Daily Routine
La rutina diaria
⏱ 45-60 minWhat you'll learn
- ✓ Describe your daily routine from morning to night
- ✓ Use reflexive verbs correctly (me levanto, me acuesto)
- ✓ Tell the time in Spanish
- ✓ Sequence events using connectives (primero, luego, después)
- ✓ Compare your routine with someone else's
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this topic with exam tips and links to full explanations.
Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) because the action reflects back on the person doing it.
Examples:
Me levanto a las siete
I get up at seven
¿A qué hora te acuestas?
What time do you go to bed?
Mi hermano se ducha por la mañana
My brother showers in the morning
Nos vestimos rápidamente
We get dressed quickly
⚠️Exam tip: The reflexive pronoun goes BEFORE the conjugated verb, or attached to the infinitive: "Me voy a duchar" or "Voy a ducharme".
Learn more about Reflexive Verbs →Telling the time
Use "es la una" for 1 o'clock, "son las..." for other hours. Add "y" for minutes past, "menos" for minutes to.
Examples:
Es la una y media
It's half past one
Son las tres y cuarto
It's quarter past three
Son las ocho menos diez
It's ten to eight
A las nueve de la mañana
At nine in the morning
⚠️Exam tip: In listening exams, watch for 24-hour clock times: "a las catorce horas" = 2pm.
Learn more about Time And Dates →Sequencing with connectives
Use time connectives to structure your description of daily routine.
Examples:
Primero me despierto, luego me levanto
First I wake up, then I get up
Antes de desayunar, me ducho
Before having breakfast, I shower
Después de cenar, veo la tele
After having dinner, I watch TV
Finalmente, me acuesto
Finally, I go to bed
⚠️Exam tip: Using varied connectives (primero, luego, después, antes de, finalmente) shows good structure and gains marks!
Stem-changing reflexive verbs
HigherMany reflexive verbs are also stem-changers: despertarse (e→ie), vestirse (e→i), acostarse (o→ue).
Examples:
Me despierto temprano
I wake up early
Se viste rápido
He gets dressed quickly
Nos acostamos tarde
We go to bed late
⚠️Exam tip: Dormirse is doubly tricky - it's reflexive AND stem-changing (o→ue): me duermo, te duermes...
Learn more about Stem Changing Verbs →🔗 Key Verbs for this Topic
Quick Reference
Reflexive Verb Pattern
Reflexive verbs show the subject does the action to themselves. Add me/te/se/nos/os/se before the conjugated verb.
Me despierto a las sieteI wake up at seven
Se ducha por la mañanaHe/She showers in the morning
Telling the Time
Use es la una for 1 o'clock, son las + number for all others. Add y for past, menos for to.
Son las tres y mediaIt's half past three
Es la una menos cuartoIt's quarter to one
Verb Conjugation Tables
levantarse
| yo | me levanto |
| tú | te levantas |
| él/ella | se levanta |
| nosotros | nos levantamos |
| vosotros | os levantáis |
| ellos/ellas | se levantan |
acostarse
| yo | me acuesto |
| tú | te acuestas |
| él/ella | se acuesta |
| nosotros | nos acostamos |
| vosotros | os acostáis |
| ellos/ellas | se acuestan |