Reflexive Verbs

Level 2

Reflexive verbs (wederkerende werkwoorden) are verbs where the action is performed by the subject on themselves. In Dutch, these verbs must be accompanied by a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject (e.g., 'I wash myself').

How It Works

Reflexive verbs are divided into three main categories:

1. Mandatory Reflexive: These verbs only exist with a reflexive pronoun. Examples include zich vergissen (to be mistaken) and zich schamen (to be ashamed). These never take the suffix -zelf.
2. Meaning-Changing Reflexive: Some verbs change meaning when used reflexively. For example, zich herinneren means 'to remember', while herinneren aan (without zich) means 'to remind someone of'.
3. Accidental Reflexive: These verbs can take an outside object or a reflexive one. For example, ik was de auto (I wash the car) vs. ik was me (I wash myself).

Word Order:
The reflexive pronoun appears as early as possible in the middle field. It is placed immediately after the subject and the finite verb.

  • Standard: It follows the finite verb: Ik was me.
  • Inversion: The reflexive pronoun follows the subject: Nu wast de man zich. or Nu was ik me. Unlike object pronouns, the reflexive pronoun stays close to the subject even when the subject is a noun.
  • Sub-clauses: In a subordinate clause, the pronoun follows the subject: ...omdat ik me verveel.
  • Modals: With a modal verb, the pronoun remains at the beginning of the middle field, following the finite verb and subject: Ik wil me gaan wassen. It cannot move to the end of the sentence with the infinitive.
  • Imperative: In the command form, the pronoun follows the verb: Gedraag je! (Behave yourself!) or Haast je! (Hurry up!).

The "Zich" Rule:
A common mistake is using object pronouns like hem or haar for reflexive actions. In Dutch, you must use zich for all third-person subjects (he, she, it, they). If you say Hij wast hem, it means he is washing someone else; Hij wast zich means he is washing himself.

Emphasis and Contrast:
For Accidental or Meaning-Changing verbs, you can add -zelf to the pronoun (e.g., mezelf, zichzelf) to emphasize contrast—that you are doing the action to yourself and not someone else. This is not possible for mandatory reflexive verbs.

Pronoun Agreement:
While many reflexive pronouns look like object pronouns, there are important differences, especially for zich and jullie.

  • ik → me
  • jij → je
  • u (formal) → u or zich
  • hij/zij/het → zich
  • wij → ons
  • jullie → je (Note: this differs from the object pronoun jullie)
  • zij (plural) → zich

Examples (5)

  1. Ik herinner me die vakantie nog heel goed.

    I remember that holiday very well.

    Word by Word: I remind me that holiday still very well.

    The verb 'zich herinneren' is inherently reflexive in Dutch, requiring 'me' to match 'ik'.

  2. Schiet op, we moeten ons haasten!

    Hurry up, we have to hurry!

    Word by Word: Shoot up, we must us hurry!

    Here, 'ons' is the reflexive pronoun matching 'we' for the verb 'zich haasten'.

  3. Hij wast zich elke ochtend met koud water.

    He washes (himself) every morning with cold water.

    Word by Word: He washes himself every morning with cold water.

    In Dutch, grooming actions like washing often require the reflexive pronoun 'zich'.

  4. Jullie vergissen je, dit is niet de juiste weg.

    You are mistaken, this is not the right way.

    Word by Word: You mistake you, this is not the right way.

    Note that for 'jullie', the reflexive pronoun is 'je'.

  5. Ik verveel me nooit in de bibliotheek.

    I am never bored in the library.

    Word by Word: I bore me never in the library.

    The verb 'zich vervelen' (to be bored) is reflexive in Dutch.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the reflexive pronoun because it isn't used in English.

    Ik herinner dat verhaal.
    Ik herinner me dat verhaal.

    In Dutch, 'herinneren' requires a reflexive pronoun to mean 'to remember'. Without it, the verb usually means 'to remind' and requires the preposition 'aan' (e.g., 'Ik herinner hem aan de afspraak').

  • Using 'zichzelf' with mandatory reflexive verbs.

    Ik vergis mezelf.
    Ik vergis me.

    Mandatory reflexive verbs like 'zich vergissen' (to be mistaken) or 'zich schamen' (to be ashamed) normally take the plain pronoun (me, je, zich), not '-zelf'. The '-zelf' form is for stress or contrast.

  • Using 'jullie' as a reflexive pronoun.

    Jullie haasten jullie.
    Jullie haasten je.

    While 'jullie' is the subject pronoun, the usual reflexive pronoun with 'jullie' is 'je'. Taaladvies sources give 'je' as the standard choice; 'jullie' as a reflexive is less usual.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Reflexive VerbsLevel 2

Learn This First

To use reflexive verbs, you must first understand how to conjugate regular verbs and be familiar with subject pronouns. Most importantly, you need to know the reflexive pronouns (like 'zich' or 'me') that accompany these verbs to indicate that the action refers back to the subject.

Words in This Pattern

zichzichzelf