Hij kan zich in de spiegel zien.

He can see himself in the mirror.

Breakdown of Hij kan zich in de spiegel zien.

• hij: he
• in: in
• zien: to see
• kunnen: can
• de spiegel: the mirror
• zich: himself

Questions & Answers about Hij kan zich in de spiegel zien.

Why do we use zich instead of something like hem in this sentence?

Dutch uses a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object of a verb are the same entity. In Hij kan zich in de spiegel zien, he is both the person doing the seeing and the person being seen, so we use the reflexive pronoun zich instead of hem.

Why is the reflexive pronoun placed right after kan?

In Dutch, the auxiliary verb (kan) comes first, followed by the reflexive pronoun (zich), and then the rest of the sentence. So the typical structure is subject + auxiliary verb + reflexive pronoun + the rest.

What is the difference between Hij kan zich in de spiegel zien and Hij ziet zich in de spiegel?

The first sentence uses the modal verb kan to express the ability or possibility to see himself in the mirror. The second sentence, Hij ziet zich in de spiegel, simply states the fact that he sees himself, without emphasizing possibility or ability.

Is it possible to say Hij kan zichzelf in de spiegel zien?

Yes, zichzelf is another reflexive pronoun in Dutch. It can replace zich to emphasize the individual self (similar to saying “oneself”). However, zich is completely correct and is the more common form in everyday use for third person.

Can the pronoun zich be used for all third-person subjects in Dutch?

Yes, zich applies to hij, zij, or het, as well as formal u in some contexts. Essentially, it’s the standard third-person singular reflexive pronoun in Dutch.