Ella mueve vs El perro se mueve

Question

In a previous question, mover was used in a present tense (Ella mueve...). However, in this quiz, mover was used in a reflexive tense (El perro se mueve). How do we know when to use or not use the reflexive tense?

Accepted Answer

Hola Karlee
The verb "mover" can be used both in its standard form and reflexively, depending on the context.
"Ella mueve" translates to "She moves [something]", indicating that the subject is moving an object. In contrast, "El perro se mueve" means "The dog moves" or "The dog is moving", indicating that the subject itself is moving without specifying an object.
In general, use the reflexive form "moverse" when the subject is performing the action on itself, and use "mover" when the subject is acting on something else.
I hope this helps clarify the distinction. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
Saludos
Silvia