> Reflexive verbs in German are verbs that are accompanied by a reflexive pronoun, indicating that the subject performs an action on itself. This article explains how reflexive verbs work, how to identify them, and how to use them in different tenses.

Reflexive verbs are a special category of verbs in German that require a reflexive pronoun (such as sich) to indicate that the subject is performing an action on itself. These verbs can describe actions related to daily routines, emotions, or certain idiomatic expressions. For example, sich waschen means "to wash oneself," and sich freuen means "to be happy" or "to look forward."

Reflexive verbs always include a reflexive pronoun (e.g., sich, mich, dich).
The reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject in person and number.
Some verbs are always reflexive, while others can be reflexive depending on the meaning.
Reflexive verbs follow regular verb conjugation patterns, but the reflexive pronoun changes accordingly.

How Reflexive Verbs Work

In German, reflexive verbs are formed by adding a reflexive pronoun to the verb. The reflexive pronoun appears in either the accusative or dative case, depending on the verb and context. Most reflexive verbs take the accusative case, but some require the dative case if there is another direct object.

Basic structure: [Subject] + [verb] + [reflexive pronoun] + [rest of sentence]

Example: Ich wasche mich. (I wash myself.)

The reflexive pronoun mich matches the subject ich in the first person singular accusative.
The verb waschen is conjugated for the subject ich.

Common Reflexive Verbs

Here are some common German reflexive verbs along with their meanings and examples:

Daily Routine Verbs

German Reflexive Verb	English Meaning	German Example	English Example
sich waschen	to wash oneself	Ich wasche mich.	I wash myself.
sich anziehen	to dress oneself	Er zieht sich an.	He dresses himself.
sich kämmen	to comb oneself	Sie kämmt sich.	She combs herself.
sich duschen	to shower oneself	Wir duschen uns.	We shower ourselves.
sich hinlegen	to lie down	Ich lege mich hin.	I lie down.

Emotional/State Verbs

German Reflexive Verb	English Meaning	German Example	English Example
sich freuen	to be happy / look forward	Ich freue mich auf das Geschenk.	I am looking forward to the gift.
sich ärgern	to get angry	Er ärgert sich über den Lärm.	He is angry about the noise.
sich beruhigen	to calm down	Beruhige dich!	Calm down!
sich erinnern	to remember	Wir erinnern uns an den Urlaub.	We remember the vacation.
sich entschuldigen	to apologize	Ich entschuldige mich für den Fehler.	I apologize for the mistake.

Miscellaneous

German Reflexive Verb	English Meaning	German Example	English Example
sich treffen	to meet (each other)	Wir treffen uns um 18 Uhr.	We meet at 6 PM.
sich verlaufen	to get lost	Ich habe mich verlaufen.	I got lost.
sich vorbereiten	to prepare oneself	Sie bereitet sich auf die Prüfung vor.	She is preparing for the exam.
sich verabschieden	to say goodbye	Ich verabschiede mich jetzt.	I’m saying goodbye now.
sich konzentrieren	to concentrate	Konzentrier dich auf die Aufgabe.	Concentrate on the task.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in German depend on the subject and are always in the accusative case (except for some verbs that require dative). Here is the chart for accusative reflexive pronouns:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	mich	uns
2nd (informal)	dich	euch
3rd	sich	sich

Examples:

Ich sehe mich im Spiegel. (I see myself in the mirror.)
Du ärgerst dich. (You are angry.)
Wir treffen uns im Café. (We meet in the café.)

Dative Reflexive Verbs

Some reflexive verbs use the dative case for the reflexive pronoun, especially when there is a direct object in the sentence. In these cases, the reflexive pronoun is in dative, and the object remains in accusative.

Common dative reflexive verbs:

sich die Hände waschen (to wash one's hands)
sich die Haare kämmen (to comb one's hair)
sich etwas vorstellen (to imagine something)
sich etwas kaufen (to buy oneself something)

Example:

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

mir is dative
die Hände is accusative object

Conjugation of Split Verbs

Some reflexive verbs are separable, meaning the prefix splits off in the main clause. The prefix goes to the end of the sentence or clause. The reflexive pronoun stays near the verb.

Example with sich vorbereiten (to prepare oneself):

Ich bereite mich auf die Prüfung vor. (I prepare myself for the exam.)
Er bereitet sich gut vor. (He prepares himself well.)

Other separable reflexive verbs: sich abtrocknen, sich umziehen, sich entspannen

Using Reflexive Verbs in Different Tenses

Reflexive verbs follow standard German verb conjugation patterns. The reflexive pronoun always reflects the subject.

Present Tense

Example: sich interessieren (to be interested)

German Pronoun	German Conjugation	English Conjugation	German Example	English Example
ich	interessiere mich	I interest myself	Ich interessiere mich für Kunst.	I am interested in art.
du	interessierst dich	You interest yourself	Interessierst du dich für Musik?	Are you interested in music?
wir	interessieren uns	We interest ourselves	Wir interessieren uns für Geschichte.	We are interested in history.

Simple Past (Präteritum)

Example: sich freuen (to be happy/look forward)

German Pronoun	German Conjugation	English Conjugation	German Example	English Example
ich	freute mich	I was happy	Ich freute mich über das Geschenk.	I was happy about the gift.
du	freutest dich	You were happy	Freutest du dich auf die Reise?	Were you looking forward to the trip?
wir	freuten uns	We were happy	Wir freuten uns auf das Fest.	We were looking forward to the celebration.

Past Participle (Perfekt)

Example: sich duschen (to shower oneself)

German Pronoun	Auxiliary + Participle	English Equivalent	German Example	English Example
ich	habe mich geduscht	I have showered myself	Ich habe mich geduscht.	I have showered.
du	hast dich geduscht	You have showered yourself	Du hast dich geduscht.	You have showered.
wir	haben uns geduscht	We have showered ourselves	Wir haben uns geduscht.	We have showered.

Conclusion

Reflexive verbs are an essential part of German grammar. They indicate actions that the subject performs on itself and often describe daily routines, emotions, or special expressions. Understanding reflexive pronouns and verb conjugations allows you to use these verbs accurately in conversation and writing.

Last updated: Sat May 31, 2025