Bitte beeil dich!
Please hurry up!
Wir erholen unsam liebsten beim Schwimmen.
Our favourite way to relax is to go swimming.
‘True’ reflexive verbs +dative
There are also a few ‘true’ reflexive verbs that need a reflexive pronoun
in the dative. The most important are:
sich aneignen to learn/acquire
sich einbilden to get hold of an idea
sich verbitten not to tolerate something
sich vornehmen to intend to do
sich vorstellen to imagine something
sich überlegen to think something over
Here are some of them in use:
Überlegdirdas noch mal!
Think it over again!
Ich habe mirfest vorgenommen mit dem Rauchen aufzuhören.
I firmly intend to stop smoking.
Stellteuchvor, ihr seid im Amazonas!
Imagine you are in the Amazon!
Remember that the reflexive dative pronouns only differ from the accusa-
tive in the first and second person singular: ich→miranddu→dir.
Other verbs used reflexively
Verbs with an accusative object
Many verbs taking an accusative object can also be used reflexively when
it relates the action back to the subject:
With an accusative object Reflexive
Er möchte die Weltändern. → Er möchte sichändern.
He wants to change the world. He wants to change (himself ).
44 Unit 6: Reflexive verbs