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Reflexive Pronouns and Reciprocal Pronouns

The plural direct and indirect object pronouns nos, os, and se can be used reflexively to mean “ourselves”, “yourselves”, and “themselves”; in this case the “doer” and the recipient of the action are the same.

Él se ama. - He loves himself.

Ella se atribuye la culpa. - She attributes the fault to herself.

María habla siempre de .[1] - Mary is always talking about herself.

Nosotros nos divertimos al mismo tiempo que hacemos negocios. - We enjoy ourselves at the same time as we do business.

Ellos se respetan á sí y á otros también. - They respect themselves and others too.

Footnote 1: After "con" (with) "si" becomes Sigo; same change with
"mí" and "tí": conmigo, contigo, consigo, written in one word.
Reflexives

For reflexives, mismo (misma,mismos,mismas), may be added to the disjunctive form for emphasis, as:

María habla siempre de sí misma. - Mary always speaks of herself.

Ella se atribuye la culpa. - She attributes the fault to herself.

Ella se atribuye la culpa á sí. - She attributes the fault to herself. (more emphatic).

Ella se atribuye la culpa á sí misma. - She attributes the fault to herself (still more emphatic).

Reciprocals

For reciprocals, you may use as a clarifyer mutuamente or one of the following:

(el) uno a(l) otro = (to) each other (two persons, male or one male and one female)

(la) una a la otra = (to) each other (two persons, both female)

(los) unos a (los) otros = (to) each other (more than two persons male or all male or male and female)

(las) unas a (las) otras = (to) each other (more than two persons, all female)

Note: The definite article is optional. The preposition a is used in these samples, but is often replaced by other prepositions depending on individual sentence; see the use of con below.

Ella y yo nos queremos el uno al otro - She and I love each other.

Ellas se enojaron y se hicieron daño unas a otras. - The girls got angry and hurt each other.

Carmen y los chicos charlaban unos con los otros. - Carmen and the boys were chatting with one another.


Category: General Spanish
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