Matching the Reflexive Pronoun
In Danish, many verbs always require a reflexive pronoun. While third-person subjects (han, hun, de) always use sig, you must change the reflexive pronoun to match the subject for the first and second person.
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| jeg | mig |
| du | dig |
| han / hun / de | sig |
| vi | os |
| I | jer |
Watch how the pronoun changes depending on who is performing the action, such as getting dressed or combing their hair:
| I would like to get dressed now. | Jeg vil gerne klæde mig på nu. |
| The woman gets dressed quickly. | Kvinden klæder sig hurtigt på. |
| She combs her hair and looks in the mirror. | Hun reder sig og ser i spejlet. |
Emotions and States of Mind
English often uses "to be" plus an adjective to describe states of mind (like "being bored"). In Danish, these are frequently expressed using active reflexive verbs, such as having fun (more sig) or being bored (kede sig).
| We always have fun at her birthday. | Vi morer os altid til hendes fødselsdag. |
| She is bored because the movie is slow. | Hun keder sig fordi filmen er langsom. |
When talking about worrying about someone or something, use the verb bekymre sig combined with the preposition om (about). When talking about falling in love with someone, Danish uses the preposition i (in) alongside forelske sig.
| My mother often worries about me. | Min mor bekymrer sig ofte om mig. |
| He is falling in love with the beautiful nurse. | Han forelsker sig i den smukke sygeplejerske. |
Deciding and Moving
Reflexive verbs are also heavily used for mental processes and changes in physical posture. You will use a reflexive pronoun when deciding (bestemme sig), preparing (forberede sig), lying down (lægge sig), or standing up (rejse sig).
| Can't you decide? | Kan du ikke bestemme dig? |
| We are preparing for the important meeting. | Vi forbereder os til det vigtige møde. |
| The dog lies down under the old table. | Hunden lægger sig under det gamle bord. |
| We stand up when the teacher arrives. | Vi rejser os når læreren ankommer. |