Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive क्रियाएँ
Hindi uses 'खुद' or 'अपने-आप' only when an action genuinely bounces back onto the subject. German uses reflexive verbs far more broadly, including many verbs that don't feel reflexive at all in Hindi translation.
Grammar Comparison
व्याकरण तुलना
Reflexive verbs: the action bounces back onto the subject
Ich freue mich. (I am glad / I look forward to it — literally 'I rejoice myself')
मुझे खुशी है।
Hindi also has reflexive verbs (मैंने खुद को चोट पहुँचाई), but only when the action genuinely returns to the subject. German uses reflexive verbs far more broadly, including many that don't feel reflexive at all in Hindi translation: sich freuen ('to be glad'), sich interessieren ('to be interested'), sich erinnern ('to remember'), sich beeilen ('to hurry'). These simply have to be learned as reflexive verbs, since Hindi doesn't mark any of them that way.
The reflexive pronouns
mich, dich, sich, uns, euch, sich (for ich/du/er-sie-es/wir/ihr/sie-Sie)
खुद को, अपने-आप को — Hindi's 'खुद' stays the same for every person
Notice: sich covers third-person singular, plural, and the formal Sie all at once — just like Hindi's 'खुद', which doesn't change by person or number. Most reflexive pronouns are the same forms as the accusative object pronouns you already learned, except the third person, which always uses sich instead of ihn/sie/es/sie.
Vocabulary
शब्दावली
| German | Pronunciation | Hindi | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sich freuen | zikh FROY-en | खुश होनाkhuś honā | to be glad / happy |
| sich waschen | zikh VAH-shen | खुद को धोना / नहानाkhud ko dhonā | to wash oneself |
| sich anziehen | zikh AHN-tsee-en | कपड़े पहननाkapṛe pahannā | to get dressed |
| sich setzen | zikh ZET-sen | बैठनाbaiṭhnā | to sit down |
| sich interessieren für | zikh in-teh-reh-SEE-ren fuer | दिलचस्पी होनाdilcaspī honā | to be interested in |
| sich erinnern an | zikh air-IN-ern ahn | याद आनाyād ānā | to remember |
| sich beeilen | zikh beh-EYE-len | जल्दी करनाjaldī karnā | to hurry |
| sich fühlen | zikh FUE-len | महसूस करनाmahsūs karnā | to feel |
| sich entspannen | zikh ent-SHPAH-nen | आराम करनाārām karnā | to relax |
| sich ärgern über | zikh AIR-gern UE-ber | नाराज़ होनाnārāz honā | to be annoyed about |
| sich amüsieren | zikh ah-mue-ZEE-ren | मज़ा लेनाmazā lenā | to have fun / enjoy oneself |