Spanish reflexive verbs

[amrabdelkhalek]

¡Hola!

I would like to ask a couple of questions regarding Spanish reflexive verbs.

1- How do I determine that this verb is reflexive?

I learned that some verbs can be reflexive when the action is both done and affected by the same person (Yo me limpio, Necesito vestirme, etc...).

Is there anyway to tell if this certain verb is a reflexive verb or do I have to memorize them?

2- Can we omit the reflexive verbs pronouns and get the same meaning?

For example, Does the sentence ´Nosotros nos relajamos después el almuerzo´ give the same meaning of ´Nosotros relajamos después el almuerzo´?

¡Muchas gracias!

[Rusty]

Warning - not all pronominal verbs are reflexive verbs.
Warning - Spanish has reflexive verbs that don't seem reflexive to the English speaker.

In English, we sometimes do not associate some of our actions with the reflective component that Spanish uses. Your last example is a good one.

Originally Posted by amrabdelkhalek

(Nosotros) nos relajamos después del almuerzo.

In English, we don't say 'I relax myself'. However, if you mean 'relax your body/mind', the reflexive pronoun must be used. This is because your 'body/mind' is yourself, not a part of you. Or, at least, that's how I like to think about it.
If you are relaxing a muscle, on the other hand, you should use 'relajar' instead of 'relajarse'.

Warning - not all pronominal verbs are reflexive verbs.