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This lesson covers German reflexive verbs, focusing on conjugations with reflexive pronouns like mich, dich, and sich. Learn how to use these pronouns correctly in both accusative and dative cases with examples like "Ich freue mich" and "Ich wasche mir die Hände."
  1. Reflexive pronouns adapt according to person and number.
  2. The reflexive pronoun in the dative case is used when the subject performs an action on itself and an indirect object follows. For example: Ich wasche mir die Hände
Person (Person)Konjugation (Conjugation)Reflexives Pronomen Akkusativ  (Reflexive Pronouns Accusative )Reflexives Pronomen Dativ (Reflexive pronouns dative)
Ichfreue (am pleased)mich (myself)mir (to me)
Dufreust (are pleased)dich (yourself)dir (to be pleased)
Er/Sie/Esfreut (am pleased)sich (himself/herself/itself)sich (himself/herself/itself)
Wirfreuen (look forward)uns (person)uns  (ours)
Ihrfreut (am pleased)euch (you)euch (you)
Siefreuen (look forward)sich (himself/herself/itself)sich (himself/herself/itself)

Exercise 1: Reflexive Verben

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

ziehst dich, putze mir die Zähne, putzt euch die Zähne, wäscht sich, wäscht dir, ziehen sich, wasche mich, ziehe mich

1. Sich die Zähne putzen:
Ich ... nach dem Mittagessen.
(Ich putze mir die Zähne nach dem Mittagessen.)
2. Sich anziehen:
Du ... immer schnell an.
(Du ziehst dich immer schnell an.)
3. Sich anziehen:
Die Kinder ... schnell an, um pünktlich zu sein.
(Die Kinder ziehen sich schnell an, um pünktlich zu sein.)
4. Sich anziehen:
Ich ... für die Arbeit an.
(Ich ziehe mich für die Arbeit an.)
5. Sich waschen:
Ich ... jeden Morgen mit kaltem Wasser.
(Ich wasche mich jeden Morgen mit kaltem Wasser.)
6. Sich waschen:
Du ... jeden Tag das Gesicht.
(Du wäscht dir jeden Tag das Gesicht.)
7. Sich die Zähne putzen:
Ihr ... nach dem Frühstück.
(Ihr putzt euch die Zähne nach dem Frühstück.)
8. Sich waschen:
Er ... das Gesicht.
(Er wäscht sich das Gesicht.)

Exercise 2: Dialogue completion

Instruction: Complete the dialogue with the correct solution

1. Ich wasche ___ jeden Morgen die Hände.

( I wash ___ my hands every morning.)

2. Du freust ___ auf den Feierabend.

( You are looking forward ___ to the end of work.)

3. Er kämmt ___ vor dem Spiegel die Haare.

( He combs ___ his hair in front of the mirror.)

4. Wir kaufen ___ jeden Tag frisches Obst.

( We buy ___ fresh fruit every day.)

5. Ihr bereitet ___ gut auf das Meeting vor.

( You prepare ___ well for the meeting.)

6. Sie freuen ___ über das schöne Wetter.

( They are happy ___ about the nice weather.)

Understanding Reflexive Verbs in German

This lesson focuses on reflexive verbs in German, an essential part of building sentences that talk about actions performed by the subject onto itself. Reflexive verbs always include a reflexive pronoun, which changes according to the subject's person and number.

Key Elements of Reflexive Verbs

  • Reflexive pronouns: These adjust based on the subject (Ich, Du, Er/Sie/Es, Wir, Ihr, Sie).
  • Accusative and Dative cases: Reflexive pronouns appear in accusative or dative forms, depending on the context.

Reflexive Pronouns and Their Conjugation with "freuen"

Using the verb freuen (to be glad), here is how reflexive pronouns appear with each person:

PersonConjugationReflexive Pronoun (Accusative)Reflexive Pronoun (Dative)
Ichfreuemichmir
Dufreustdichdir
Er/Sie/Esfreutsichsich
Wirfreuenunsuns
Ihrfreuteucheuch
Siefreuensichsich

When to Use the Dative Reflexive Pronoun

The dative reflexive pronoun is used when the subject performs an action on itself but there is an indirect object involved. For example: Ich wasche mir die Hände. (I wash my hands.) Here, "mir" is dative because you wash the hands (indirect object) of yourself (subject).

Useful Phrases Featuring Reflexive Verbs

  • Ich wasche mir jeden Morgen die Hände. (I wash my hands every morning.)
  • Du freust dich auf den Feierabend. (You look forward to the end of work.)
  • Er kämmt sich vor dem Spiegel die Haare. (He combs his hair in front of the mirror.)
  • Wir kaufen uns jeden Tag frisches Obst. (We buy ourselves fresh fruit every day.)
  • Ihr bereitet euch gut auf das Meeting vor. (You prepare well for the meeting.)
  • Sie freuen sich über das schöne Wetter. (They are happy about the nice weather.)

Differences Compared to English

Unlike English, where reflexive pronouns are mainly myself, yourself, himself, etc., German reflexive pronouns change significantly based on case (accusative or dative) and number. This can change the meaning and usage of a sentence, so it is important to understand these forms.

German reflexive verbs are very common and often necessary to express daily routines and feelings clearly. For instance, "sich freuen" means "to be happy" or "to look forward to," which differs from an English reflexive verb but carries the reflexive pronoun as a fixed part of the verb structure.

Summary

This lesson provides a solid foundation in understanding and using reflexive verbs in German at an A1 level. By mastering these pronouns and their correct case usage, you can accurately describe actions relating to yourself and others in everyday situations.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 22:14