Reflexive Verbs & Pronouns
Ik voel me goed vandaag. (I feel good today.)
What it is
A reflexive verb is used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person: when someone does something to themselves. English uses myself, yourself, himself; Dutch places a reflexive pronoun right after the verb instead.
- Self-care actions: Ik was me elke ochtend. (I wash myself every morning.)
- Mental and physical states: Ik ontspan me in het weekend. (I relax on the weekend.)
- Verbs that only exist reflexively, with no non-reflexive meaning: Hij vergist zich vaak. (He often makes mistakes himself.)
How to form it
Formula: pick the reflexive pronoun that matches the subject, conjugate the verb as usual, and place the pronoun right after it.
Each subject pronoun has its own reflexive pronoun. Note u: it can take either u or zich.
| Subject | Reflexive pronoun |
|---|---|
| ik | me |
| jij | je |
| u | u / zich |
| hij, zij/ze | zich |
| wij/we | ons |
| jullie | je |
| zij/ze | zich |
Shown here with voelen: only the reflexive pronoun changes with the subject, the verb ending follows the normal present-tense pattern.
| Pronoun | zich voelen |
|---|---|
| ik | voel me |
| jij | voelt je |
| u | voelt u / zich |
| hij, zij, het | voelt zich |
| wij | voelen ons |
| jullie | voelen je |
| zij | voelen zich |
Spelling: the verb still follows the present-tense stem rules
Adding a reflexive pronoun doesn't change how the verb itself is spelled. The same three present-tense adjustments still apply (vowel doubling, dropped double consonant, v/z → f/s):
| Infinitive | ik | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wassen | was me | to wash |
| verbazen | verbaas me | to surprise |
| schamen | schaam me | to be ashamed |
These forms come straight from the verb list our quiz practices.
Always reflexive, or only sometimes?
Not every reflexive verb behaves the same way:
- Some verbs only exist with a reflexive pronoun, with no non-reflexive meaning: zich vergissen, zich realiseren, zich gedragen.
- Others work both ways, and the pronoun changes the meaning: Ik was de auto (I wash the car) versus Ik was me (I wash myself).
Common mistakes
Match the reflexive pronoun to the subject, not to zich by default. Ik was zich is wrong: ik takes me, so it's Ik was me.
Some verbs don't work at all without their reflexive pronoun. Ik vergis isn't a complete sentence; only Ik vergis me is.
Common questions about reflexive verbs
Is there a rule for knowing which verbs are reflexive?+
Not from meaning alone. Reflexive verbs are memorized per verb, the same way you memorize hebben versus zijn for the perfect tenses; a good dictionary marks them with zich in the entry.
Can I use zichzelf instead of me, je or zich any time I want?+
Only for emphasis. The plain forms (me, je, zich, ons) are the default; add -zelf when you want to stress that the subject really did it to themselves: Zij ziet zichzelf in de spiegel. (She sees herself in the mirror.)
Why does u sometimes take zich instead of u?+
Both are correct. Zich is a little more formal or old-fashioned; u is the everyday modern default. Wast u zich? and Wast u u? Are both fine.
Is wassen always reflexive?+
No. If there's a direct object, it isn't reflexive: Ik was de auto (I wash the car). It's only reflexive when the pronoun points back to the subject: Ik was me (I wash myself).