from the 100% free Hear Dutch Here Website — more shorts
Short    Sentence Building, Word Order 10: Reflexive Verbs
Read and listen to the examples below to memorize the patterns
Wikipedia nicely says that loosely defined with reflexive verbs the subject is the same as the object, for example:
Ik was mezelf click to hear I wash myself
We hadden ons goed gewassen click to hear 2 We had washed ourselves well
Nominative English/Dutch Reflexive Pronoun
I ik click to hear me click to hear / mezelf click to hear
 singular you  jij click to hear - je click to hear je click to hear / jezelf click to hear
he hij click to hear zich click to hear / zichzelf click to hear
she zij click to hear - ze click to hear zich click to hear / zichzelf click to hear
we  wij click to hear - we click to hear  ons click to hear / onszelf click to hear
plural you jullie click to hear je click to hear / jezelf click to hear
they zij click to hear - ze click to hear zich click to hear / zichzelf click to hear
polite you U click to hear  zich click to hear / zichzelf click to hear / Uzelf click to hear 2 
The -zelf  forms are not often used
Reflexive verbs are far more common in Dutch than in English.
Infinitives are written as zich verb, for instance: zich wassen click to hear 2
The reflexive pronoun is usually placed right after the working verb, , but after the subject when the verb comes first
zichzelf zien click to hear 2 3 'to see oneself'
Ik heb mezelf op TV gezien click to hear 2 3 I have seen myself on television
Zie je jezelf dat doen? click to hear 2 [Do you see yourself doing that?] Can you imagine doing that?
zich herinneren click to hear to remember
Ik herinner me 't niet. click to hear 2 I don't remember [it.]
Herinner me eraan click to hear 2 3 Remind me about it, remind me to ...
Many verbs have a reflexive and a regular version, sometimes with a different meaning, for instance:
bedenken click to hear 2 3 to think up, 'invent,' 'devise'
zich bedenken click to hear 2 3 to change your mind, change your opinion or adopt other plans
Ik heb 't zelf bedacht click to hear 2 3 I thought of it myself, I thought it up myself
Hij bedacht snel een smoesje click to hear 2 3 He quickly [thought up] made up an excuse
Dan moet ik iets anders bedenken click to hear 2 3 Then I'll have to think [up] of something else (we need a new plan)
Ik heb me bedacht click to hear 2 3 I changed my mind, I'm of another opinion now - or: I have other plans now
zich vervelen click to hear 2 to be bored
Verveel je je? click to hear Are you bored?  (singular informal)
But:  Verveel ik je? click to hear 2 3 Am I boring you? Do I bore you?
Verveelt U zich? click to hear Are you bored?  (polite)
English 'to feel' can (among other things) refer both to feelings 'inside' a person and to sensations felt on the skin. For the 'internal feelings' Dutch uses the reflexive verb zich voelen click to hear and for what's felt on the skin Dutch uses the 'regular' verb voelen click to hear 2
Hoe voel je je? click to hear 2 How are you feeling?
Ik voel me niet lekker click to hear I don't feel well
But:  Ik voelde de regen op m'n gezicht click to hear 2 I felt the rain on my face
overgeven click to hear 2 to throw up, to vomit — zich overgeven click to hear 2 to surrender
Ik moest overgeven click to hear I had to throw up
Ik moest me overgeven click to hear 2 3 I had to surrender
zich voorstellen click to hear 2 1. to introduce oneself 2. to imagine
Mag ik me even voorstellen? click to hear 2 Allow me to introduce myself
zich branden click to hear 2 3 'to burn oneself,' to get burned
Heb je je gebrand? click to hear 2 3 Did you burn yourself? Did you get burned?
Brand je niet! click to hear 2 3 Dont get burned! (Be careful)
Full Page Reflexive Verbs
Shorts
[left arrow]      More Previous / Next      [right arrow]
email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Gij zult niet stelen click to hear 'Thou shalt not steal'