Grammar And Practice: Reflexive Pronouns, Selbst And Selber, Einander

Front 1

When the sentence subject---noun or pronoun--is the first element in the sentence, where does the reflexive pronoun go?

Tobias is buying himself a bicycle today.
He is buying himself a bicycle today.

Back 1

Directly after the conjugated verb

Tobias kauft sich heute ein Fahrrad.
Er kauft sich heute ein Fahrrad.

Front 2

When a subject noun is in the middle field, where does the reflexive pronoun go?

Today Tobias is buying himself a bicycle.

What about a subject pronoun?

Today he is buying himself a bicycle.

Back 2

Subject noun: before or after the reflexive pronoun

Heute kauft Tobias sich ein Fahrrad.
Heute kauft sich Tobias ein Fahrrad.

Subject pronoun: directly follows the conjugated verb and precedes a reflexive pronoun

Heute kauft er sich ein Fahrrad.

Front 3

An accusative reflexive pronoun can be used with virtually any ____________ if the subject directs an activity at himself/herself/itself. The accusative reflexive pronoun functions as a _________ and refers to the sentence subject.

Back 3

transitive verb
direct object

Front 4

I wash the child.
I wash myself.

Back 4

Ich wasche das Kind.
Ich wasche mich.

Front 5

You shave the customer.
You shave yourself.

Back 5

Du rasierst den Kunden.
Du rasierst dich.

Front 6

She sees him in the mirror.
She sees herself in the mirror.

Back 6

Sie sieht ihn im Spiegel.
Sie sieht sich im Spiegel.

Front 7

The woman cut the flowers.
The woman cut herself.

Back 7

Die Frau schnitt die Blumen.
Die Frau schnitt sich.

Front 8

They saw them (other people) on the video.
They saw themselves on the video.

Back 8

Sie sahen sie auf dem Video.
Sie sahen sich auf dem Video.

Front 9

Four German verbs that always require a direct object (in cases where English might have no direct object, these verbs take an accusative reflexive pronoun to fulfill the object function)

The cat moved the curtain. (d.o.)
The curtain moved. (no d.o.)

That changes everything. (d.o.)
Everything is changing. (no d.o.)

Back 9

(sich) aendern
(sich) bewegen
(sich) drehen
(sich) oeffnen

Die Katze bewegte den Vorhang.
Der Vorhang bewegte sich.

Das aendert alles.
Alles aendert sich.

Front 10

Reflexive verbs take what auxiliary in the past tense?

Back 10

haben

Front 11

Did you enjoy yourselves?

Back 11

Habt ihr euch gut amuesiert?

Front 12

The guests got lost on the way to the party.

Back 12

Die Gaeste haben sich auf dem Weg zur Party verlaufen.

Front 13

Do we still have time to look around a bit?

Back 13

Haben wir noch Zeit uns ein bisschen umzusehen?

Front 14

I can no longer remember him.

Back 14

Ich kann mich nicht mehr an ihn erinnern.

Front 15

We are looking forward to your visit.

Back 15

Wir freuen uns auf deinen Besuch.

Front 16

I am annoyed at myself sometimes.

Back 16

Ich aergere mich manchmal ueber mich.

Front 17

She is only concerned about herself.

Back 17

Sie kuemmert sich nur um sich.

Front 18

When are dative reflexives used?

When are they optional?

Are you buying (yourself) new shoes?

I ordered ice cream (for myself)

Back 18

When the subject does something on his/her/its own behalf, in conjunction with an accusative d.o.

They are optional when the context makes the recipient clear

Kaufst du (dir) neue Schuhe?

Ich habe (mir) ein Eis bestellt.

Front 19

When does German use dative reflexives instead of possessive adjectives?
When are dative reflexives optional?

Later, I took off my sweater.

Have you already brushed your teeth?

Back 19

Clothing and body parts

When the context is sufficiently clear

Spaeter zog ich (mir) den Pulli aus.

Hast du (dir) die Zaehne schon geputzt?

Front 20

With what verbs is an acc. reflexive used for the general activity and dat. reflexive when a d.o. is specified?

Come on and get dressed!
Put on a suit today!
You look a sight--go wash up!
Before eating, you should wash your hands.

Back 20

anziehen, waschen, related verbs

Zieh dich doch an!

Zieh dir heute einen Anzug an!

Du siehst aber aus--wasch dich doch!

Vor dem Essen solltest du dir die Haende waschen.

Front 21

A friend of mine takes himself to be a great artist/ thinks of himself as a great artist.

Back 21

Ein Freund von mir bildet sich ein, ein grosser Kuenstler zu sein.

Front 22

But I've looked carefully at his paintings.

Back 22

Aber ich habe mir seine Gemaelde genau angesehen.

Front 23

And I can't imagine anything more ridiculous.

Back 23

Und ich kann mir was Laecherlicheres gar nicht vorstellen.

Front 24

Selbst and selber are ______, not reflexive pronouns

Back 24

intensifying adverbs

Front 25

Did you build this house yourself?

Back 25

Hast du dieses Haus selber/selbst gebaut?

Front 26

She got dressed (by) herself.

Back 26

Sie hat sich selbst/selber angezogen.

Front 27

You will have to help yourself.

Back 27

Du musst dir selbst/selber helfen.

Front 28

He contradicted himself.

Back 28

Er hat sich selbst/selber widersprochen.

Front 29

When ______ (not ______) precedes the words it intensifies, it means even

Back 29

Selbst, not selber

Front 30

Even on the Mediterranean we had lousy weather.

Back 30

Selbst am Mittelmeer hatten wir mieses Wetter.

Front 31

einander (definition)

Back 31

each other

Front 32

We bought each other little travel souvenirs

Back 32

Wir kauften einander kleine Reiseandenken.

Front 33

What happens when einander is used with prepositions?

The teams are now playing against each other.

Are ghosts afraid of one another?

Back 33

Attach einander to the preposition to form one word

Die Mannschaften spielen jetzt gegeneinander.

Fuerchten sich Geister voreinander?