Pronominal - Reflexive or reciprocal

[BobRitter]

Nos lavamos. We wash ourselves (reflexive)
Nos lavamos el uno al otro. We wash each other (reciprical)

Nos lavamos. Can this mean either of the above or is "el uno al otro" needed. I'm guessing that out of context these 2 verb types can be ambiguous.

Gracias, otra vez.

[aleCcowaN]

...pronominal
...reciprocal

There is no ambiguity in your examples.

Nos lavamos <pronominal>: realizamos el acto de lavarse. <reflexivo>
Nos lavamos mutuamente/el uno al otro <transitivo>: realizamos el acto de lavar (a otra persona) <recíproco>

Me lavo / Te lavas (pronominal)
Te lavo / Me lavas (transitivo)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

If you only have the phrase "nos lavamos", with no context, yes, it might be ambiguous, but usual behavior of people would need to clarify "uno al otro" if that were the intention of the sentence. In all other cases, we assume the action is performed on oneself.


- Nos lavamos, nos vestimos y nos sentamos a comer.
We washed ourselves, we got dressed and we sat down to eat.

- Al terminar el trabajo nos lavamos y nos sentimos mejor.
When we finish our job, we wash ourselves and we feel better.

- Cuando salimos del pozo de petróleo, nos lavamos la espalda uno al otro para asegurarnos de quedar bien limpios.
When we came out of the oil pit we washed each other's back so we'd make sure we would be very clean.

- Mi esposa y yo nos bañamos en el río y nos lavamos uno al otro, porque era más romántico.
My wife and I bathed in the river and we washed each other because it was more romantic.