(Los Verbos Recíprocos)

Reciprocal reflexives describe actions that two or more people do to each other — like “each other” or “one another” in English.

They use the same reflexive pronouns (nos, os, se) but the meaning is shared or mutual, not individual.

1) What Are Reciprocal Reflexives?

A reciprocal reflexive shows that the action is exchanged between two or more people.

In English:

• We hug each other.
  
• They see one another.
  

 In Spanish:

• Nos abrazamos. → We hug each other.
  
• Se ven. → They see each other.
  

2) Reflexive vs. Reciprocal: What’s the Difference?

Type	Meaning	Example	English
Reflexive	The subject acts on itself	Me lavo las manos.	I wash myself (my hands).
Reciprocal	The subjects act on each other	Nos ayudamos.	We help each other.

Hint: You can only use reciprocal reflexives when there’s more than one subject — nosotros, vosotros, ellos, ellas, ustedes.

3) Pronouns Used for Reciprocal Reflexives

Only plural reflexive pronouns are used:

Subject	Pronoun	English Equivalent
nosotros / nosotras	nos	each other / one another
vosotros / vosotras	os	each other (Spain)
ellos / ellas / ustedes	se	each other / one another

4) How to Form Reciprocal Reflexives

Formula:

Subject + reciprocal pronoun + verb (conjugated)

Examples:

• Nos saludamos todos los días. → We greet each other every day.
  
• Ellos se escriben por correo electrónico. → They write to each other by email.
  
• Vosotros os conocéis muy bien. → You all know each other very well.
  

5) Common Reciprocal Verbs

Verb	Meaning	Example
abrazarse	to hug each other	Nos abrazamos al llegar.
amarse / quererse	to love each other	Se aman profundamente.
ayudarse	to help each other	Nos ayudamos con la tarea.
besarse	to kiss each other	Se besaron en la mejilla.
conocerse	to know each other / meet each other	Nos conocimos en la escuela.
escribirse	to write to each other	Se escriben cartas.
hablarse	to talk to each other	No se hablan ahora.
llamarse	to call each other	Nos llamamos todos los días.
mirarse	to look at each other	Se miran con amor.
odiarse	to hate each other	Se odian desde hace años.
pelearse	to fight with each other	Se pelean constantemente.
respetarse	to respect each other	Nos respetamos siempre.
saludarse	to greet each other	Nos saludamos con un abrazo.
verse	to see each other	Nos vemos mañana.

6) Verb Tense Examples

Reciprocal reflexives can appear in any tense — just like regular verbs.

Tense	Example	Translation
Present	Nos hablamos todos los días.	We talk to each other every day.
Preterite	Nos vimos ayer.	We saw each other yesterday.
Imperfect	Se ayudaban mucho.	They used to help each other a lot.
Future	Nos veremos pronto.	We’ll see each other soon.
Present Progressive	Nos estamos escribiendo. / Estamos escribiéndonos.	We are writing to each other.

7) Reciprocal Reflexives with Direct and Indirect Objects

Sometimes reciprocal verbs can also take additional pronouns for things or people exchanged between the two subjects.

Examples:

• Nos damos regalos. → We give each other gifts.
  
• Se escriben cartas. → They write letters to each other.
  
• Nos decimos la verdad. → We tell each other the truth.
  

Here, nos / se = “to each other,” while the object (regalos, cartas, la verdad) shows what they give or tell.

8) Clarifying “Each Other”

Sometimes it’s unclear who is acting on whom, so Spanish often adds uno a otro (one another) or el uno al otro (each other) for emphasis or clarity.

Examples:

• Nos miramos el uno al otro. → We look at each other.
  
• Se mandan mensajes uno a otro. → They send messages to each other.
  
• Nos escribimos cartas el uno al otro. → We write letters to one another.
  

If the group is all female, use la una a la otra.

9) Negative and Question Forms

Negative

Place no before the pronoun:

• No nos hablamos desde ayer. → We haven’t spoken since yesterday.
  
• No se ayudan mucho. → They don’t help each other much.
  

Questions

Place the pronoun before the verb:

• ¿Se conocen bien? → Do they know each other well?
  
• ¿Nos vemos mañana? → Will we see each other tomorrow?
  

10) Reflexive + Reciprocal Combined with Other Pronouns

In the progressive or infinitive constructions, the reciprocal pronoun placement follows the same rules as with reflexive verbs:

Structure	Example	Translation
Before conjugated verb	Nos queremos ver.	We want to see each other.
Attached to infinitive	Queremos vernos.	We want to see each other.
Attached to gerund	Estamos viéndonos.	We are seeing each other.

11) Practice: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct reciprocal pronoun and verb.

1. Nosotros __________ (llamarse) todos los días.
   
2. Ellos __________ (ayudarse) con la tarea.
   
3. Tú y yo __________ (verse) mañana en la escuela.
   
4. Mis padres __________ (escribirse) cuando eran novios.
   
5. Los estudiantes __________ (respetarse) mucho.
   

Answers:

1. nos llamamos
   
2. se ayudan
   
3. nos vemos
   
4. se escribían
   
5. se respetan
   

12) Practice with Meaning

Translate into Spanish using a reciprocal reflexive.

1. They hug each other.
   
2. We see each other every morning.
   
3. The friends help each other.
   
4. You all (vosotros) talk to each other a lot.
   
5. My grandparents love each other very much.
   

Answers:

1. Se abrazan.
   
2. Nos vemos todas las mañanas.
   
3. Los amigos se ayudan.
   
4. Os habláis mucho.
   
5. Mis abuelos se quieren mucho.
   

13) Common Pitfalls & Fixes

Wrong	Correct	Explanation
Nos ayuda.	Nos ayudamos.	Both people are doing the action → plural verb.
Me abrazo.	Nos abrazamos.	Reciprocal → more than one subject.
Se mira a sí mismo.	Se miran el uno al otro.	Reflexive = self; reciprocal = each other.
Nos hablamos uno al uno.	Nos hablamos el uno al otro.	Correct reciprocal expression.

14) Quick Reference Chart

Pronoun	Used With	Meaning	Example
nos	nosotros	each other / one another	Nos escribimos todos los días.
os	vosotros	each other (Spain)	Os conocéis desde la infancia.
se	ellos / ellas / Uds.	each other / one another	Se saludan con una sonrisa.

Why Reciprocal Reflexives Matter

Reciprocal verbs help express real, natural communication between people — actions, emotions, and relationships that go both ways.
They’re essential for:

• Talking about friendships, families, and relationships
  
• Describing communication and cooperation
  
• Using authentic everyday phrases like nos vemos, nos llamamos, se ayudan, se quieren
  

Learning reciprocal reflexives gives your Spanish a more conversational, natural, and interpersonal tone.

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