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Reflexive pronouns in German are accompanied by reflexive verbs. They also have two forms, the accusative and the dative. These diminutive pronouns are similar to personal pronouns (ich, du, er, sie, es…) and can be easily memorized like vocabulary. They will help you clarify the relationships between subjects, objects and groups of people without much effort. We have compiled everything you need to know about German reflexive pronouns in a short guide that will show you what German reflexive pronouns are, as well as when and how to use them. We’ll finish with a chart of reflexive pronoun declensions and a list of commonly used reflexive verbs for a quick start.
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What are reflexive pronouns in German?
A pronoun – following the Latin origin of the noun including pro (for, instead of) and nomen (noun) – replaces a noun. If it comes with a name, it will identify it. Nouns that can be identified or substituted can be the subject or object of a sentence.
In the case of reflexive pronouns, they refer to the subject of the sentence (see Latin Reflectere = return to). This again places them in a close relationship with verbs, which are governed by the subject. So, if we want to fully understand reflexive pronouns, we need to consider the subject, the verb, and how the pronoun connects them.
Reflexive verbs in German
1: How do you say "Good Morning" in German?
Reflexive verbs are verbs whose direct object is the same as the subject. This object takes the form of a reflexive pronoun that refers to the subject.
Example:
“Ich wundere mich.” – I wonder (literally: myself).
“Er wäscht sich.” – He washes himself.
As you can see from the examples, English also uses reflexive pronouns. These are pronouns that end in -self. As you can also see, verbs can be reflexive in both languages or just in one language. So if a verb is reflexive in English, this may also prompt you to use a reflexive pronoun with it in German, but there are no guarantees. The best way to master reflexive verbs and know when to use reflexive pronouns in German is to memorize German reflexive verbs when studying vocabulary. We recognize reflexive verbs in German by the pronoun sich (oneself) before the infinitive:
“sich wundern” – to wonder (oneself)
“sich waschen” – to wash (oneself)
When to use reflexive pronouns in German ?
If you look closely at the two examples above, you will see that there is no other way to use sich wundern – to wonder. You can’t ask anyone else. If someone is wondering about something because of you and you want to be the subject of the sentence, you should use a different verb: In English, it would be to stupefier (You surprise me all the time) , in German you would use erstaunen ( You will have to do that sooner). Both take an object different from the subject. If we look at the second example, you’ll see that you can bathe yourself, someone else, or something else:
“Er wäscht sich.” – He washes himself.
“Er wäscht den Salat.” – He washes the lettuce.
A special form of reflexive verbs are reciprocal verbs, where the reflexive pronouns define the relation of members of a group to each other:
“Die vier Freunde verstanden sich gut.”
– The four friends got along well (with each other).
True reflexive pronouns
In the case of verbs like sich wundern, we are talking about true reflexive verbs with true reflexive pronouns. These verbs cannot take an object other than a reflexive pronoun indicating the subject.
Indeed, reflexive pronouns are part of verbs.
Optional reflexive pronouns
In the case of verbs like (sich) waschen, we speak of optional reflexive verbs with optional reflexive pronouns. Instead of the reflexive pronoun referring back to the subject, the object can be something else, for example the lettuce mentioned above, taking the accusative case:
“Er wäscht den Salat”. – He washes the lettuce.
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How to use reflexive pronouns in German
Given what you’ve learned so far, the first thing you need to do when using a reflexive pronoun is determine whether you should use it in the accusative or dative case. To do this, find out who or what is directly impacted. If it is the same as the subject, use a reflexive pronoun in the accusative case:
“Er wäscht sich.” – He washes himself.
If the direct object is different from the subject, omit the reflexive pronoun:
“Er wäscht den Salat.” – He washes the lettuce.
You can add a possessive relationship by using a possessive pronoun:
“Er wäscht seinen Salat.” – He washes his lettuce.
You can also specify a relationship between the subject (he) and ‘object (lettuce) by adding a reflexive pronoun in the dative:
“Er wäscht sich einen Salat.” – He washes lettuce for himself
Note: When you use a reflexive pronoun in the dative, you are not using a pronoun possessive with direct object. You cannot say:
“Er wäscht sich seinen Salat.” – He washes his lettuce for himself. (wrong!)
As you can see, this topic is quite simple and can help you improve your language skills even at the beginning of your language learning journey.
When using reflexive pronouns, also pay attention to word order. Reflexive pronoun following a conjugated verb form, if the verb consists of more than one word, for example in the past perfect or future tense:
- “Ich wasche mich.” – I wash myself.
- “Ich habe mich gewaschen.” – I have washed myself.
- “Ich werde mich waschen.” – I will wash myself.
- “Ich wasche mir einen Apfel.” – I wash an apple for myself.
- “Ich habe mir einen Apfel gewaschen.” – I have washed an apple for myself.
- “Ich werde mir einen Apfel waschen.” – I will wash an apple for myself.
At a glance: German reflexive pronouns chart
Now that you have learned how and when to use reflexive pronouns and reflexive verbs in German, you need to learn the pronouns themselves and how to declension them.
Chart of German reflexive pronouns
| Dativ/dative | Akkusativ/accusative | |
| Ich (I) | mir | mich |
| Du (you) | dir | dich |
| er/sie/es (he/she/it) | sich | sich |
| Sie (you singular formal) | sich | sich |
| wir (we) | uns | uns |
| ihr (you) | euch | euch |
| sie (they) | sich | sich |
| Sie (you plural formal) | sich | sich |
Finally, we want to give you a list of commonly used reflexive verbs in German:
- “sich erkälten” – to get a cold
- “sich ausruhen” – to rest
- “sich schämen” – to be embarrassed, to be ashamed
- “sich sorgen um” – to be worried about
- “sich kümmern um” – to look after
- “sich verstehen” – to get along
- “sich verabschieden” – to say goodbye
- “sich irren” – to err
- “sich bewerben auf/für” – to apply for
- “sich bedanken bei” – to thank someone
- “sich beklagen” – to complain
- “sich weigern” – to refuse
- “sich befinden” – to be located
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Tips and tricks to master reflexive pronouns
- Pay attention to the verbs: If is reflexive pronouns, don’t forget to add appropriate reflexive pronouns.
- Practice makes perfect: Incorporate reflexive verbs and pronouns into your everyday conversations and writing.
- Using context clues: When reading or listening to German, pay attention to how reflexive pronouns are used in different situations.
Conclusion
German reflexive pronouns are used with German reflexive verbs. Depending on the type of object taken by the verb, they are either true reflexive verbs and pronouns or optional reflexive verbs and pronouns.
Reflexive pronouns always follow the conjugated form of the verb. The best way to learn German reflexive verbs and pronouns is to memorize the infinitive with sich and the declension table of dative and accusative reflexive pronouns.
