Reflexive pronouns in German

Reflexive pronouns are used in German when the subject of a sentence is also the object of the action. They indicate that the action is being performed on oneself. In German, reflexive pronouns are formed by adding "sich" to the corresponding personal pronoun.

The reflexive pronouns in German are:

• "mich" (myself)
• "dich" (yourself)
• "sich" (oneself, himself, herself, itself, themselves)
• "uns" (ourselves)
• "euch" (yourselves)
• "sich" (themselves)

Reflexive pronouns in the accusative case

Reflexive pronouns in the accusative case are used when the action of the verb is directed towards the subject itself.

Example:

Ich wasche **mich**. - I wash myself.

In this example, the reflexive pronoun "mich" refers to the subject "ich" (I) and indicates that the action of washing is being performed on oneself.

Here are the reflexive pronouns in the accusative case:

• "mich"
• "dich"
• "sich"
• "uns"
• "euch"
• "sich"

Reflexive pronouns in the dative case

Reflexive pronouns in the dative case are used when the action of the verb is performed for the benefit or interest of the subject.

Example:

Ich helfe **mir**. - I help myself.

In this example, the reflexive pronoun "mir" refers to the subject "ich" (I) and indicates that the action of helping is being performed for the benefit of oneself.

Here are the reflexive pronouns in the dative case:

• "mir"
• "dir"
• "sich"
• "uns"
• "euch"
• "sich"

Reflexive pronouns as indirect objects

Reflexive pronouns can also be used as indirect objects in a sentence. In this case, they indicate that the action of the verb is being performed on someone or something else, but still connected to the subject.

Example:

Er gibt **sich** eine Chance. - He gives himself a chance.

In this example, the reflexive pronoun "sich" is used as the indirect object and refers back to the subject "er" (he).

Reflexive verbs and reflexive pronouns

In German, many verbs require the use of reflexive pronouns. These are called reflexive verbs. When using reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun must be used to indicate that the action is being performed on oneself.

Example:

Ich wasche **mich** jeden Morgen. - I wash myself every morning.

In this example, the verb "waschen" (to wash) is a reflexive verb. The reflexive pronoun "mich" is used to indicate that the action of washing is being performed on oneself.

Summary

Reflexive pronouns are used in German to indicate actions performed on oneself. They are formed by adding "sich" to the corresponding personal pronoun. Reflexive pronouns can be used in the accusative or dative case, and can also function as indirect objects. In the case of reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun is mandatory to indicate that the action is being performed on oneself.