Reflexiv Verben

Reflexiv Verben

mit Frau Pessoa

​Reflexiv Verben

German has some verbs that require a reflexive pronoun to complete a sentence.

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“Reflexive” simply means that the pronoun refers back to the subject of the sentence.

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We do this in English, too, although German has many more reflexive verbs than English.

​Beispiele

• ​Ich wasche das Auto.

• ​Ich wasche mir.

• ​I am washing the car.

• ​I am washing myself.

​Beispiele

• ​Ich ziehe mich an.

• ​Ich schminke mich.

• ​Ich rasiere mich.

• ​Ich entspanne mich.

• ​I am getting dressed.

• ​I am putting makeup on.

• ​I am shaving.

• ​I am relaxing.

• These verbs do not form complete sentences without an object for our purposes, the reflexive pronoun.

• ​“Ich ziehe an” does not make any sense in German, because it’s not stated WHAT you’re putting clothes onto.

​Many reflexive verbs in German take accusative reflexive pronouns. Quite simply, these pronouns function as direct objects in the sentence. What am I washing? Myself, so: Ich wasche mich. If the action of the verb reflects directly back to the subject, then the reflexive pronoun will be accusative.

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Some reflexive verbs, though, require a dative reflexive pronoun. These pronouns function as indirect objects, because there is some other element in the sentence that is the direct object. Most often, the direct object is a body part or piece of clothing that belongs to the subject.