B1 · मध्यवर्ती चैप्टर 2

Reflexive Verbs for Life and Relationships

6 कुल नियम
61 उदाहरण
6 मिनट
इस अध्याय के नियम त्वरित अभ्यास

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master essential reflexive verbs to describe your daily life and meaningful relationships with native-level precision.

  • Distinguish between reflexive social verbs and their transitive counterparts.
  • Apply correct prepositional structures for graduation, dating, and moving.
  • Navigate everyday social scenarios from meeting friends to saying goodbye.
Speak about your life with authentic Portuguese rhythm.

तुम क्या सीखोगे

Ready to truly elevate your Portuguese and express yourself like a native speaker? This chapter is going to be a game-changer! You'll dive deep into essential reflexive verbs that are at the heart of daily life and relationships. We'll unravel the nuances of 'Lembrar-se de' to elegantly recount memories and 'Esquecer-se de' to talk about forgetting, paying close attention to when to use that crucial 'de' and when to omit it – these details make all the difference! Planning to meet friends? You'll master 'Encontrar-se com' for arranging meetups, clearly differentiating it from simply 'encontrar' (to find an object). And when it's time to say goodbye, you'll confidently use 'Despedir-se de' to ensure you're not accidentally 'firing' someone! For talking about moving to a new home, 'Mudar-se' will become your go-to, ensuring you never confuse it with just 'moving' furniture. You’ll also learn how to use 'Aproximar-se de' to describe getting closer to someone, both physically and emotionally. And for those heartfelt moments, 'Apaixonar-se por' will teach you how to express falling in love beautifully. Finally, if you're looking to discuss your academic achievements, 'Formar-se em' will help you talk about graduating in a specific field with ease. By mastering these 8 rules, you'll be able to communicate more naturally and deeply about major life events, friendships, and romantic moments. Your conversations will become richer, more nuanced, and truly expressive. Let's get started!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Differentiate between 'encontrar' and 'encontrar-se' in social contexts.

अध्याय गाइड

Overview

Welcome to a pivotal chapter in your B1 Portuguese journey! This guide is designed to help you master essential Portuguese grammar related to reflexive verbs, allowing you to express yourself with greater nuance and authenticity, especially when talking about daily life and relationships. As you progress in Portuguese grammar, understanding these verbs is crucial for sounding like a native speaker.
We'll dive into verbs like Lembrar-se de (to remember) and Esquecer-se de (to forget), highlighting the critical role of the preposition 'de'. You'll learn to differentiate between Encontrar (to find) and Encontrar-se com (to meet up with), and confidently use Despedir-se de (to say goodbye). We'll also cover Mudar-se (to move house), Aproximar-se de (to get closer), Apaixonar-se por (to fall in love), and Formar-se em (to graduate).
Mastering these verbs will significantly enrich your conversations about significant life events, friendships, and romantic connections, making your Portuguese sound much more natural and expressive.

How This Grammar Works

Reflexive verbs in Portuguese, often called pronominal verbs, describe actions where the subject performs and receives the action. They are characterized by the use of a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, vos, se) that matches the subject. In this chapter, we focus on specific reflexive verbs that are indispensable for discussing life's milestones and relationships.
  1. 1Lembrar-se de: This means
    to remember (of something/someone).
    It requires the reflexive pronoun and the preposition de.
* Eu me lembro do nosso primeiro encontro. (I remember our first meeting.)
  1. 1Esquecer-se de: Similar to lembrar-se, this means
    to forget (of something/someone).
    It also uses the reflexive pronoun and de. The non-reflexive Esquecer means to forget something directly, without de.
* Ele se esqueceu do aniversário dela. (He forgot her birthday.)
* Eu esqueci a carteira em casa. (I forgot my wallet at home.)
  1. 1Encontrar-se com: Use this to express
    to meet up with someone
    by arrangement. The simple verb Encontrar means to find an object or to encounter someone by chance.
* Vamos nos encontrar no centro. (Let's meet downtown.)
* Eu encontrei um livro interessante. (I found an interesting book.)
  1. 1Despedir-se de: This means
    to say goodbye to someone.
    It always takes the reflexive pronoun and the preposition de.
* Eles se despediram dos amigos no aeroporto. (They said goodbye to their friends at the airport.)
  1. 1Mudar-se: Use this verb specifically when you move house or relocate. The non-reflexive Mudar means to change generally.
* Nós nos mudamos para um apartamento maior. (We moved to a bigger apartment.)
* Preciso mudar de roupa. (I need to change clothes.)
  1. 1Aproximar-se de: This means
    to get closer to
    someone or something, both physically and emotionally. It requires the reflexive pronoun and de.
* Ele se aproximou dela lentamente. (He slowly got closer to her.)
  1. 1Apaixonar-se por: To express
    to fall in love with,
    you must use this reflexive verb with the preposition por.
* Eles se apaixonaram um pelo outro na universidade. (They fell in love with each other at university.)
  1. 1Formar-se em: This means to graduate in a specific field of study. It uses the reflexive pronoun and the preposition em.
* Ela se formou em engenharia civil. (She graduated in civil engineering.)

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Eu lembro aquele dia.
✓ Correct:
Eu me lembro daquele dia.
*Explanation:* The verb lembrar-se is pronominal when meaning
to remember (of something/someone)
and requires both the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, etc.) and the preposition de.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Nós vamos encontrar com nossos amigos.
✓ Correct:
Nós vamos nos encontrar com nossos amigos.
*Explanation:* When referring to arranging a meeting with people, the reflexive form encontrar-se com is the correct and most natural choice in Portuguese. The reflexive pronoun is essential.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Ele se apaixonou com ela.
✓ Correct:
Ele se apaixonou por ela.
*Explanation:* The verb apaixonar-se (to fall in love) always takes the preposition por to indicate the person one falls in love with, not com.

Real Conversations

A

A

Você se lembra da nossa viagem a Portugal no ano passado? (Do you remember our trip to Portugal last year?)
B

B

Claro que sim! E nos despedimos dos nossos amigos em Lisboa antes de voltar. (Of course! And we said goodbye to our friends in Lisbon before coming back.)
A

A

Ouvi dizer que a Maria se mudou para o Porto. (I heard Maria moved to Porto.)
B

B

Sim, ela se formou em arquitetura e conseguiu um ótimo emprego lá. (Yes, she graduated in architecture and got a great job there.)
A

A

Como o João e a Ana se apaixonaram? (How did João and Ana fall in love?)
B

B

Eles se aproximaram muito durante um projeto na faculdade e o resto é história! (They got very close during a university project and the rest is history!)

Quick FAQ

Q

What's the difference between esquecer and esquecer-se de in Portuguese?

Esquecer is transitive and means to forget something directly, without a preposition (e.g., Esqueci a chave - I forgot the key). Esquecer-se de is pronominal and means

to forget about something or someone,
requiring the reflexive pronoun and de (e.g., Esqueci-me do compromisso - I forgot the appointment).

Q

When should I use mudar vs mudar-se in Portuguese?

Use mudar when you simply change something (e.g., Mudar de roupa - to change clothes). Use mudar-se specifically when you move house or relocate to a new place.

Q

Can I use encontrar to mean 'meet up with someone' in Portuguese?

While encontrar can sometimes imply a casual, unplanned encounter, for arranged meetings with people, it's much more common and natural to use the reflexive encontrar-se com.

Q

Is apaixonar-se always reflexive in Portuguese?

Yes, when expressing

to fall in love,
it is always used reflexively with the pronoun (apaixonar-se) and takes the preposition por to indicate with whom.

Cultural Context

These reflexive verbs are deeply embedded in everyday Portuguese conversations, especially when discussing personal experiences, relationships, and significant life events. Using them correctly is a hallmark of sounding natural and authentic. Despedir-se is a fundamental part of Portuguese social etiquette, while Apaixonar-se por is the standard, heartfelt way to express falling in love.
Mastering these forms demonstrates not just Portuguese grammar proficiency but also a grasp of cultural nuances in communication. They are used universally across Portuguese-speaking countries.

मुख्य उदाहरण (6)

1

Nós nos encontramos no shopping às 15h.

हम दोपहर 3 बजे मॉल में मिल रहे हैं।

लोगों से मिलना: Encontrar-se (मुलाकात और संयोग)
2

Encontrei-me com o chefe no elevador.

लिफ्ट में बॉस से अचानक मुलाकात हो गई।

लोगों से मिलना: Encontrar-se (मुलाकात और संयोग)
3

Eu me despeço de vocês agora porque meu Uber chegou.

I'm saying goodbye to you all now because my Uber is here.

अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)
4

Ela se despediu dos seguidores no Instagram antes de viajar.

She said goodbye to her followers on Instagram before traveling.

अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)
5

Eu me apaixonei por ela no primeiro dia de aula.

मुझे क्लास के पहले ही दिन उससे प्यार हो गया।

प्यार में पड़ना: रिफ्लेक्सिव क्रियाओं का उपयोग (Apaixonar-se)
6

Você se apaixonou pelo novo álbum da Anitta?

क्या तुम्हें अनिता के नए एल्बम से प्यार हो गया?

प्यार में पड़ना: रिफ्लेक्सिव क्रियाओं का उपयोग (Apaixonar-se)

टिप्स और ट्रिक्स (4)

💬

ब्राज़ीलियाई 'A Gente'

ब्राज़ील में लोग 'Nós' की जगह 'A gente' ज़्यादा बोलते हैं। यह सुनने में बहुत नेचुरल लगता है:
A gente se encontra lá!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: लोगों से मिलना: Encontrar-se (मुलाकात और संयोग)
⚠️

The 'Firing' Slip-up

Never forget the reflexive pronoun (me, se, nos) unless you actually want to tell someone they are lost their job!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)
⚠️

गलत शब्द से बचें!

घर बदलने के लिए 'Mover' मत कहना! अगर तुम कहोगे
Eu movi para Lisboa
, तो लोगों को लगेगा कि तुम कोई मूर्ति हो जिसे वहाँ उठाकर रखा गया है।
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: पुर्तगाली शिफ्टिंग क्रिया: Mudar-se (नया घर लेना)
💡

'De' का सैंडविच

हमेशा इस पैटर्न को याद रखो: [इंसान] + [मूवमेंट] + [DE] + [टारगेट]। अगर तुम 'de' भूल गए, तो इसका मतलब बदल जाएगा:
Eu me aproximo da casa.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: करीब आना: Aproximar-se

मुख्य शब्दावली (6)

encontrar-se to meet up despedir-se to say goodbye mudar-se to move house aproximar-se to get closer apaixonar-se to fall in love formar-se to graduate

Real-World Preview

calendar

Planning the Weekend

Review Summary

  • Encontrar-se + com + alguém
  • Despedir-se + de + alguém
  • Mudar-se + para + lugar
  • Aproximar-se + de + algo/alguém
  • Apaixonar-se + por + alguém
  • Formar-se + em + área

सामान्य गलतियाँ

You forgot the reflexive pronoun 'me'. Without it, 'encontrar' means 'to find' by chance.

Wrong: Eu vou encontrar com meu amigo.
सही: Eu vou me encontrar com meu amigo.

You need the preposition 'para' to indicate destination when moving.

Wrong: Vou me mudar casa nova.
सही: Vou me mudar para a casa nova.

The correct preposition for academic fields is 'em', not 'de'.

Wrong: Ele se formou de engenharia.
सही: Ele se formou em engenharia.

इस अध्याय के नियम (6)

1

लोगों से मिलना: Encontrar-se (मुलाकात और संयोग)

B1
मिलने-जुलने के लिए encontrar-se com का इस्तेमाल करो, जबकि खोई चीज़ें ढूँढने के लिए सिर्फ encontrar काफी है।
Nós nos encontramos no shopping às 15h.
10 उदाहरण
2

अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)

B1
Use 'despedir-se de' to say goodbye; forget the 'se' and you're firing someone!
Eu me despeço de vocês agora porque meu Uber chego...
10 उदाहरण
3

पुर्तगाली शिफ्टिंग क्रिया: Mudar-se (नया घर लेना)

B1
जब भी घर या शहर बदलना हो तो mudar-se का इस्तेमाल करो, लेकिन अगर सिर्फ फर्नीचर खिसकाना हो तो mover ही सही है।
Eu me mudei para um apartamento novo ontem.
10 उदाहरण
4

करीब आना: Aproximar-se

B1
जब भी तुम किसी चीज़ के करीब जाते हो, तो aproximar-se de का इस्तेमाल करो। बस याद रखना कि me, se, nos जैसे शब्दों के साथ de का मेल ज़रूरी है।
O entregador está se aproximando da sua casa.
11 उदाहरण
5

प्यार में पड़ना: रिफ्लेक्सिव क्रियाओं का उपयोग (Apaixonar-se)

B1
प्यार का इज़हार करने के लिए हमेशा reflexive pronoun जैसे me, se या nos के साथ por का इस्तेमाल करो।
Eu me apaixonei por ela no primeiro dia de aula.
10 उदाहरण
6

स्नातक होना (Formar-se)

B1
ग्रेजुएशन की बात करते समय हमेशा me formei जैसे रिफ्लेक्सिव शब्दों का और सब्जेक्ट के लिए em का इस्तेमाल करें।
Eu me formei em Engenharia Civil ano passado.
10 उदाहरण

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job! Keep practicing these verbs in your daily thoughts, and you'll be speaking like a native in no time.

Write a diary entry using 5 of the 6 reflexive verbs.

Continue to: Identifying Objects: Him, Her, and It

त्वरित अभ्यास (9)

Find the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ele despediu da mãe.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: despediu
Needs 'se despediu'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)

किस वाक्य में रिफ्लेक्सिव प्रोनाउन का सही इस्तेमाल हुआ है?

सही विकल्प चुनें:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós nos aproximamos da festa.
प्रोनाउन हमेशा कर्ता (Subject) से मैच होना चाहिए। 'Nós' के साथ 'nos' लगता है।

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: करीब आना: Aproximar-se

सही प्रेपोज़िशन (preposition) से खाली जगह भरें।

Eu me aproximo ___ (de + a) janela para ver melhor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: da
Aproximar-se के साथ 'de' लगता है। 'De' + 'a' (खिड़की) मिलकर 'da' बन जाता है।

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: करीब आना: Aproximar-se

सही reflexive pronoun के साथ खाली जगह भरें।

Eu ___ apaixonei por esse restaurante.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: me
जब कर्ता 'Eu' होता है, तो हम हमेशा 'me' का इस्तेमाल करते हैं।

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: प्यार में पड़ना: रिफ्लेक्सिव क्रियाओं का उपयोग (Apaixonar-se)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu me despeço.
Correct reflexive structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)

गलती ढूँढें और उसे ठीक करें।

Nós apaixonamos pelo Brasil.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós nos apaixonamos pelo Brasil.
Reflexive verbs को एक pronoun की ज़रूरत होती है। 'Nós' के लिए सही pronoun 'nos' है।

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: प्यार में पड़ना: रिफ्लेक्सिव क्रियाओं का उपयोग (Apaixonar-se)

कौन सा वाक्य सही preposition का इस्तेमाल करता है?

सही वाक्य चुनें:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu me apaixonei por você.
'Apaixonar-se' के साथ हमेशा 'por' का इस्तेमाल ज़रूरी है।

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: प्यार में पड़ना: रिफ्लेक्सिव क्रियाओं का उपयोग (Apaixonar-se)

Fill in the blank.

Eu ___ (despedir-se) agora.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: me despeço
Reflexive pronoun matches subject.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: अलविदा कहना (Despedir-se)

वाक्य में छूटी हुई चीज़ पहचानें।

O gato se aproxima rato com cuidado.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O gato se aproxima do rato com cuidado.
आप 'de' को नहीं छोड़ सकते, जो 'rato' (चूहा) से पहले 'do' बन जाता है।

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: करीब आना: Aproximar-se

Score: /9

सामान्य प्रश्न (6)

'Encontrar' का मतलब है कुछ ढूँढना, जैसे
Encontrei o meu celular
। 'Encontrar-se' का मतलब है किसी से मिलना, जैसे
Vou me encontrar com ele
।
ब्राज़ील में बोलचाल में यह चलता है, लेकिन सही व्याकरण के हिसाब से
Eu me encontrei com ela
ज़्यादा बेहतर है।
Tchau is casual; adeus is final.
Yes, for 'despedir-se'.
'Mudar' का मतलब है कुछ बदलना, जैसे चैनल या राय। 'Mudar-se' रिफ्लेक्सिव है और इसका खास मतलब है अपना निवास स्थान बदलना जैसे Eu me mudo।
बिलकुल नहीं! 'Mover' का मतलब है किसी चीज़ को शारीरिक रूप से हिलाना। घर के लिए इसे इस्तेमाल करना बहुत अजीब लगेगा।
पिछला अध्याय
Reflexive Verbs: Actions on Yourself
अगला अध्याय
Identifying Objects: Him, Her, and It
रोडमैप पर वापस