6.4 Subjective Use of Reflexive Pronouns

The Spanish reflexive pronoun is used in ways that it is not in English, in cases where it cannot be translated literally or at all, such as with the verb quejarse, (“to complain”), which in itself has no reflexive meaning:

English expresses such subjectivity by other means or Spanish possesses a linguistic subtlety absent in English. You have seen such usages listed in section 6.1:

Although all but the most basic of these forms are difficult to use in speech by non-native speakers, they are very common, especially in speech but also in writing and should be recognized so that the reader can have a clear idea of their implication. As seen above, English can communicate this subjectivity by adding words such as “away,” “down,” and, as you will see below, “up,” among others. Note the various ways, when it is possible in English, to communicate this subjectivity that corresponds to the inclusion of reflexive pronouns in Spanish with verbs that are not normally reflexive or otherwise used reflexively. Note in the examples below that the reflexive pronoun is inserted only when something is eaten or drunk in its entirety.

Other times, the reflexive pronouns can only be translated parenthetically, or, in reading, intuitively, once you have grasped the basic concept. A verb with which to illustrate this is the verb morir (“to die”):