Reflejar vs. reflexionar
In Spanish, reflejar and reflexionar both translate to to reflect in English but have different meanings and uses.
Reflejar
B1The word reflejar means to reflect in the sense of mirroring or showing an image.
El lago refleja las montañas.
(The lake reflects the mountains.)
Sus ojos reflejaban la alegría del momento.
(Her eyes reflected the joy of the moment.)
El espejo refleja mi cara.
(The mirror reflects my face.)
Reflexionar
B1The word reflexionar means to reflect in the sense of thinking deeply or pondering.
Nos tomamos un momento para reflexionar sobre lo que ocurrió.
(We took a moment to reflect on what happened.)
Es importante reflexionar antes de tomar decisiones importantes.
(It is important to reflect before making important decisions.)
Después del viaje, tuve tiempo para reflexionar sobre mis experiencias.
(After the trip, I had time to reflect on my experiences.)
Summary
While both reflejar and reflexionar can be translated as to reflect, they are used differently: reflejar refers to reflecting an image, while reflexionar refers to deep thought or contemplation.