Reflexive pronouns: me, je, zich

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

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, 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.

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

• FalschSanne schaamt haar een beetje.

  RichtigSanne schaamt zich een beetje.

  to be ashamed is zich schamen; after zij the mirror word is zich

• FalschJij moet jou nog aankleden.

  RichtigJij moet je nog aankleden.

  the reflexive form for jij is je

• FalschIk vergis mezelf.

  RichtigIk vergis me.

  zich vergissen never takes -zelf

• FalschFatima kent zich goed.

  RichtigFatima kent zichzelf goed.

  kennen normally aims at someone else, so it needs the long form

• FalschIk heb de taart mezelf gebakken.

  RichtigIk heb de taart zelf gebakken.

  without help is just zelf

Quick check

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.