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N.B.: We use a written accent mark to help students identify word stress and open/closed vowels even though Standard Italian may not require it.

Reflexive pronouns are similar to direct object pronouns, except in the third person singular and plural ("si").

These pronouns immediately precede the verb to which they refer, except when used with the past participle (without auxiliary verb), the infinitive, the gerund and the imperative. In that case, the pronoun is attached to the end of the verb form. Notice that the infinitive loses the final "e".

Reflexive pronouns are used with many verbs, changing their meaning in the following way:

- Truly reflexive (the action's object is the same as the subject). 
- Reciprocal (with plural forms).
- Idiomatic (no real reflexive or reciprocal meaning). Sometimes the reflexive pronoun changes the meaning radically.

Some verbs are used exclusively with reflexive pronouns. Their meaning is often idiomatic. For a partial list of such verbs, see Verbs Used Mainly in the Reflexive Form.

Examples: 

With reflexive pronoun	English Equivalent	Without reflexive pronoun	English equivalent
Mi lavo	I wash myself	Lavo i piatti	I wash the dishes
Ci conosciamo	We know each other	Conosciamo sua sorella	We know her sister
Vi sentite male	You don't feel well	Sentite un rumore	You hear a noise
Si è svegliato alle otto	He woke up at eight	Ha svegliato tutti	He woke everybody up
Comportati bene!	Behave yourself!	Cosa comporta?	What does it involve?
Mi sono imbattuto in Gino	I ran into Gino	[not used]
Si vergognano	They are ashamed	[not used]

Verbs combined with reflexive pronouns require the auxiliary "essere" in the past tense; therefore the past participle must always agree with the subject. Compare the use of similar verbs with and without reflexive pronouns.

With reflexive pronoun	English Equivalent	Without reflexive pronoun	English equivalent
Ti sei pettinato	You combed your hair	Hai pettinato la bambina	You combed the girl's hair
Carla si è lavata i capelli	Carla washed her hair	Ha lavato la macchina	She washed her car
Si sono conosciuti a Roma	They met in Rome	Hanno conosciuto Carlo a Roma	They met Carlo in Rome

With potere (can), dovere (must, have to), volere (want), the choice of the auxiliary depends on the position of the pronoun:
- when the pronoun precedes the modal verb, "essere" is used;
- when the pronoun follows the infinitive of the main verb, "avere" is used.

Pronoun before modal verb	Pronoun after infinitive of main verb	Englih equivalent
Maria si è dovuta alzare	Maria ha dovuto alzarsi	Maria had to get up
Ti sei voluta alzare	Hai voluto alzarti	You wanted to get up
Carla si è potuta riposare	Carla ha potuto riposarsi	Carla has been able to rest

Verb forms requiring a reflexive pronoun can be constructed without one if combined with a causative verb (fare, lasciare, etc.).

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