Lesson on Reflexive Verbs (Reflexivverben) in German

1. Introduction to Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs in German are verbs that require a reflexive pronoun to indicate that the subject of the verb is also the object of the verb. In English, reflexive verbs often use "myself," "yourself," "himself," etc.

2. Reflexive Pronouns in German

Here are the reflexive pronouns in the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) cases:

Person	Reflexive Pronoun (Accusative)	Example Verb
ich (I)	mich	mich waschen (to wash myself)
du (you, singular informal)	dich	dich beeilen (to hurry yourself)
er/sie/es (he/she/it)	sich	sich freuen (to be happy)
wir (we)	uns	uns treffen (to meet ourselves)
ihr (you, plural informal)	euch	euch erinnern (to remember yourselves)
sie/Sie (they/you, formal)	sich	sich vorstellen (to introduce oneself)

3. Conjugation of Reflexive Verbs

Let’s take the verb "sich waschen" (to wash oneself) as an example and conjugate it in the present tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation of "sich waschen"
ich	ich wasche mich
du	du wäschst dich
er/sie/es	er/sie/es wäscht sich
wir	wir waschen uns
ihr	ihr wascht euch
sie/Sie	sie/Sie waschen sich

4. Examples of Common Reflexive Verbs

Here are some common reflexive verbs with their meanings:

·        sich anziehen – to get dressed

·        sich ausziehen – to get undressed

·        sich beeilen – to hurry

·        sich erinnern – to remember

·        sich freuen – to be happy

·        sich interessieren – to be interested

·        sich fühlen – to feel

5. Using Reflexive Verbs in Sentences

Ich wasche mich jeden Morgen. (I wash myself every morning.)

Er freut sich auf das Wochenende. (He is looking forward to the weekend.)

Wir interessieren uns für Kunst. (We are interested in art.)

Ihr müsst euch beeilen. (You all need to hurry.)

6. Practice Exercise

Translate the following sentences into German:

1.      I am hurrying.

2.      She is dressing herself.

3.      We are meeting each other.

4.      They are washing themselves.

5.      You (singular informal) remember.

Answers:

·        Ich beeile mich.

·        Sie zieht sich an.

·        Wir treffen uns.

·        Sie waschen sich.

·        Du erinnerst dich.

7. Additional Tips

·        Reflexive verbs often express actions related to daily routines and personal care.

·        The reflexive pronoun always agrees with the subject of the sentence.

·        Some verbs can be used both reflexively and non-reflexively, changing the meaning slightly. For example, "sich setzen" (to sit down) vs. "setzen" (to set/place something).