Ich wasche mich.
English: I wash myself.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Pronomen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Reflexive pronouns in German are words like 'myself', 'yourself', etc. They are used when the subject and the object of the verb are the same person.
When to use it
Use reflexive pronouns in German when someone does something to themselves, for example, washing, dressing, or introducing oneself. Some German verbs are always used with reflexive pronouns.
Key forms
- mich (myself)
- dich (yourself, singular informal)
- sich (himself, herself, itself, yourself formal)
- uns (ourselves)
- euch (yourselves, plural informal)
- sich (themselves, yourselves formal)
Examples
Du erinnerst dich.
English: You remember.
Er freut sich.
English: He is happy (He is glad).
Wir treffen uns um acht Uhr.
English: We meet (each other) at 8 o'clock.
Sie setzt sich.
English: She sits down.
Tips
- Some verbs in German always need a reflexive pronoun, even if the meaning is not reflexive in English.
- Make sure the reflexive pronoun matches the subject.
- The reflexive pronoun usually comes right after the verb.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs can be used with or without a reflexive pronoun, and the meaning can change.