Understand Reflexive Pronouns in German Better With Charts

Learning German comes with its challenges, especially when you’re learning German grammar rules that don’t have direct equivalents in your native language. One of those tricky areas for German learners is Reflexivpronomen (reflexive pronouns). To tackle such challenges effectively, Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method offers an intuitive approach to learning that helps you understand grammar rules in context.

In English, reflexive pronouns are primarily used when the subject and the object are the same. German uses reflexive pronouns much more frequently and in a broader range of contexts. We’ll break down what reflexive pronouns are, how to use them, when to use them, and how they compare to their English counterparts.

What are Reflexivpronomen (reflexive pronouns) in German?

Reflexive pronouns are a type of Pronomen (pronoun) used when the subject and the object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing. In simpler terms, a reflexive pronoun is used when the subject is doing something to itself. This is a concept that can be confusing in some languages, but once you understand it, it becomes a vital aspect of speaking and writing in German.

In English, you use reflexive pronouns such as “myself,” “yourself,” “himself,” “herself,” and so on. German works similarly, but it has specific rules and nuances to keep in mind, such as different reflexive pronouns for different German cases and contexts.

List of reflexive pronouns in German

German reflexive pronouns vary depending on the subject of the sentence, just like regular German pronouns. They also change based on whether they’re used in the Akkusativ (accusative case) or Dativ (dative case).

The main difference between accusative and dative case reflexive pronouns in German lies in the function and the verb they use. The key distinction comes from how the reflexive action is directed and what the reflexive action affects in the sentence.

List of accusative case reflexive pronouns

Accusative reflexive pronouns are used when the action of the verb is directly affecting the subject. The reflexive pronoun represents the object that the subject is acting upon, and it follows the accusative case.

Subject Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun (Accusative)	English
ich I	mich	myself
du you	dich	yourself
sie/Sie they/you, formal	sich	themselves/yourself
er/sie/es he/she/it	sich	himself/herself/itself
wir we	uns	ourselves
ihr you, plural	euch	yourselves

The verb sehen (to see) requires an object in the accusative case. Here’s how that looks in sentences:

Ich sehe mich im Spiegel. = I see myself in the mirror.
Du siehst dich im Spiegel. = You see yourself in the mirror.
Er sieht sich im Spiegel. = He sees himself in the mirror.
Wir sehen uns im Spiegel. = We see ourselves in the mirror.
Ihr seht euch im Spiegel. = You see yourselves in the mirror.
Sie sehen sich im Spiegel. = They see themselves in the mirror.

List of dative case reflexive pronouns

Dative reflexive pronouns are used when the action affects the subject indirectly, often when combined with an indirect object in the sentence.

Subject pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun (Dative)	English
ich I	mir	to myself
du you	dir	to yourself
sie/Sie they/you, formal	sich	to themselves/yourself
er/sie/es he/she/it	sich (ourselves)	to himself/herself/itself
wir we	uns	to ourselves
ihr you, plural	euch	to yourselves

This example sentence shows the literal English translation to help illustrate when to use dative reflexive pronouns:

Ich wasche mir die Hände. = I wash (me) my hands.

In this sentence, the first object is mir (me), and the second object is die Hände (my hands). Here, we need to use the dative case reflexive pronoun because the action of washing is indirectly affecting “me” after directly affecting “my hands.” You would generally use the dative case when the action refers to only one part of the body.

Compare this example with a similar accusative reflexive pronoun:

Ich wasche mich. = I wash myself.

There is only one object in this sentence, and the action refers to the subject as a whole, so you use the accusative case.

When to use reflexive pronouns in German

Reflexive pronouns are used in German when the verb is reflexive, which means the subject is performing an action on itself. However, reflexive pronouns are not just used for physical actions, they’re also used for abstract ones.

Using reflexive pronouns for physical actions

Many reflexive verbs are used to describe physical actions where the subject acts upon itself:

sich duschen = to shower oneself
sich kämmen = to comb one’s hair
sich rasieren = to shave oneself

Here’s what that looks like in a sentence example:

Er rasiert sich jeden Morgen. = He shaves himself every morning.

Notice that in the sentence above, sich is the reflexive pronoun. It’s used because the subject (He) is doing the action (shaving) to himself.

Using reflexive pronouns for emotional states

Reflexive pronouns aren’t just for physical actions! They’re also used with verbs that describe emotions or feelings. Here are some common examples:

sich freuen = to be happy for oneself
sich ärgern = to be (oneself) angry/upset
sich entspannen = to relax oneself

For example:

Wir entspannen uns auf dem Sofa. = We are relaxing (ourselves) on the sofa.

In this example, uns is the reflexive pronoun. It’s used because the subject, Wir, is doing something beneficial to itself (relaxing on the sofa).

Using reflexive pronouns for mental actions

Reflexive pronouns are also used with verbs that describe mental or cognitive actions. These include:

sich erinnern = to remember (oneself)
sich vorstellen = to imagine or to introduce oneself
sich langweilen = to be (oneself) bored

For example:

Kannst du dich an den Film erinnern? = Can you (yourself) remember the movie?

Here, dich is the reflexive pronoun. The subject du is remembering something, which is an action they are doing to themselves.

How to use German reflexive pronouns

While reflexive pronouns in English are often limited to situations where someone is performing an action on themselves, in German, they can also add emphasis to the action. Explore how to place reflexive pronouns in German sentences properly.

How to use German reflexive pronouns with naturally reflexive verbs

Some German verbs are reflexive by nature, meaning they always require a reflexive pronoun, while others can be used reflexively or non-reflexively, depending on the context.

These German verbs are reflexive by nature, so they’re always paired with a reflexive pronoun:

Reflexive Verb	English
sich bedanken bei/für	to thank for
sich beeilen	to hurry up
sich bewerben	to apply for
sich beziehen auf	to refer to
sich entscheiden zu	to decide to
sich erholen	to recover
sich erkälten	to catch a cold
sich irren	to be mistaken
sich verlieben in	to fall in love with

Here’s how these look in sentences:

Ich bedankte mich bei ihm für das Geschenk. = I thanked him for the gift.
Ich muss mich beeilen, um den Bus zu erwischen. = I have to hurry up to catch the bus.
Ich bewerbe mich auf eine neue Stelle. = I apply for a new position.

How to use German reflexive pronouns with context-dependent reflexive verbs

Other verbs are not always reflexive: They’re reflexive only when the subject is doing the action to themself.

Reflexive Verb	English
(sich) sehen	to see (oneself)
(sich) hören	to hear (oneself)
(sich) fragen	to ask (oneself)
(sich) ändern	to change (oneself’s behaviour)
(sich) stellen	to stand

Check out some examples of a verb that can either be reflexive or not:

Ich sehe einen Vogel. = I see a bird.
Ich sehe mich im Wasser spiegeln. = I see myself mirrored in the water.

Ich höre den Vogel zwitschern. = I hear the bird chirping.
Ich höre mich singen. = I hear myself singing.

The reflexive pronoun in the following examples refers to the speaker and changes the verb to a reflexive verb.

Er ändert seine Meinung. = He changes his opinion.
Er ändert sich sehr schnell. = He changes (his character) very quickly.

In the last example, the change in character or personality of the object is being expressed by the reflexive pronoun.

Sentence structure for reflexive pronouns in German

The structure of a sentence with reflexive pronouns in German is similar to that of a standard sentence, but the reflexive pronoun must be included when required by the verb.

Here’s a typical German sentence structure:

Subject + verb + reflexive pronoun + object (if any).

Ich sehe mich im Spiegel. = I see myself in the mirror.
Er setzt sich auf den Stuhl. = He sits (himself) down on the chair.

Notice how the reflexive pronoun comes directly after the conjugated verb. In German, the position of the reflexive pronoun is very important for clarity.

But, if the sentence requires a modal verb, then the reflexive pronoun follows the modal verb instead of the regular verb.

Subject + modal verb + reflexive pronoun + object + verb.

Er möchte sich auf den Stuhl setzen. = He would like to sit (himself) down on the chair.
Ich möchte mich im Spiegel sehen. = I would like to see myself in the mirror.

You’ll notice that in the English translation, the reflexive pronoun still follows the full verb, even if there is a modal verb involved.

Key takeaways about German reflexive pronouns

You’ve now taken a solid step into understanding reflexive pronouns in German. It’s a concept that may seem tricky at first, but with a bit of practice, it becomes second nature. And if you’d like some extra support or a chance to ask questions, you can join a Rosetta Stone Live Lesson. Working with a language coach is a great way to build confidence and apply what you’ve learned in real conversations.

Remembering these points will help you keep using reflexive pronouns properly:

Reflexive pronouns in German are used when the subject of a sentence is both the actor and the receiver of the action.
In German, these pronouns are more common than in English and are used in a wider range of situations, including physical, emotional, and mental actions.
German reflexive pronouns vary depending on the case (accusative or dative) and the subject.
Accusative reflexive pronouns are used when the action directly affects the subject.
Dative reflexive pronouns are used when the action affects the subject indirectly or with an additional object.
Reflexive verbs in German are paired with reflexive pronouns to indicate actions performed on oneself or feelings experienced by oneself.
Some German verbs are inherently reflexive, always requiring a reflexive pronoun. Other verbs can be used reflexively, depending on the context.
Reflexive pronouns generally follow the conjugated verb in a sentence—in sentences with modal verbs, the reflexive pronoun follows the modal verb.

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