Reflexive Pronouns: Dative or Accusative?
Distinguish dative and accusative reflexive pronouns. Learn why an additional accusative object often requires mir or dir, and practise verbs whose meaning changes with the construction.
Explanation
Reflexive pronouns in the dative and accusative
Many reflexive verbs use an **accusative** reflexive pronoun:
> Ich wasche **mich**.
> Du ziehst **dich** an.
If the sentence also contains its own accusative object, the reflexive pronoun is usually **dative**:
> Ich wasche **mir** die Hände.
> Du ziehst **dir** eine Jacke an.
Forms
| Person | Accusative | Dative |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mich | mir |
| du | dich | dir |
| er/sie/es/man | sich | sich |
| wir | uns | uns |
| ihr | euch | euch |
| sie/Sie | sich | sich |
Only **ich** and **du** show a visible contrast: **mich/mir** and **dich/dir**.
How to decide
First look for another accusative object such as **die Hände, einen Tee, das Gesicht**. If it is present, the reflexive pronoun often marks the affected person and is dative. Without another object, many reflexive verbs use the accusative.
Compare:
- Lea kämmt **sich**. / Lea kämmt **sich** die Haare.
- Ich habe **mich** verletzt. / Ich habe **mir** den Fuß verletzt.
- Ihr zieht **euch** aus. / Ihr zieht **euch** die Schuhe aus.
With **sich, uns, euch**, the form does not reveal the case, so use the sentence structure.
Verbs and meanings
Common patterns with an additional object include **sich etwas kaufen, wünschen, aussuchen, merken, vornehmen** and **sich Sorgen machen**.
With **vorstellen**, meaning matters:
- Ich stelle **mich** vor. = I introduce myself.
- Ich stelle **mir** eine Reise vor. = I imagine a journey.
The reflexive pronoun normally stays close to the conjugated verb. The case depends on the verb's complements, not on the tense.
Exercises
- Decide whether the highlighted reflexive pronoun is dative or accusative. (11)
- Complete the connected text with reflexive pronouns from the word bank. (4)
- Build a complete sentence from the cues. Pay attention to case and word order. (11)
B1 · German · Grammar