Reflexivpronomen grammar in German

Language: German
Level: B1
Unit: Nomen, Fälle und Pronomen
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

Reflexive pronouns in German are words like 'myself', 'yourself', etc., used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person. They are important for many common verbs in German.

When to use it

Use reflexive pronouns in German when the subject does something to themselves, or with verbs that require a reflexive pronoun. Many daily activities use reflexive pronouns.

Key forms

mich (myself), dich (yourself), sich (himself/herself/itself/yourself formal), uns (ourselves), euch (yourselves), sich (themselves/yourself formal)

Examples

Ich wasche mich.

English: I wash myself.

Du erinnerst dich an den Termin.

English: You remember the appointment.

Er freut sich auf den Urlaub.

English: He is looking forward to the vacation.

Wir treffen uns um acht Uhr.

English: We meet (each other) at eight o'clock.

Sie interessiert sich für Musik.

English: She is interested in music.

Tips

Some German verbs always need a reflexive pronoun, even if it doesn't exist in English.
Pay attention to the correct case: most reflexive pronouns use the accusative, but some use the dative.
Don't forget to match the reflexive pronoun to the subject of the sentence.

Exceptions and edge cases

Some verbs change meaning when used with or without a reflexive pronoun, like 'setzen' (to set) and 'sich setzen' (to sit down).
The reflexive pronoun 'sich' is used for 'er', 'sie', 'es' (he, she, it), and also for 'Sie' (formal you) and 'sie' (they).