Reflexive Verbs that Change Meaning
Some verbs change meaning when they take a reflexive pronoun: ir (go) becomes irse (leave), dormir (sleep) becomes dormirse (fall asleep).
The rule at a glance
verb + se = a different meaning
ir → irse
me voy
to go → to leave
Me voy ahora
I'm leaving now
dormir → dormirse
me dormí
to sleep → to fall asleep
Me dormí a las diez
I fell asleep at ten
acordar → acordarse de
me acuerdo de
to agree → to remember
Me acuerdo de ti
I remember you
quedar → quedarse
me quedo
to meet → to stay
Me quedo en casa
I'm staying at home
- Also: parecer (to seem) → parecerse a (to look like): Me parezco a mi madre.
The five pairs
Most reflexive verbs simply mean you do something to yourself (lavarse = to wash oneself). But with some verbs, adding se changes the meaning completely. Think of the pronoun as a marker: it can signal a change of state, a departure, or a new meaning altogether.
| Verb | Meaning | Reflexive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ir | to go | irse | to leave |
| dormir | to sleep | dormirse | to fall asleep |
| acordar | to agree | acordarse (de) | to remember |
| quedar | to meet, to remain | quedarse | to stay |
| parecer | to seem | parecerse (a) | to resemble |
The reflexive forms often point to a transition or a personal connection: irse is leaving (here to elsewhere), dormirse is going from awake to asleep, acordarse is a mental connection, quedarse is choosing to stay put, and parecerse is resembling someone.
When to use each
1. Ir vs irse: to go vs to leave
Ir focuses on movement towards a destination; irse emphasises departure from where you are.
Ir: Voy al cine – I'm going to the cinema
Ir: Vamos a la playa – We're going to the beach
Irse: Me voy ahora – I'm leaving now
Irse: ¿Ya te vas? Are you leaving already?
2. Dormir vs dormirse: to sleep vs to fall asleep
Dormir is the act or state of sleeping; dormirse is the moment you go from awake to asleep.
Dormir: Duermo ocho horas – I sleep eight hours
Dormir: El bebé está durmiendo – The baby is sleeping
Dormirse: Me dormí a las diez – I fell asleep at ten
Dormirse: Se durmió en el sofá – He fell asleep on the sofa
3. Acordar vs acordarse (de): to agree vs to remember
Acordar means reaching an agreement; acordarse means to remember, and takes de.
Acordar: Acordamos reunirnos mañana – We agreed to meet tomorrow
Acordar: Acordaron el precio – They agreed on the price
Acordarse: Me acuerdo de ti – I remember you
Acordarse: ¿Te acuerdas de la fiesta? Do you remember the party?
4. Quedar vs quedarse: to meet or remain vs to stay
Quedar can mean "to arrange to meet" or "to remain"; quedarse means staying in one place.
Quedar: Quedamos a las tres – We're meeting at three
Quedar: Quedan dos días – Two days remain
Quedarse: Me quedo en casa – I'm staying at home
Quedarse: ¿Te quedas o te vas? Are you staying or leaving?
5. Parecer vs parecerse (a): to seem vs to resemble
Parecer gives an opinion or appearance ("seems"); parecerse means to look like someone, in looks or character, and takes a.
Parecer: Parece difícil – It seems difficult
Parecer: ¿Qué te parece? What do you think?
Parecerse: Me parezco a mi madre – I look like my mother
Parecerse: Se parecen mucho – They look very similar
Common mistakes
Leaving needs irse
Not this (incorrect): Yo voy ahora (meaning "I'm leaving")
But this (correct): Me voy ahora – I'm leaving now. Use irse when emphasising departure, not destination.
Acordarse takes de
Not this (incorrect): Me acuerdo tu nombre
But this (correct): Me acuerdo de tu nombre – I remember your name. English "remember" takes no preposition, but acordarse needs de (or use recordar: Recuerdo tu nombre).
Falling asleep needs dormirse
Not this (incorrect): Dormí tarde (meaning "I fell asleep late")
But this (correct): Me dormí tarde – I fell asleep late. "Me dormí tarde" = I fell asleep late. When someone is late for something, "me dormí" can also mean "I overslept", from context. "Me quedé dormido" is the other everyday way to say both.
Parecerse takes a
Not this (incorrect): Me parezco mi madre
But this (correct): Me parezco a mi madre – I look like my mother. Parecerse requires the preposition a.
Quick check
6 questions1. I'm leaving now → _____ ahora
Leaving (departure) is irse: me voy.
2. I fell asleep on the sofa → _____ en el sofá
Falling asleep is dormirse; in the past: me dormí.
3. Do you remember the party? → ¿Te acuerdas _____ la fiesta?
Before the thing you remember, acordarse takes de: acordarse de algo.
4. We agreed on the price → _____ el precio
Agreeing is acordar, without se.
5. I'm staying at home → _____ en casa
Staying in a place is quedarse: me quedo.
6. You look a lot like your father → Te pareces mucho _____ tu padre
Parecerse takes a: parecerse a alguien.
Choose the right form: with or without se?
Going further
More examples of each pair, and both forms side by side in context
Both forms in context
Going vs leaving: Voy a la tienda pero mi hermano se va a casa. I'm going to the shop but my brother is leaving (to go) home.
Sleeping vs falling asleep: Normalmente duermo bien, pero anoche me dormí muy tarde. I normally sleep well, but last night I fell asleep very late.
Agreeing vs remembering: Acordamos vernos el lunes, pero no me acordé de la cita. We agreed to see each other on Monday, but I didn't remember the appointment.
Meeting vs staying: Quedamos en el café, pero yo me quedé en casa porque estaba enfermo. We arranged to meet at the café, but I stayed at home because I was ill.
More examples
Non-reflexive forms
Ir: Voy a la tienda – I'm going to the shop
Dormir: Duermo ocho horas cada noche – I sleep eight hours each night
Acordar: Acordamos vernos el lunes – We agreed to meet on Monday
Quedar: Quedan tres días – Three days remain
Parecer: Parece que va a llover – It seems like it's going to rain
Reflexive forms
Irse: Me voy ahora mismo – I'm leaving right now
Dormirse: Me dormí en el sofá – I fell asleep on the sofa
Acordarse: No me acordé de la cita – I didn't remember the appointment
Quedarse: Me quedé en casa enfermo – I stayed at home ill
Parecerse: Te pareces mucho a tu padre – You look a lot like your father