Portuguese flag

Verbs with a reflexive pronoun where the pronoun does not mean 'oneself'

In English, we use words like myself or yourself when we direct an action back at ourselves. Portuguese has reflexive pronouns too, but they often appear with verbs where no literal reflecting happens. For English speakers, it can feel strange to add a reflexive pronoun to verbs like queixar-se (to complain) or lembrar-se (to remember).

These are known as verbs that require a reflexive pronoun. For this specific group of words, the pronoun is simply a built-in grammatical piece. It does not translate to oneself, but if you drop it, the sentence will sound completely wrong or the verb will take on a different meaning.

Word list
chamar-seA1 to be called chamar-se = to be called (Eu me chamo Ana / Chamo-me Ana) ir-se emboraA1 to leave ir-se embora = to leave, go away (Vou-me embora) lembrar-seA1 to remember lembrar-se de algo = to remember something deitar-seA2 to go to bed deitar-se = to go to bed, lie down (deitar alone = to lay something) divertir-seA2 to enjoy oneself divertir-se = to have fun esquecer-seA2 to forget esquecer-se de algo = to forget something levantar-seA2 to get up levantar-se = to get up (levantar alone = to lift) preocupar-seA2 to worry preocupar-se com = to worry about sentar-seA2 to sit down sentar-se = to sit down (Sente-se, por favor) sentir-seA2 to feel sentir-se bem/mal = to feel good/bad (sentir alone = to feel something) aborrecer-seB1 to get bored aborrecer-se = to get bored (EP) / to get annoyed (BP) acostumar-seB1 to get used to acostumar-se a/com = to get used to adaptar-seB1 to adapt adaptar-se a = to adapt to afastar-seB1 to move away afastar-se de = to move away from apaixonar-seB1 to fall in love apaixonar-se por = to fall in love with aposentar-seB1 to retire aposentar-se = to retire (from work) aproximar-seB1 to approach aproximar-se de = to approach, to come near calar-seB1 to keep quiet calar-se = to go quiet (Cale-se) cansar-seB1 to get tired cansar-se de algo = to get tired of something casar-seB1 to marry casar-se com alguém = to marry someone certificar-seB1 to make sure certificar-se de que = to make sure that comportar-seB1 to behave comportar-se bem/mal = to behave well/badly constipar-seB1 to catch a cold constipar-se = to catch a cold (European Portuguese, not constipated) despedir-seB1 to say goodbye despedir-se de = to say goodbye to (despedir alone = to fire) empolgar-seB1 to get excited empolgar-se com = to get excited about entediar-seB1 to get bored entediar-se = to get bored envergonhar-seB1 to be ashamed envergonhar-se de algo = to be ashamed of something habituar-seB1 to get used to habituar-se a = to get used to irritar-seB1 to get angry irritar-se com = to get irritated with mudar-seB1 to move mudar-se = to change residence pôr-seB1 to set pôr-se = to set (sun, O sol se põe / O sol põe-se) queixar-seB1 to complain queixar-se de algo = to complain about something recuperar-seB1 to recover recuperar-se de = to recover from recusar-seB1 to refuse recusar-se a fazer = to refuse to do reformar-seB1 to retire reformar-se = to retire (European Portuguese, reformar = to reform) resfriar-seB1 to catch a cold resfriar-se = to catch a cold (Brazilian Portuguese) tornar-seB1 to become tornar-se + noun/adj = to become (tornar alone = to return) virar-seB1 to turn around virar-se = to turn around zangar-seB1 to get angry zangar-se com = to get angry with acalmar-seB2 to calm down acalmar-se = to calm down (Acalme-se) ajoelhar-seB2 to kneel down ajoelhar-se = to kneel down aperceber-seB2 to realize aperceber-se de = to realize, to notice apressar-seB2 to hurry apressar-se = to hurry (Apresse-se) apressar-seB2 to hurry apressar-se a fazer = to hurry to do (Apressa-te = Hurry up) arrepender-seB2 to regret arrepender-se de algo = to regret something assegurar-seB2 to make sure assegurar-se de que = to make sure that atrever-seB2 to dare atrever-se a fazer = to dare to do aventurar-seB2 to venture aventurar-se a fazer = to venture to do, aventurar-se por = to venture into contentar-seB2 to settle for contentar-se com = to settle for, to make do with curar-seB2 to heal curar-se de = to recover from, to heal dar-se bemB2 to get along dar-se bem com = to get along with dar-se contaB2 to realize dar-se conta de = to realize despachar-seB2 to hurry despachar-se = to hurry up (European Portuguese, Despacha-te) divorciar-seB2 to divorce divorciar-se de = to divorce someone encarregar-seB2 to deal with encarregar-se de = to take care of, to handle envolver-seB2 to get involved envolver-se em/com = to get involved in/with espalhar-seB2 to spread espalhar-se por = to spread across (espalhar alone = to spread something) frustrar-seB2 to get frustrated frustrar-se com = to get frustrated with livrar-se deB2 to get rid of livrar-se de algo = to get rid of something negar-seB2 to refuse negar-se a fazer = to refuse to do (negar alone = to deny) ocupar-seB2 to deal with ocupar-se de/com = to deal with, to take care of perder-seB2 to get lost perder-se = to get lost portar-seB2 to behave portar-se bem/mal = to behave well/badly (portar alone = to carry) render-seB2 to give up render-se = to surrender, to give in voltar-seB2 to turn around voltar-se = to turn around (voltar alone = to return) alistar-seC1 to enlist alistar-se = to enlist, to sign up compor-se deC1 to consist of compor-se de = to consist of (compor alone = to compose) difundir-seC1 to spread difundir-se entre = to spread among (difundir alone = to spread something) enraivecer-seC1 to get angry enraivecer-se = to get angry espreguiçar-seC1 to stretch espreguiçar-se = to stretch (on waking) gabar-seC1 to brag gabar-se de algo = to brag about something (gabar alone = to praise) insurgir-seC1 to rebel insurgir-se contra = to rise up against intrometer-seC1 to interfere intrometer-se em = to interfere in, to meddle in propagar-seC1 to spread propagar-se = to spread (A notícia propagou-se, propagar alone takes a direct object) rebelar-seC1 to rebel rebelar-se contra = to rebel against revoltar-seC1 to rebel revoltar-se contra = to revolt against unir-seC1 to unite unir-se a = to join, to unite with vangloriar-seC2 to brag vangloriar-se de algo = to boast about something
How the pronoun works

Even though the pronoun does not mean myself or yourself, it still has to match the subject of the sentence. You will use me for I, te for informal you, se for he, she, or formal you, and nos for we.

Take the verb divertir-se (to have fun). In English, you just have fun. In Portuguese, the pronoun is required to complete the action.

Nós divertimo-nos muito na festa.
(We had a lot of fun at the party.)
Eu preocupo-me com as notas dela.
(I worry about her grades.)
Everyday actions and life events

Many common verbs describing changes in your life or location require a reflexive pronoun. If you move to a new city, get a divorce, or lose your way, you will need to include the pronoun.

Eles mudaram-se para o Brasil no ano passado.
(They moved to Brazil last year.)
O meu cão perdeu-se no parque.
(My dog got lost in the park.)
Os meus vizinhos vão divorciar-se.
(My neighbors are going to get a divorce.)
Verbs that require a preposition

Many of these verbs also team up with a specific preposition. You cannot just attach an object directly to the verb. For instance, apaixonar-se (to fall in love) always pairs with the preposition por.

Ela apaixonou-se por ele imediatamente.
(She fell in love with him immediately.)

Similarly, a large group of these verbs relies on the preposition de. The verbs lembrar-se (to remember), esquecer-se (to forget), arrepender-se (to regret), and queixar-se (to complain) all need de before whatever you are remembering, forgetting, regretting, or complaining about.

Eu nunca me esqueço do teu aniversário.
(I never forget your birthday.)
Ele queixa-se de tudo.
(He complains about everything.)
Arrependo-me do que disse ontem.
(I regret what I said yesterday.)
Summary

When you learn a verb that takes a reflexive pronoun, treat the pronoun as an essential building block rather than a separate word. Even if the English translation has no reflexive meaning, the Portuguese verb needs its pronoun to make sense. Always memorize the verb with its pronoun and any preposition it requires.