Get up and go: mi alzo, ti svegli

The little pronoun: mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si

Each person has its own pronoun, and it sits right before the verb as a separate word: mi for io, ti for tu, si for lui, lei and formal Lei, ci for noi, vi for voi, and si again for loro.

The pronoun and the verb ending always point to the same person, so you can often tell who’s doing it from the pronoun alone. Only si does double duty: si alza is he or she, si alzano is they.

Learn ci with noi as a pair: it’s the one learners mix up most, often with si.

The verb: endings you already know

Swap -arsi, -ersi or -irsi for -are, -ere or -ire and you have an ordinary verb. Add the usual endings and put the pronoun in front: lavarsi → mi lavo, mettersi → mi metto, vestirsi → mi vesto.

Nothing else is new. If you can say parlo, parli, parla, you can say mi lavo, ti lavi, si lava.

Your day in reflexive verbs

Most of the morning routine is reflexive in Italian: svegliarsi (to wake up), alzarsi (to get up), lavarsi (to wash), farsi la doccia (to have a shower; plain fare la doccia is fine too), vestirsi (to get dressed), prepararsi (to get ready). Later in the day come riposarsi (to rest) and divertirsi (to have fun).

A handy pattern: many English get verbs are reflexive in Italian (get up, get dressed, get ready). And with parts of the body, Italian uses the reflexive plus the, not my: mi lavo le mani (I wash my hands).

Learn each new verb with mi attached: mi sveglio, mi alzo, mi vesto. Then the pronoun comes out on its own.

chiamarsi: names

Chiamarsi is how Italians give names: Mi chiamo Sara, literally I call myself Sara. Ask a friend with Come ti chiami? and ask about someone else with Come si chiama?

Because formal Lei uses the lui/lei form, Come si chiama? is also the polite way to ask a stranger’s name. The situation tells you which one is meant.

Saying no and asking

Non goes in front of the whole pair, never between them: Non mi sveglio presto. Think of the pronoun and the verb as glued together.

Questions need no extra word, just a rising voice: Ti diverti? (Are you having fun?), Vi alzate presto domani?

With devo, posso, voglio

After a modal the reflexive verb stays in the infinitive, and the pronoun has two possible spots. It can go before the modal (Mi devo alzare) or join the end of the infinitive, which drops its final -e (Devo alzarmi). Both are correct and common.

Either way, the pronoun still matches the person: devi alzarti, dobbiamo alzarci. The one place it can’t go is between the two verbs: devo mi alzare is wrong.

With or without the pronoun

Many reflexive verbs also exist without the pronoun, and the meaning changes. Without it, you do the action to someone or something else; with it, you do it to yourself.

So the pronoun isn’t decoration. Lavo la macchina is I wash the car; mi lavo is I wash (myself). Chiamo Paolo means I’m calling Paolo; mi chiamo Paolo means my name is Paolo.

Common mistakes

• Io alzo presto.Mi alzo presto.Alzarsi needs its pronoun: mi alzo.
• Noi si divertiamo.Noi ci divertiamo.Noi takes ci; si is for lui, lei and loro.
• Loro ci alzano presto.Loro si alzano presto.Loro shares si with lui and lei.
• Mi non sveglio presto.Non mi sveglio presto.Non comes before the pronoun.
• Devo mi alzare.Devo alzarmi.The pronoun goes before the modal or on the end of the infinitive, never in between.
• Devo alzarsi.Devo alzarmi.The pronoun on the end still matches the person: -mi for io.
• Io chiamo Paolo. (My name is Paolo.)Mi chiamo Paolo.Without mi it means I’m calling Paolo.

The full pattern

Pronoun first, then the verb with its usual ending.

Non goes before the pronoun: non mi alzo.

With a verb like devo, the pronoun goes in front or joins the end: mi devo alzare or devo alzarmi.

Without the pronoun the meaning changes: lavo la macchina (I wash the car), mi lavo (I wash myself).