Daily Routine (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Daily routine
Reflexive verbs for daily activities
When talking about your daily routine in Spanish, you'll use special verbs called reflexive verbs (verbos reflexivos). These verbs describe actions you do to yourself, like washing, getting dressed, or waking up.
Reflexive verbs are actions that "reflect" back to the person doing them. Think of looking in a mirror - you see yourself, and reflexive verbs describe what you do to yourself.
Key daily routine vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| levantarse | to get up |
| ducharse | to have a shower |
| bañarse | to have a bath |
| lavarse | to wash oneself |
| afeitarse | to shave |
| peinarse | to brush/comb your hair |
| maquillarse | to put on make-up |
| vestirse | to get dressed |
| ponerse | to put on (clothes) |
| acostarse | to go to bed |
| relajarse | to relax |
How reflexive verbs work
Reflexive verbs are easy to spot because they end in -se in the infinitive form. When you use them, you need to add a reflexive pronoun that matches who is doing the action.
The reflexive pronouns are:
- me (myself)
- te (yourself - singular)
- se (himself/herself)
- nos (ourselves)
- os (yourselves - plural)
- se (themselves)
How to conjugate a reflexive verb:
Step 1: Remove the -se ending
- levantarse → levantar
Step 2: Add the correct reflexive pronoun before the verb
- me + levantar
Step 3: Conjugate the verb normally
- me levanto (I get up)
Example conjugations
bañarse (to have a bath)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo me baño | I have a bath |
| tú te bañas | you have a bath |
| él/ella se baña | he/she has a bath |
| nosotros nos bañamos | we have baths |
| vosotros os bañáis | you have baths |
| ellos/ellas se bañan | they have baths |
vestirse (to get dressed)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo me visto | I get dressed |
| tú te vistes | you get dressed |
| él/ella se viste | he/she gets dressed |
Example sentences
Using reflexive verbs in sentences:
- Me levanto a las siete de la mañana. - I get up at seven in the morning.
- María se ducha por la mañana. - María has a shower in the morning.
- Nos acostamos tarde los sábados. - We go to bed late on Saturdays.
- ¿A qué hora te vistes? - What time do you get dressed?
Grammar note: The reflexive pronoun always goes directly before the conjugated verb, even in negative sentences. For example: No me afeito cada día (I don't shave every day).
Telling the time
Understanding time expressions is essential for describing your daily routine.
Basic time patterns
| Spanish | English | Time shown |
|---|---|---|
| Son las cinco | It's five o'clock | 5:00 |
| Son las cinco y cinco | It's five past five | 5:05 |
| Son las cinco y diez | It's ten past five | 5:10 |
| Son las cinco y cuarto | It's quarter past five | 5:15 |
| Son las cinco y media | It's half past five | 5:30 |
Using "menos" for minutes to the hour
When the time is more than 30 minutes past the hour, Spanish uses menos (minus/less) with the next hour. This is like saying "twenty to six" in English.
| Spanish | English | Time shown |
|---|---|---|
| Son las seis menos veinte | It's twenty to six | 5:40 |
| Son las seis menos cuarto | It's quarter to six | 5:45 |
| Son las seis menos diez | It's ten to six | 5:50 |
Time expressions in daily routine sentences:
- Me levanto a las siete y media. - I get up at half past seven.
- Nos acostamos a las once menos cuarto. - We go to bed at quarter to eleven.
- ¿A qué hora te duchas? - What time do you shower?
The irregular verb "salir"
Salir (to go out/to leave) is useful for daily routines but has an irregular yo form. Remember: yo salgo (not "salo").
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo salgo | I go out/leave |
| tú sales | you go out/leave |
| él/ella sale | he/she goes out/leaves |
| nosotros salimos | we go out/leave |
| vosotros salís | you go out/leave |
| ellos/ellas salen | they go out/leave |
Example: Salgo de casa a las ocho. - I leave home at eight o'clock.
Transport expressions
When describing how you travel as part of your routine, use the pattern ir en + transport:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ir en coche | to go by car |
| ir en autobús | to go by bus |
| ir en tren | to go by train |
| ir en avión | to go by plane |
| ir en metro | to go by metro |
| ir a pie | to go on foot/walk |
Useful phrases for routines
Expressing frequency
- Normalmente - normally
- Los sábados - on Saturdays
- Durante la semana - during the week
- Suelo + infinitive - I usually...
Using frequency expressions:
- Normalmente me levanto a las siete. - I normally get up at seven.
- Los domingos suelo relajarme. - On Sundays I usually relax.
Translation practice
Spanish to English:
- Me ducho a las siete y cuarto.
- Nos vestimos rápidamente por la mañana.
English to Spanish:
- She gets up at half past six.
- We go to bed at quarter to eleven.
Common errors and fixes
Error: Using the wrong reflexive pronoun Fix: Remember the pronoun must match the subject - yo me, tú te, él/ella se
Error: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun completely Fix: Reflexive verbs always need their pronoun - Me levanto, not Levanto
Error: Confusing time expressions with "menos" Fix: Remember menos = minus/less. Son las seis menos diez = 5:50 (six minus ten minutes)
Error: Wrong placement of reflexive pronouns Fix: The pronoun goes directly before the conjugated verb, even with no
Key Points to Remember:
- Reflexive verbs describe actions you do to yourself and always need reflexive pronouns
- The reflexive pronoun goes before the conjugated verb
- Use menos for times after the half hour (subtract from the next hour)
- Salir has an irregular yo form: salgo
- Use suelo + infinitive to say what you usually do
Answers to translation practice:
- I shower at quarter past seven.
- We get dressed quickly in the morning.
- Se levanta a las seis y media.
- Nos acostamos a las once menos cuarto.