Reflexive means that a verb has the same SUBJECT and OBJECT

Ex: I WASH MYSELF

I  and  MYSELF
 are the same person.

To wash =>  LAVARE

to make the verb reflexive we insert the pronouns BEFORE the verb

How do we get  IO MI CHIAMO?

the verb is CHIAMARE (to call)

IO MI CHIAMO literally means I CALL MYSELF

therefore

LAVARE => LAVARSI  : TO WASH ONESELF

guardare => guardarsi : to look at oneself

odiare => odiarsi: to hate oneself

amare => amarsi: to love oneself

uccidere => uccidersi : to kill oneself

salvare => salvarsi: to save oneself

pulire => pulirsi: to clean up (to clean oneself)

Io         mi         lavo

Tu        ti           lavi

Lui       si          lava

Lei       si          lava

Noi      ci          laviamo

Voi       vi         lavate

Loro     si         lavano

Il gatto si lecca quando si lava / si pulisce   the cat licks itself when it washes itself

Una persona vanesia si guarda spesso allo specchio  a vain person looks at him/herself in the mirror often

Un narcisista si ama molto  a narcissist loves him/herself a lot

Un masochista si fa male   a masochist hurts himself

COME SI DICE?

to ask => I ask myself  

REFLEXIVE VERB IS IN THE INFINITIVE FORM,

THE REFLEXIVE PRONOUN
IS ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE INFINITIVE

• Io non voglio LAVARMI  
  I don't want to WASH MYSELF
   

• Tu non vuoi VESTIRTI  
  You don't want to GET DRESSED
   

• Mia figlia non vuole PETTINARSI
  My daughter doesn't want to COMB HERSELF
   

• Noi non vogliamo UCCIDERCI
  We don't want to KILL OURSELVES
   

• Voi dovete SVESTIRVI 
  You must GET UNDRESSED
   

• Loro possono FARSI MALE
  They can HURT THEMSELVES