At CEFR level A1, learners study reflexive pronouns to describe actions a person performs on themselves — an essential structure for talking about daily routines, feelings, and self-directed activities in German.
At CEFR level A1, learners study reflexive pronouns to describe actions a person performs on themselves — an essential structure for talking about daily routines, feelings, and self-directed activities in German.
Reflexive pronouns are special pronouns that refer back to the subject of the sentence. They indicate that the action of the verb is performed by the subject on itself. In German, reflexive pronouns are essential for many everyday verbs and expressions.
A reflexive pronoun points back to the person or thing performing the action. When someone does something to themselves, we use a reflexive pronoun to show this connection. The subject and the object of the action are the same person or thing.
Reflexive verb:
Anna wäscht sich.
Anna washes herself.
The pronoun "sich" refers back to Anna – she is washing herself.
Non-reflexive verb (for comparison):
Anna wäscht das Auto.
Anna washes the car.
Here, Anna is washing something else (the car), not herself.
In the first example, the subject (Anna) and the object of the action are the same person. This is when we use a reflexive pronoun.
Reflexive pronouns have specific forms for each person. Most of them are identical to personal pronouns, but the third person (singular and plural) and the formal address always use sich in both Akkusativ and Dativ.
| Fall | Singular | Plural | Formell | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Person | 2. Person | 3. Person | 1. Person | 2. Person | 3. Person | ||
| Akkusativ | mich | dich | sich | uns | euch | sich | sich |
| Dativ | mir | dir | sich | uns | euch | sich | sich |
1. Reflexivpronomen in der 1. und 2. Person
In the first person (ich, wir) and second person (du, ihr), reflexive pronouns look exactly like the regular personal pronouns in Akkusativ and Dativ. This makes them easier to remember since you already know these forms.
2. Das Reflexivpronomen "sich"
For the third person (er, sie, es, sie plural) and the formal address (Sie), the reflexive pronoun is always sich — in both Akkusativ and Dativ. This single form covers all these different subjects.
3. Unterschiede zwischen Akkusativ und Dativ
There are only two forms that differ between Akkusativ and Dativ in reflexive pronouns: the first person singular (mich/mir) and the second person singular (dich/dir).
mich – dich – sich
Ich setze mich.
I sit down.
mir – dir – sich
Ich sehe mir einen Film an.
I watch a movie.
Many common German verbs always require a reflexive pronoun in the Akkusativ. These are called "echt reflexive Verben" (truly reflexive verbs) because they can't be used without the reflexive pronoun.
to hurry
Wir beeilen uns!
We're hurrying!
to be happy
Ich freue mich.
I'm happy.
to relax
Du entspannst dich.
You relax.
to remember
Sie erinnert sich.
She remembers.
to be late
Er verspätet sich.
He's late.
to be interested
Wir interessieren uns.
We're interested.
When a reflexive verb has an additional object in the Akkusativ, the reflexive pronoun moves to the Dativ case. This happens when you're doing something to a part of your body or to something that belongs to you:
Compare these two patterns:
Ich wasche mich.
I wash myself.
no additional object
Ich wasche mir die Hände.
I wash my hands.
"die Hände" is Akkusativ object
Häufige Beispiele mit Dativ:
The position of reflexive pronouns in a sentence follows specific rules. Reflexive pronouns typically come right after the conjugated verb, or directly after the subject if the subject follows the verb:
Position nach dem Verb:
Ich ziehe mich schnell an.
I get dressed quickly.
reflexive pronoun immediately after conjugated verb
Bei Inversion (Question or time expression first):
Morgen treffen wir uns um 10 Uhr.
Tomorrow we meet at 10 o'clock.
Wann ziehst du dich um?
When are you getting changed?
Let's look at more practical examples showing how reflexive pronouns work in everyday German:
Tagesablauf (Daily routine):
Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. Dann dusche ich mich und ziehe mich an. Danach kämme ich mir die Haare und putze mir die Zähne.
I get up at 7 o'clock. Then I shower and get dressed. After that, I comb my hair and brush my teeth.
Soziale Aktivitäten:
Wir treffen uns heute im Café. Meine Freundin freut sich schon darauf. Sie interessiert sich für Kunst, und ich interessiere mich auch dafür.
We're meeting today at the café. My friend is already looking forward to it. She's interested in art, and I'm interested in it too.
Verschiedene Personen:
Ich setze mich auf den Stuhl. Du setzt dich neben mich. Er setzt sich gegenüber. Wir unterhalten uns lange. Ihr könnt euch auch zu uns setzen.
I sit down on the chair. You sit down next to me. He sits down across from us. We talk for a long time. You (plural) can also sit down with us.
Use the Akkusativ reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch) when there is no other object: Ich wasche mich. (I wash myself). Use the Dativ reflexive pronoun (mir, dir, sich, uns, euch) when the sentence also has an Akkusativ object, e.g. a body part: Ich wasche mir die Hände. (I wash my hands).
Some common verbs always require a reflexive pronoun and cannot be used without one. These are called echte reflexive Verben. Key examples include: sich freuen (to be happy), sich beeilen (to hurry), sich erinnern (to remember), sich entspannen (to relax), sich verspäten (to be late), and sich interessieren für (to be interested in).
Sich is the reflexive pronoun for the third person singular (er, sie, es), the third person plural (sie), and the formal second person (Sie) — in both Akkusativ and Dativ. German uses one form to cover all these subjects, making it simpler once you know the rule: whenever the subject is not ich, du, wir, or ihr, use sich.
Use the Akkusativ reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch) when there is no other object: 'Ich wasche mich.' (I wash myself). Use the Dativ reflexive pronoun (mir, dir, sich, uns, euch) when the sentence also has an Akkusativ object, e.g. a body part: 'Ich wasche mir die Hände.' (I wash my hands) — 'die Hände' is the Akkusativ object.
Some common verbs always require a reflexive pronoun and cannot be used without one. These are called echte reflexive Verben. Key examples include: sich freuen (to be happy), sich beeilen (to hurry), sich erinnern (to remember), sich entspannen (to relax), sich verspäten (to be late), and sich interessieren für (to be interested in).
Sich is the reflexive pronoun for the third person singular (er, sie, es), the third person plural (sie), and the formal second person (Sie) — in both Akkusativ and Dativ. German uses one form to cover all these subjects, making it simpler once you know the rule: whenever the subject is not ich, du, wir, or ihr, use sich.