What are reflexive verbs and how do I use them?

A reflexive verb is a verb that describes an action you do to yourself. They are easy to recognise in German as they will always have sich before the infinitive. To form a reflexive verb, you must have a reflexive pronoun and then the verb which will conjugate as normal. 

For example 

sich rasieren - to shave 

Ich rasiere mich  - I shave (myself - this is implied in English and is not normally needed in the translation) 

Du rasierst dich - You shave 

Er/Sie/Man rasiert sich - He/She/One shaves 

Wir rasieren uns - We shave 

Ihr rasiert euch  - You (plural) shave 

Sie rasieren sich - You (formal)  shave 

Sie rasieren sich - They shave 

MH
Answered by Molly H. German tutor

1995 Views

See similar German GCSE tutors

Related German GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How can I form the perfect tense in German?


What are reflexive verbs?


Fill in the gaps: Wir müss.... heute .... Hausaufgaben für unser.... Deutschlehrer machen.


What are the differences between the various endings of adjectives in German?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning