The reflective voice is one of the three verbal voices in the Portuguese language, together with the active voice and the passive voice.
The verb voices indicate whether the subject practices or receives/suffers the verbal action of a prayer.
In this text, you will understand what reflective voice is, learn about the two existing types and test your knowledge of what will be covered with commented feedback exercises.
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What is reflective voice?
The reflective voice is the verbal voice in which the subject of the prayer performs and receives/suffers the verbal action simultaneously.
One of the peculiarities of the reflexive voice is the obligatory presence of an unstressed oblique pronoun (reflexive pronoun). They are: me, te, if, us, you and if.
In a reflexive voice sentence, the oblique pronoun has the function of the object of a transitive verb, thus functioning as a complement.
Reflective Voice Examples:
- After her shower, Aline combed her hair.
- I hurt myself with a nail.
- Miguel cut himself with the knife.
- We met without meaning to.
- My neighbor committed suicide.
Note that in reflective voice sentences, the subject practices the verbal action in relation to himself.
reciprocal reflective voice
As the name itself indicates, the reciprocal reflexive voice is the voice of the verb that indicates reciprocity.
A prayer in the passive reciprocal voice indicates that a verbal action took place in a mutual way; one did to each other and vice versa.
Examples:
- Players insulted each other during the match.
- The couple kissed.
- Those two love each other.
- We attack each other while sharing goods.
- In the confrontation, enemies stabbed each other.
Difference between active voice, passive voice and reflective voice
To understand the difference between reflective voice, active voice and passive voice, it is enough to observe the function of the subject of the prayer.
Active voice
The active voice has a subject who practices verbal action.
Example:
The children rescued the dog.
In the sentence above, “the children” is the person who performs the action of rescuing the dog.
This type of subject is called agent subject.
passive voice
The passive voice is the one in which the subject undergoes or receives the verbal action.
Example:
The dog was rescued by the children.
In the sentence above, "the dog" is the subject who suffers/receives the action of being rescued.
This type of subject is called patient subject.
reflective voice
In the reflective voice, the subject practices and, at the same time, suffers/receives the verbal action.
Example:
The kids got stuck in the nail.
In the sentence above, “the children” is the subject who practices the verbal action of piercing himself and also who receives this same action.
The subject of the reflective voice is simultaneously a subject agent and patient.
Patient subject X agent subject
The patient subject integrates reflective and passive voice prayers. He receives/suffers a verbal action.
The agent subject, in turn, occurs in reflective and active voice sentences. It performs the verbal action of the sentence.
Examples:
a) Lucas fixed the computer. - SUBJECT AGENT
b) The computer was fixed by Lucas. - PATIENT SUBJECT
c) Lucas cut himself with a blade. - AGENT AND PATIENT SUBJECT
Note that, in sentence a), we have an example of an active voice where Lucas is the acting subject; he practices the action of fixing the computer.
In letter b), we have an example of passive voice, where the computer is the patient subject; he suffers/receives the action of being fixed.
In the example of letter c), the prayer is indicative of a reflective voice, as the subject practices and receives/suffers the action of cutting himself with a blade.
Reflective voice video
Below you will find a very useful video with a summary about reflective voice.
Exercises on reflective voice
1. Identify which alternative is in the reciprocal reflective voice.
a) Cake is made out.
b) Charity is practiced.
c) Used car for sale.
d) They spoke quickly.
e) Room for rent.
Correct alternative: d) They spoke quickly.
a) WRONG. Alternative a) consists of a sentence in the synthetic passive voice. It is a phrase where the particle “if” has a passive function, not a reflexive one. It indicates that the subject (cake) suffers/receives the verbal action (to be done).
b) WRONG. Alternative b) consists of a sentence in the synthetic passive voice. It is a phrase where the particle “if” has a passive function, not a reflexive one. It indicates that the subject (charity) suffers/receives the verbal action (being practiced).
c) WRONG. Alternative c) consists of a sentence in the synthetic passive voice. It is a phrase where the particle “if” has a passive function, not a reflexive one. It indicates that the subject (used car) suffers/receives the verbal action (being sold).
d) CORRECT. Alternative c) consists of a phrase in the reciprocal reflective voice. Note that the subject (they) is an agent and patient subject of a reciprocal action; one spoke to the other.
e) WRONG. Alternative e) consists of a sentence in the synthetic passive voice. It is a phrase where the particle “if” has a passive function, not a reflexive one. It indicates that the subject (room) suffers/receives the verbal action (being rented).
2. Classify the sentences below into reflective voice, reciprocal reflective voice, and passive voice.
a) The dog was injured in the can of condensed milk.
b) Computers are fixed.
c) No one is seen on the street during game time.
d) She loved looking in the mirror.
e) During the fight, the neighbors insulted each other.
Correct answers:
a) Reflective voice. The subject (the dog) practiced and suffered the verbal action (injuring himself).
b) Passive voice. In the sentence, the "if" particle has the function of an passivating particle; indicates passive voice. The subject (computers) suffers/receives the verbal action (getting fixed).
c) Passive voice. In the sentence, the "if" particle has the function of an passivating particle; indicates passive voice. The subject (no one) suffers/receives the verbal action (not being seen).
d) Reflective voice. The subject (she) practices and undergoes the verbal action (looking at herself).
e) Reciprocal reflective voice. In the sentence, the subject (the neighbors) practiced and suffered the verbal action (insulting themselves). Furthermore, the execution of the action was mutual: one neighbor did the same to the other.
3. Rewrite the sentences below in reflective voice.
a) The teacher hurt herself in the shard of glass.
b) Tiago loves Francisca and Francisca loves Tiago.
c) The boyfriend made a declaration to the girlfriend and the girlfriend made a declaration to the boyfriend.
d) I cut myself with a sharp knife.
e) The young woman admired herself in the mirror.
Correct answers:
a) The teacher got hurt/hurt on the broken glass. It is a phrase in the reflective voice: the subject (the teacher) practices and receives the verbal action (injuring herself).
b) Tiago and Francisca love each other/they love each other. It is a phrase in reciprocal reflective voice. The subject (Tiago and Francisca) practice and receive the verbal action in a mutual way, one loves the other and vice versa.
c) The boyfriends declared/declared themselves. It is a phrase in reciprocal reflective voice. The subject (the lovers) practices and receives the action mutually; one made a statement to the other and vice versa.
d) I cut myself with a sharp knife. It is a phrase in the reflective voice: the subject (I) practices and receives the verbal action (cutting myself).
e) The young woman admired/admired herself in the mirror. It is a phrase in the reflective voice: the subject (the young woman) practices and receives the verbal action (admiring herself).
To improve your knowledge of the Portuguese language, also check the texts below:
- Pronominal placement: proclisis, mesoclisis and enclisis
- Passive agent: everything you need to know
- Terms integrating the sentence: complements and passive agent
- Syntactic analysis: clause terms and verbal predication
- Classification of verbs: regular, irregular, defective and more
- Exercises on verbal voices: detailed explanation in the commented template