You learn voelen (to feel) and try ik voel goed, but a Dutch speaker says ik voel me goed. Where did that me come from? It is a reflexive verb, and Dutch has a lot of them, including for things English does not mark. Here is how they work.
What reflexive verbs are
A reflexive verb takes a pronoun that refers back to the subject, like English “to enjoy oneself”. The difference is that Dutch marks many everyday verbs as reflexive where English does not:
- Ik voel me goed. (I feel good.)
- Ik vergis me. (I’m mistaken.)
- Hij wast zich. (He washes.)
So the verb comes with a built-in pronoun that matches whoever the subject is.
The reflexive pronouns
The pronoun changes with the person:
| Subject | Reflexive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ik | me | ik voel me |
| jij / je | je | jij voelt je |
| u | zich | u voelt zich |
| hij / zij / het | zich | hij voelt zich |
| wij / we | ons | wij voelen ons |
| jullie | je | jullie voelen je |
| zij (they) | zich | zij voelen zich |
The two to really memorise are zich (third person and formal u) and ons (we); the rest just reuse me and je. As Dutch grammar references note, the dictionary lists these verbs with zich (e.g. zich wassen), which is your signal that they are reflexive.
The everyday reflexive verbs
These come up constantly, often for daily routine or inner states:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| zich voelen | to feel |
| zich wassen | to wash |
| zich aankleden | to get dressed |
| zich haasten | to hurry |
| zich vergissen | to be mistaken |
| zich vervelen | to be bored |
| zich herinneren | to remember |
| zich verheugen op | to look forward to |
So Ik moet me haasten (I have to hurry), Ik verheug me op het weekend (I’m looking forward to the weekend). Onze Taal and the reference grammar Taalportaal list the full set.
Where the pronoun sits
The reflexive pronoun behaves like a normal object: it comes after the conjugated verb, and with a modal it stays put while the main verb goes to the end:
- Ik voel me niet lekker. (I don’t feel well, see the hebben-and-feelings patterns for related “feeling” phrases.)
- Hij wil zich aankleden. (He wants to get dressed, modal wil, infinitive at the end.)
Emphatic forms: mezelf, zichzelf
For emphasis or true “self” meaning, Dutch adds -zelf: mezelf, jezelf, zichzelf, onszelf. Compare Ik was me (I’m washing) with Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel (I see myself in the mirror). The plain forms are for ordinary reflexive verbs; the -zelf forms add stress.
Where it connects
Reflexive verbs sit with the core grammar: modal verbs, the perfect tense, and subject vs object pronouns. They are also how you say how you feel at the doctor (ik voel me niet lekker).
The bottom line
Reflexive verbs take a pronoun matching the subject: me, je, zich, ons. Learn zich (he/she/they/u) and ons (we) carefully; the rest reuse me and je. Many daily verbs are reflexive, zich voelen, zich wassen, zich haasten, zich vergissen, so learn them with zich attached. Then ik voel me goed comes out right every time.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that drills reflexive verbs with the matching pronoun, ik voel me, hij wast zich, wij vergissen ons, in five-minute situation-based lessons, so the right me, je or zich comes out automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reflexive verb in Dutch?
A reflexive verb is one that takes a reflexive pronoun referring back to the subject, like English ‘to enjoy oneself’. In Dutch many everyday verbs are reflexive even when English does not mark them: ik voel me (I feel), ik vergis me (I’m mistaken), hij wast zich (he washes). The pronoun changes with the subject: me, je, zich, ons. The dictionary lists these verbs with zich, as in zich voelen.
Which reflexive pronoun goes with which person in Dutch?
They are: ik to me, jij/je to je, u to zich, hij/zij/het to zich, wij/we to ons, jullie to je, zij (they) to zich. So ik voel me goed, jij voelt je goed, hij voelt zich goed, wij voelen ons goed. The only ones to memorise carefully are zich (third person and formal u) and ons (we); the rest reuse me and je. There is also a stressed form (mezelf, jezelf, zichzelf) for emphasis.
What are the most common Dutch reflexive verbs?
The everyday set includes: zich voelen (to feel), zich wassen (to wash), zich aankleden (to get dressed), zich haasten (to hurry), zich vergissen (to be mistaken), zich vervelen (to be bored), zich herinneren (to remember), and zich verheugen op (to look forward to). Many describe daily routine or inner states, so they come up constantly. Because English does not always treat them as reflexive, it is best to learn them with zich attached.
What is the best app to learn Dutch reflexive verbs?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it drills reflexive verbs with the matching pronoun in real sentences, ik voel me, hij wast zich, wij vergissen ons, in five-minute situation-based lessons, so you use the right me, je or zich without stopping to think.
