Reflexive Verbs For Intermediate learners

What is a Reflexive Verb?

A reflexive verb is a verb in which the subject and object both refer to the same person or thing. In English, pronouns like myself, yourself, etc. are indicators for reflexive verbs. For example, in "I wash myself." "Wash" is a reflexive verb, since the subject (I) and object (myself) refer to the same person.

How to Form a Reflexive Verb?

A reflexive verb consists of two parts:

The correct reflexive pronoun

The verb

The Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns change based on the case and person. Most reflexive verbs use the accusative case of reflexive pronouns, and only a few verbs need dative reflexive pronouns. The reflexive pronoun must match the subject.

Accusative Reflexive Pronouns

The table below shows the accusative reflexive pronouns in German:

	Accusative
ich	mich
du	dich
er/sie/es	sich
wir	uns
ihr	euch
sie	sich
Sie	sich

Types of Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs in German fall into different types depending on meaning and usage.

Object = Subject (True Reflexive)

Reciprocal

Fixed Reflexive Verbs

Object = Subject (True Reflexive)

In this type, the subject acts upon itself and the reflexive pronoun is always in the accusative case.

Example

Ich wasche mich.

I wash myself.

Er rasiert sich.

He shaves himself.

Sie zieht sich an.

She dresses herself.

Reciprocal

Here, the reflexive pronoun translates to "each other" in English. The subject should always be plural. Sometimes words like gegenseitig (each other) or einander (each other) are added to the sentence for more clarity.

Example

Wir sehen uns.

We see each other.

Ihr helft euch.

You help each other.

Fixed Reflexive Verbs

In this type of verb, the main verb must be used with a specific reflexive pronoun. The combination is fixed and have to be memorized.

Example

Ich beeile mich.

I hurry up.

Du erkältest dich.

You catch a cold.

Er schämt sich.

He is ashamed.

Wir freuen uns.

We are happy.

Dative Reflexive Verbs

There are some verbs that use reflexive pronouns in the dative case. The dative reflexive pronoun is the indirect object in these structures.

The table below shows the dative reflexive pronouns in German:

	Dative
ich	mir
du	dir
er/sie/es	sich
wir	uns
ihr	euch
sie	sich
Sie	sich

Remember that not all German reflexive pronouns are reflexive in English. Take the non-reflexive verb "merken" as an example. In its non-reflexive form, it means "to notice" or "to sense".

Example

Ich merke einen Unterschied.

I notice a difference.

(non-reflexive)

When "merken" is used as a dative reflexive verb, it will be written as:

sich etwas merken = to memorize something

As you can see, to memorize is not reflexive in English, but it is considered a reflexive verb in German.

Example

Ich merke mir die neue Adresse.

I am memorizing the new address.

Literal translation: I am noting to myself the new address.

Der Arzt nimmt die Operation vor.

The doctor performs the operation.

(non-reflexive) - vornehmen → to undertake, to perform

sich etwas vornehmen = to resolve to do something

Example

Ich nehme mir vor, mehr Sport zu machen.

I resolve to do more sports.

Literal translation: I am undertaking for myself to do more sports.

Reflexive Pronoun Position

The exact position of the reflexive pronoun depends on the sentence structure. In a standard main clause, it is placed right after the conjugated verb.

Subject + Conjugated Verb + Reflexive Pronoun + ...

Example

Ich wasche mich jeden Tag.

I wash myself every day.

Sie kauft sich ein neues Auto.

She is buying herself a new car.

In a yes/no question, the verb comes first, and the subject is in the second position. The reflexive pronoun is positioned after the subject.