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Reflexive verbs: sich freuen, sich treffen
A2
Catalogue
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Reflexive verbs with the pronoun that matches the subject: ich freue mich, du beeilst dich, wir treffen uns; sich for each other, the pronoun's place in questions, after a modal verb and in the Perfekt (hat sich gefreut), and the imperative: setz dich, beeilt euch, setzen Sie sich.
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1. Reflexive verbs: mich, dich, sich
The reflexive pronoun is in the same person as the subject: mich, dich or sich.
- Ich wasche mich am Abend.I have a wash in the evening.
- Mia fühlt sich heute müde.Mia feels tired today.
Formation
- After ich, the reflexive pronoun is mich: ich beeile mich.
- After du, the reflexive pronoun is dich: du freust dich.
- After er, sie, es or a noun, the reflexive pronoun is sich: er setzt sich.
- A reflexive verb is conjugated as usual: freut, fühlst, entspanne.
- With a separable verb, the prefix is placed at the end: Sie zieht sich an. (“She gets dressed.”)
With or without the pronoun
- Without the pronoun, waschen is used for washing something else: Ich wasche das Auto. (“I wash the car.”)
- With the pronoun, waschen is used for washing yourself: Ich wasche mich. (“I have a wash.”)
Difference from English
- In English, “feel” is used without a pronoun, but German sich fühlen is reflexive: Ich fühle mich gut. (“I feel good.”)
- In English, “be bored” and “get dressed” are not reflexive, but their German equivalents are: Langweilst du dich? (“Are you bored?”)
Common mistake
Ich fühle sich gut.→ Ich fühle mich gut.Sich is never used after ich or du: after ich, the pronoun is mich.
Show the answer sich beeilen · Präsens · ich beeile michShow the answer
Show the answer sich freuen · Präsens · du freust dichShow the answer
2. Plural and each other: uns, euch, sich
In the plural, the reflexive pronoun is uns, euch or sich.
- Wir verstehen uns nicht.We don't get along.
- Lena und Max sehen sich oft.Lena and Max see each other often.
Formation
- After wir, the reflexive pronoun is uns: wir treffen uns.
- After ihr, the reflexive pronoun is euch: ihr setzt euch.
- After sie (they), the reflexive pronoun is sich: sie amüsieren sich.
- After the polite Sie, the reflexive pronoun is also sich, written with a small letter: Sie langweilen sich.
Each other
- With a plural subject, uns, euch and sich also mean “each other”: Wir kennen uns. (“We know each other.”)
- With two nouns as the subject, the pronoun is sich: Anna und Paul treffen sich. (“Anna and Paul meet.”)
- For clarity, gegenseitig is added after the pronoun: Wir helfen uns gegenseitig. (“We help each other.”)
Difference from English
- In English, “each other” is added; in German, the reflexive pronoun alone is usually used: Sie sehen sich. (“They see each other.”)
- English “you” translates as du, ihr or the polite Sie. After them, the reflexive pronoun is dich, euch or sich: Sie langweilen sich. (“You are bored.”)
Common mistake
Wir kennen sich gut.→ Wir kennen uns gut.After wir, the pronoun is uns, although English “each other” is the same after every subject.
Going further
- einander has the same meaning as the pronoun used for “each other”, in a more formal style.
Show the answer sich treffen · Präsens · wir treffen unsShow the answer
Show the answer sich setzen · Präsens · ihr setzt euchShow the answer
3. Where the pronoun goes: Hast du dich gefreut?
The reflexive pronoun is placed after the conjugated verb, or after a subject pronoun that follows that verb.
- Morgen müssen wir uns beeilen.Tomorrow we will have to hurry.
- Hast du dich gestern gelangweilt?Were you bored yesterday?
Place of the pronoun
- The reflexive pronoun is placed straight after the conjugated verb: Ich freue mich. (“I am pleased.”)
- When the subject pronoun follows the verb, the reflexive pronoun comes after it: Heute freue ich mich. (“Today I am pleased.”)
- In a question, the reflexive pronoun also follows the subject pronoun: Wo treffen wir uns? (“Where shall we meet?”) Wie fühlst du dich heute? (“How do you feel today?”)
- With a modal verb, the reflexive pronoun follows the modal: Du musst dich beeilen. (“You must hurry.”)
- With a modal verb, the infinitive is placed at the end: Er möchte sich hinlegen. (“He would like to lie down.”)
The Perfekt with haben
- In the Perfekt (past simple), reflexive verbs take haben: ich habe mich gefreut, wir haben uns beeilt.
- In the Perfekt, the reflexive pronoun follows the auxiliary, or the subject pronoun placed after it: Habt ihr euch getroffen? (“Did you meet?”)
- In the Perfekt, the past participle is placed at the end: er hat sich hingelegt, sie hat sich amüsiert.
Difference from English
- In English, “had a good time” has no pronoun. In German, the reflexive verb sich amüsieren is used: Wir haben uns amüsiert. (“We had a good time.”)
Common mistake
Ich habe gelangweilt.→ Ich habe mich gelangweilt.The reflexive pronoun is used in the Perfekt too, although “was bored” has none.
Show the answer sich freuen · Perfekt · ich habe mich gefreutShow the answer
Show the answer Lena, warum beeilst du ___ so? dichShow the answer
4. The imperative: Setz dich! Beeilt euch!
In the imperative, the reflexive pronoun is placed straight after the verb, or after Sie in the polite form.
- Freu dich nicht zu früh!Don't celebrate too soon!
- Setzen Sie sich bitte hierher!Please sit here!
Formation
- In the imperative, the reflexive pronoun is dich for du: beeil dich, setz dich, entspann dich.
- In the imperative, the reflexive pronoun is euch for ihr: setzt euch, beeilt euch.
- In the polite form, the reflexive pronoun is sich, placed after Sie: setzen Sie sich.
- The verb forms are those of the ordinary imperative.
- The prefix of a separable verb is placed at the end: zieh dich an, zieht euch an, leg dich hin.
- With du, the forms in -e are also used, in a formal style: beeile dich, entspanne dich.
- In a formal style, separable verbs take -e with du too: ziehe dich an, lege dich hin.
Difference from English
- In English, “Sit down!” has no pronoun, but the German imperative has one: Setz dich! (“Sit down!”)
- English has one imperative for one person or several, but the German pronoun depends on the person addressed: Setz dich! (“Sit down!”) to one friend, Setzt euch! (“Sit down!”) to several.
Common mistake
Beeil!→ Beeil dich!The reflexive pronoun is used in the imperative too, although “Hurry up!” has none.
Show the answer sich beeilen · Imperativ · du beeil dichalso: beeile dichShow the answer
Show the answer sich setzen · Imperativ · ihr setzt euchShow the answer
5. Reflexive verbs: mixed practice
The reflexive pronoun is used in the present (present simple), the Perfekt (past simple), the imperative and with modals.
- Opa unterhält sich gern mit den Nachbarn.Grandpa likes chatting with the neighbours.
- Zieh dich warm an, es ist kalt!Wrap up warm, it's cold!
Remember
- The reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch) agrees with the subject: er unterhält sich, ihr langweilt euch.
- In the Perfekt (past simple), the auxiliary of a reflexive verb is haben: er hat sich gewaschen.
- In the imperative, the pronoun agrees with the person you are talking to: zieh dich an.
- Many verbs have a pronoun in German but not in English: Ich fühle mich gut. (“I feel good.”)
Show the answer Ich treffe ___ heute Abend mit Anna. michShow the answer
Show the answer Wir haben ___ im Urlaub gut entspannt. unsShow the answer
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