Grammar
Reflexive Pronouns (Reflexivpronomen) 🪞
Learn German reflexive pronouns (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch) — how they refer back to the subject, when they take Akkusativ vs Dativ, and why they have no genitive form.
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Reflexivpronomen
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Reflexive Pronouns 🪞 :: Reflexivpronomen
Used when the subject and the object are the same person (oneself).
Unlike personal pronouns, reflexive pronouns always refer to the subject.
Ich wasche mich.
flowchart LR
A["👤 Subject<br/>Ich"]-->B["🧼 wasche"]-->C["<b>mich</b> <br/> 🎯 Akkusativ"]
C -. 🪞 refers back .-> A
Ich wasche mir die Hände.
flowchart LR
A["👤 Subject<br/>Ich"]-->B["🧼 wasche"]-->C["<b>mir</b> <br/> 🎯 Akkusativ"] --> D["Hand <br/> 🎁 Dative"]
D -. 🪞 refers back .-> A
Reflexive pronouns have no genitive form in modern German
| Person | Emoji | 👤 Nominativ | 🎯 Akkusativ | 🎁 Dativ | 🇬🇧 Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | 👤 ich | — | mich | mir | myself |
| 2nd singular | 🫵 du | — | dich | dir | yourself (informal) |
| 3rd singular | 🟦️/🟨/🟥 er/es/sie | — | sich | sich | himself/ herself/ itself |
| 1st plural | 👥 wir | — | uns | uns | ourselves |
| 2nd plural | 👨👩👧👦ihr | — | euch | euch | yourselves |
| 3rd plural | 🧑🤝🧑 sie (they)** | — | sich | sich | themselves |
| 2nd formal | 🎩 Sie* | — | sich | sich | yourself (formal) |
- For er / sie / es / sie / Sie, AKK and DAT are always
sich
💬 Examples:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich wasche mich. | I wash myself. (AKK) |
| Ich wasche mir die Hände. | I wash my hands. (DAT, because die Hände is the direct object) |
| Du beeilst dich. | You hurry yourself. |
| Er freut sich. | He is happy (literally: rejoices himself). |
| Wir setzen uns. | We sit down. |
| Sie interessieren sich für Musik. | They are interested in music. |
Related: Pronouns Overview · Reflexive Verbs · Cases · Grammar Roadmap
