Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel.

I see myself in the mirror.

Breakdown of Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel.

• ik: I
• in: in
• zien: to see
• mezelf: myself
• de spiegel: the mirror

Questions & Answers about Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel.

Why do we use mezelf in Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel instead of something else?

In Dutch, mezelf is the reflexive pronoun that matches the subject ik (I). It indicates that the action (seeing) is directed back at the speaker. Other reflexive pronouns exist (like zichzelf, which is used for hij, zij, or het), but since the subject is ik, we use mezelf.

What is the difference between mezelf and mijzelf?

Both mean myself, but mezelf is more common in everyday speech. Mijzelf can be used for emphasis, but you’ll see and hear mezelf more frequently in Dutch.

Why does the verb zie come right after ik?

In a normal declarative sentence, Dutch typically follows the pattern: subject (ik), verb (zie), and then the object or the rest of the sentence. This is sometimes called the ‘SVO’ pattern. Hence you get Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel.

Can I change the word order to say In de spiegel zie ik mezelf?

Yes, this is also possible in Dutch. It emphasizes the place (in de spiegel) by putting it first, followed by the conjugated verb (zie), then the subject (ik) and the object (mezelf). Both Ik zie mezelf in de spiegel and In de spiegel zie ik mezelf are grammatically correct, but the emphasis is different.