Language/Swedish/Grammar/Reflexive-pronouns

◀️ Personal pronouns — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Demonstrative pronouns ▶️

Swedish → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Reflexive pronouns

Welcome to today's lesson on reflexive pronouns in Swedish! Understanding reflexive pronouns is crucial for expressing actions that are performed by the subject upon themselves. This topic will not only enhance your grammar skills but also improve your overall fluency in the language.

In this lesson, we'll explore:

• The definition and importance of reflexive pronouns

• How to use reflexive pronouns in Swedish sentences

• 20 illustrative examples to demonstrate their use

• Practical exercises to apply what you've learned

By the end of this lesson, you should feel confident using reflexive pronouns in your conversations.

What are Reflexive Pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns in Swedish are used when the subject and the object of the verb are the same. In other words, they reflect the action back onto the subject.

In Swedish, the reflexive pronoun is "sig" for all persons. This is similar to "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," "ourselves," "yourselves," and "themselves" in English.

== Why are Reflexive Pronouns Important?

Using reflexive pronouns correctly is essential because:

• They help clarify actions where the subject does something to themselves.

• They are commonly used in everyday language, making your speech more natural.

• They are necessary for certain verbs that require a reflexive form.

How to Use Reflexive Pronouns

To use reflexive pronouns in Swedish, follow this structure:

• Subject + verb + reflexive pronoun + (object).

For example:

• Jag tvättar mig. (I wash myself.)

• Han klipper sig. (He cuts his hair.)

Here are some key points to remember:

• The reflexive pronoun "sig" is used regardless of the subject's person (I, you, he, she, they).

• The reflexive pronoun is often used with specific verbs that inherently require it.

Examples of Reflexive Pronouns in Sentences

Let's look at some examples to illustrate how reflexive pronouns work in various contexts:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
Jag ser mig i spegeln.	jɑɡ seːr mɛɪ ɕpeːɡɛln	I see myself in the mirror.
Du klär på dig.	dʉː klɛːr pɔː dɛɪ	You are getting dressed.
Hon borstar sig.	hʊn bɔːrʃtar sɪɡ	She is brushing herself.
Vi förbereder oss.	viː fœːrbɛːrɛdɛr ɔs	We are preparing ourselves.
De skämtar om sig.	dɔm ɕɛmːtar ɔm sɪɡ	They are joking about themselves.
Han rakar sig.	hɑn rɑːkɑr sɪɡ	He is shaving himself.
Jag tvättar mig.	jɑɡ tvɛtːar mɛɪ	I wash myself.
Du sminkar dig.	dʉː smɪŋkɑr dɛɪ	You are putting on makeup.
Hon klipper sig.	hʊn klɪpːɛr sɪɡ	She is cutting her hair.
Vi njuter av oss.	viː njʉːtɛr av ɔs	We enjoy ourselves.
De skyddar sig.	dɔm ɕʏdːar sɪɡ	They protect themselves.
Jag biter mig i tungan.	jɑɡ biːtɛr mɛɪ i tʊŋan	I bite my tongue.
Du håller om dig.	dʉː hɔlːɛr ɔm dɛɪ	You hold onto yourself.
Hon slappnar av sig.	hʊn slɑːpnɑr av sɪɡ	She relaxes herself.
Vi kramar oss.	viː krɑːmar ɔs	We hug ourselves.
De uppmanar sig.	dɔm ʉpːmɑːnar sɪɡ	They encourage themselves.
Han hjälper sig själv.	hɑn jɛlpɛr sɪɡ ɕɛlv	He helps himself.
Jag fokuserar mig.	jɑɡ fɔːkʊːseːrar mɛɪ	I focus on myself.
Du påminner dig.	dʉː pɔːmɪndɛr dɛɪ	You remind yourself.
Hon tycker om sig.	hʊn tʏkɛr ɔm sɪɡ	She likes herself.
Vi utmanar oss.	viː ʉtːmɑːnar ɔs	We challenge ourselves.

Exercises

Now that we've gone through the theory and examples, it’s time for you to practice! Here are ten exercises to test your understanding of reflexive pronouns.

1. Translate the following sentence into Swedish: "I wash myself."

2. Fill in the blank with the correct reflexive pronoun: "Han __________ (rak) sig." (He shaves himself.)

3. Rewrite this sentence using a reflexive pronoun: "She looks at her."

4. Translate the following sentence into Swedish: "You are getting dressed."

5. Choose the correct reflexive pronoun: "Vi __________ (klä) oss." (We are dressing ourselves.)

6. Fill in the blank: "De __________ (skämt) om sig." (They joke about themselves.)

7. Translate "He helps himself" into Swedish.

8. Identify the reflexive pronoun in the sentence: "Hon kramar sig." (She hugs herself.)

9. Convert this sentence to include a reflexive pronoun: "I bite my lip."

10. Translate "You hold onto yourself" into Swedish.

Solutions to Exercises

1. Jag tvättar mig.

2. Han rakar sig.

3. Hon ser på sig.

4. Du klär på dig.

5. Vi klär oss.

6. De skämtar om sig.

7. Han hjälper sig själv.

8. Sig.

9. Jag biter mig i läppen.

10. Du håller om dig.

Congratulations on completing this lesson on reflexive pronouns! Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep using these structures in your conversations.

Table of Contents - Swedish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Swedish

• Greeting people
• Saying goodbye
• Asking for directions
• Going to a restaurant

  ---

Swedish Pronouns

• Personal pronouns
• Reflexive pronouns
• Demonstrative pronouns
• Possessive pronouns

  ---

Colors and Numbers

• Colors
• Numbers 0-20
• Numbers 20-100
• Numbers above 100

  ---

Swedish Culture

• Swedish customs
• Swedish food
• Swedish holidays
• Swedish geography

  ---

Swedish Verbs

• Present tense
• Past tense
• Future tense
• Verbs with prepositions

  ---

Body parts and health

• Body parts
• Symptoms and illnesses
• At the doctor's

  ---

Swedish Nouns

• Gender of nouns
• Definite and indefinite nouns
• Plural nouns

  ---

Travel and directions

• Means of transportation
• Booking a trip
• Giving directions

  ---

Sweden's history

• Vikings and Middle Ages
• Modern Sweden
• Swedish politics and society

  ---

Swedish Adjectives

• Basic adjectives
• Comparison of adjectives
• Compound adjectives

  ---

Jobs and professions

• Types of jobs
• Job applications and interviews
• Workplace Swedish

Sources

• Refresh your Swedish Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns | Swedish ...
• Swedish Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns - ielanguages.com
• Swedish Possessive and Possessive Reflexive Pronouns | Swedish ...

Other Lessons

• Negation
• Definite Articles in Swedish
• Conditional Mood
• Nouns
• Common Interjections
• Gender of nouns
• Time References
• Verbs with prepositions
• How to Describe Someone's Appearance and Personality
• Future Tense

◀️ Personal pronouns — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Demonstrative pronouns ▶️