’s mind 85. Sgranchirsi - to stretch 86. Soffermarsi - to linger 87. Sorprendersi - to be surprised 88. Sostenersi - to sustain oneself 89. Spogliarsi - to undress 90. Sposarsi - to marry, to get married 91. Svegliarsi - to wake up 92. Tenersi - to hold 93. Tranquillizzarsi - to settle down, calm down 94. Trascurarsi - to neglect 95. Trasferirsi - to move (away), to relocate 96. Trasformarsi - to transform 97. Truccarsi - to put makeup on 98. Turbarsi - to get upset, to become agitated 99. Vantarsi - to boast, to brag, to be proud 100. Vergognarsi - to be ashamed 101. Vestirsi - to get dressed 102. Voltarsi - to turn oneself around An example conversation with Italian reflexives
Now that we’ve looked at 102 different reflexives, let’s put some of them in a conversation between two acquaintances. How many can you recognize? *Note: When using reflexives in Italian regarding appearance or your body, there’s no need to use the possessive adjective. So, Marco doesn’t say “mi sono fatto la mia barba”. Instead, he just says “mi sono fatto la barba”. It’s already understood that it’s his beard! Here are a few more examples: Mi lavo la faccia. → I wash my face. Mi lavo le mani. → I wash my hands. Mi pettino i capelli. → I comb my hair. Be proud of yourself!
For structured practice, Berlitz UAE can help - whether you learn at the Berlitz Berlitz Jumeirah Centre or the Berlitz JLT Centre in Dubai. No matter where you are on your Italian language journey, be proud of yourself - Italian grammar is no joke! Reflexives are just one aspect of Italian grammar, but as you’ve seen in this article, many language features often come together during natural conversations. As always, feel free to brush up on your Italian language skills with these articles. Alla prossima!