A reflexive pronoun points back to the subject (the person doing the action), like myself or herself in English. Dutch uses _me_, _je_ and _ons_, which you already know as object pronouns, plus one special word, _zich_, for _hij_, _zij_, _het_ and plural _zij_. The longer forms with _-zelf_ (_mezelf_, _zichzelf_) add emphasis, and you need them with verbs that normally aim at someone else and often after a preposition: _Hij praat tegen zichzelf_.
The pattern
When the action goes back to the subject, use a reflexive pronoun: _me_, _je_ and _ons_ look like the object pronouns, _jullie_ takes _je_, and _hij_, _zij_, _het_ and plural _zij_ take _zich_.
- _ik_: _me_ (also _mij_, which sounds a bit more formal)
- _jij_ / _je_: _je_
- _u_: _u_ or _zich_ (both are correct)
- _hij_, _zij_, _het_: _zich_
- _wij_ / _we_: _ons_
- _jullie_: _je_
- _zij_ / _ze_ (they): _zich_
- Long forms: _mezelf_, _jezelf_, _uzelf_, _zichzelf_, _onszelf_ (for emphasis, after many prepositions, and with verbs like _kennen_)
Examples
| Ik scheer me elke ochtend voor het ontbijt. | I shave every morning before breakfast. |
|---|---|
| Waarom haast je je zo? | Why are you in such a hurry? |
| Joris stelt zich voor aan de nieuwe buren. | Joris introduces himself to the new neighbours. |
| Joris stelt hem voor aan de nieuwe buren. | Joris introduces him (a friend) to the new neighbours. |
| Hebben jullie je al aangekleed? | Have you all got dressed yet? |
| We hebben ons goed vermaakt op het feest van Lotte. | We had a great time at Lotte's party. |
| Mei en Carlos hebben zich goed voorbereid op het examen. | Mei and Carlos have prepared well for the exam. |
| U kunt zich hier omkleden. | You can get changed here. |
| Ahmed praat in de auto tegen zichzelf. | Ahmed talks to himself in the car. |
| Ik ken mezelf: ik eet altijd de hele zak chips op. | I know myself: I always eat the whole bag of crisps. |
Why it works this way
Think of _zich_ as a mirror. With _ik_, _jij_ and _wij_ there is no confusion: in _Ik scheer me_, _me_ can only refer to the speaker, _ik_. So Dutch simply reuses the [object pronouns](#/lesson/object-pronouns), even twice in a row. In _Waarom haast je je zo?_ the first _je_ is the subject and the second one points back to it.
With _hij_ and _zij_, the pronoun could mean millions of other people. _Daan wast hem_ means Daan washes someone else, maybe his little son. _Daan wast zich_ means Daan washes Daan. The mirror word removes all doubt. (In everyday Flemish you may hear _hem_ used as a mirror word, but in the Netherlands and in standard writing it is _zich_.)
English often has no pronoun here at all: I shave, we had fun, they got dressed. Dutch keeps it: _Ik scheer me_, _We hebben ons vermaakt_, _Ze hebben zich aangekleed_. Some verbs always need one, which is the topic of [the next lesson](#/lesson/reflexive-verbs).
With _u_ you can choose: _U kunt u hier omkleden_ and _U kunt zich hier omkleden_ are both correct. In a question like _Heeft u zich al gemeld?_ most people pick _zich_, which also avoids _u u_.
Short or long? The short form is the normal choice with verbs where the action naturally turns back to yourself: _zich wassen_, _zich aankleden_, _zich haasten_. Some of these, like _zich vergissen_ (to be mistaken), never take _-zelf_: _Ik vergis me_. With verbs where the action normally goes to someone else, like _kennen_ or _bewonderen_, you need the long form to point back to the subject: _Fatima kent zichzelf goed_, _Bas bewondert zichzelf_. The long form is also usual after many prepositions (_Hij praat tegen zichzelf_), though not after all of them (_Hij heeft geen geld bij zich_). Where both forms are possible, _-zelf_ adds contrast: _Ik kleed eerst de kinderen aan en dan mezelf_.
Remember: _zich_ is the mirror. If _hem_ or _haar_ would mean somebody else but you mean the subject itself, you normally need a mirror word: short _zich_ when the action naturally bounces back (washing, hurrying, making a mistake), long _zichzelf_ when the action normally aims at others (knowing, admiring).
Watch out
- Not: _Sanne schaamt haar een beetje._ Say: _Sanne schaamt zich een beetje._ (to be ashamed is _zich schamen_; after _zij_ the mirror word is _zich_)
- Not: _Jij moet jou nog aankleden._ Say: _Jij moet je nog aankleden._ (the reflexive form for _jij_ is _je_)
- Not: _Ik vergis mezelf._ Say: _Ik vergis me._ (_zich vergissen_ never takes _-zelf_)
- Not: _Fatima kent zich goed._ Say: _Fatima kent zichzelf goed._ (_kennen_ normally aims at someone else, so it needs the long form)
- Not: _Ik heb de taart mezelf gebakken._ Say: _Ik heb de taart zelf gebakken._ (without help is just _zelf_)
Quick check
- Choose: _Heb jij (jou / je) weer verslapen?_ (Did you oversleep again?)
- Fill in the gap: _We hebben ... in de datum van het feest vergist._
- Fix the sentence: _Daan voelt hem vandaag niet zo lekker._
- Choose: _Lotte kijkt in de spiegel naar (zich / zichzelf)._
Answers
- _je_ (the reflexive form for _jij_ is _je_, not _jou_)
- _ons_ (the reflexive form for _wij_; _zich vergissen_ never takes _-zelf_)
- _Daan voelt zich vandaag niet zo lekker._ (after _hij_ the mirror word is _zich_)
- _zichzelf_ (she looks at herself, and after _naar_ the long form is the normal choice)
Use it today
The next time you meet a new neighbour or colleague, start with _Ik stel me even voor_ and say your name. Afterwards, tell someone at home about it with _zich_: _Mijn nieuwe buurvrouw heeft zich ook voorgesteld._