1. Reflexivpronomen Reflexive pronouns A situation is reflexive when a subject and the object of the action are the same. Beispiel # 1: Ich wasche das Auto. (subject and object of action are not the same) Beispiel # 2: Ich wasche mich. (subject and object of the action are the same) In such instances there is a need for reflexive pronouns

2. Reflexivpronomen Reflexive poronouns NominativeAccusativeDative Ich (I)mich (myself – direct object) mir (myself – indirect object) Du (you)dich (yourself – direct object) dir (yourself – indirect object) Er/Sie/Es (He / she / It)sich (himself, herself, itself) Wir (we)uns (ourselves) Ihr (you all)euch (yourselves) Sie/sie (You / They)sich (yourself – formal / themselves) Sich (yourself – formal / themselves)

3. Use the accusative reflexive pronoun when the reflexive object receives the action directly. Beispiel # 1: Ich wasche mich. (I wash myself) Beispiel # 2: Ich rasiere mich. (I shave myself)

4. Use the dative reflexive pronoun when the reflexive object receives the action indirectly (or when it is used as an indirect object) Beispiel # 1: Ich wasche mir mein Gesicht. ( I am washing my face myself) - face receives the action directly / myself is the beneficiary of the action. Beispiel # 2: Ich rasiere mir mein Gesicht. (I am shaving my face myself)

5. The reflexive pronouns are mainly needed for the 3rd person singular. This is why they are different there. Consider these two sentences Er rasiert sich. (He shaves himself) Er rasiert ihn. (He shaves him) Now compare these two sentences. Sie kauft sich ein Buch. (She buys herself a book.) Sie kauft ihr ein Buch. (She buys her a book.)

6. In order to emphasize that someone has done something themselves in German, you use selbst. Consider these sentences. Er kann es selbst machen. (He can do it himself.) Sie muss das selbst lernen. (She has to learn it herself) This is similar to the difference between self and oneself in English. So you can have sentences like…. Ich kann mich selbst waschen. (I can wash myself myself). In this sentence….selbst has the meaning of oneself and mich is the accusative reflexive pronoun.

7. Additionally, there are a number of verbs that automatically require a reflexive pronoun. sich annehmen annehmen (non-refl.) to look after/take care of to assume sich anziehen anziehen (non-refl.) to get dressed to wear sich ärgernto be angry, upset sich baden baden (non-refl.) to bathe, take a bath to swim, go swimming sich bedienento serve yourself sich beeilen*to hurry, be in a rush sich befinden*to be located, find oneself (somewhere) sich bewegento move sich duschen*to shower, take a shower sich eignen*to be suited, suitable sich entscheidento decide, make up one's mind

8. sich erholen*to recover, get better sich erinnern erinnern (non-refl.) to remember to remind sich erkälten*to catch cold sich freuen*to be glad sich gewöhnen an*to get used to sich handeln um handeln (non-refl.) to be about to act, trade, deal sich interessieren fürto be interested in sich rasieren*to shave sich setzen setzen (non-refl.) to sit down to put, place sich waschento wash (oneself)