Third-person reflexive pronouns (sig, sér)

Third-Person Reflexive Pronouns

When subjects perform an action on themselves, we use a reflexive pronoun (like "himself" or "themselves"). In Icelandic, the third-person reflexive pronoun does not change for gender or number. Whether the subject is "he," "she," "it," or "they," it stays exactly the same.

It does, however, change depending on the case the verb requires. The two most common forms are the accusative sig and the dative sér:

Accusative: Using "sig"

Many everyday actions, such as getting dressed or hiding, take an accusative object. When doing these actions to oneself, use sig:

Dative: Using "sér"

Other verbs—especially certain grooming verbs or expressions like "having fun"—require a dative object. For these, use sér. Notice how it remains the same even when the subject is plural:

Some verbs govern different cases. Here, raka (to shave) takes the accusative sig, while þvo (to wash) takes the dative sér:

You will also frequently see sér in the idiom að fá sér (to get oneself), which is especially common with food and drink:

Describing Appearance

While grooming oneself uses reflexive pronouns, simply describing someone's hair or beard does not. To say someone "has" a physical feature, Icelandic typically uses the phrase vera með (to be with):