Internal Mental Processes
You have already learned that reflexive verbs take a dative reflexive pronoun (like mir, dir, or sich) when there is also a direct object in the sentence.
This structure is incredibly common in German when describing internal mental processes, such as imagining, remembering, or deciding. You are essentially picturing a concept to yourself or committing a fact to memory for yourself.
Imagining and Remembering
To say you "imagine" something, use the separable verb sich etwas vorstellen.
| I imagine the future. | Ich stelle mir die Zukunft vor. |
| Can you imagine this house? | Kannst du dir dieses Haus vorstellen? |
Use sich etwas merken to say you are memorizing or remembering a specific piece of information.
| I cannot remember this name. | Ich kann mir diesen Namen nicht merken. |
| He remembers every mistake. | Er merkt sich jeden Fehler. |
Considering Options
When you need to think something over or consider a problem, use sich etwas überlegen.
| We are considering another possibility. | Wir überlegen uns eine andere Möglichkeit. |
| You must think carefully about this problem. | Du musst dir dieses Problem gut überlegen. |
Wishing and Choosing
Use sich etwas wünschen (to wish for) and the separable verb sich etwas aussuchen (to choose or pick out) to express personal desires or make a selection.
| What do you wish for? | Was wünschst du dir? |
| The child wishes for a dog. | Das Kind wünscht sich einen Hund. |
| We are picking out a film. | Wir suchen uns einen Film aus. |
Worrying
To express that you are worrying, German uses the phrase sich Sorgen machen (literally, "to make worries for oneself").
| I often worry. | Ich mache mir oft Sorgen. |
| You do not have to worry. | Du musst dir keine Sorgen machen. |