Reflexive Verbs in Norwegian

Overview

Reflexive verbs in Norwegian are verbs paired with a reflexive pronoun — "seg" (himself/herself/itself/themselves), "meg" (myself), "deg" (yourself) — to indicate that the subject performs the action on itself. "Vaske seg" means "to wash oneself," "føle seg" means "to feel," and "sette seg" means "to sit down." Many verbs that are not reflexive in English require a reflexive pronoun in Norwegian, making this a pattern that needs deliberate attention.

This is an A2 concept that builds on Present Tense. The verbs themselves conjugate normally — the reflexive pronoun is an additional element placed after the verb. The main challenge is knowing which verbs require a reflexive pronoun in Norwegian and choosing the correct pronoun for each person.

Reflexive verbs are extremely common in daily Norwegian. Getting dressed, sitting down, feeling tired, introducing yourself, and getting married all use reflexive constructions. Mastering them is essential for describing everyday actions naturally.

How It Works

Reflexive Pronouns by Person

Person	Subject	Reflexive	Example
1st sg.	jeg	meg	Jeg vasker meg. (I wash myself.)
2nd sg.	du	deg	Du vasker deg. (You wash yourself.)
3rd sg.	han/hun/det	seg	Han vasker seg. (He washes himself.)
1st pl.	vi	oss	Vi vasker oss. (We wash ourselves.)
2nd pl.	dere	dere	Dere vasker dere. (You wash yourselves.)
3rd pl.	de	seg	De vasker seg. (They wash themselves.)

Note: Only the 3rd person has a dedicated reflexive form ("seg"). The other persons use object pronouns.

Common Reflexive Verbs

Infinitive	Meaning	Example
vaske seg	wash oneself	Jeg vasker meg om morgenen.
kle seg	get dressed	Hun kler seg fort.
sette seg	sit down	Sett deg ned!
legge seg	go to bed / lie down	Vi legger oss tidlig.
føle seg	feel	Jeg føler meg trøtt.
gifte seg	get married	De gifter seg i juni.
glede seg	look forward to	Vi gleder oss til ferien.
bestemme seg	make up one's mind	Har du bestemt deg?
skynde seg	hurry	Skynd deg!
oppføre seg	behave	Oppfør deg pent!
kjede seg	be bored	Barna kjeder seg.
befinne seg	be located	Hotellet befinner seg i sentrum.

Verbs That Change Meaning with "Seg"

Some verbs have different meanings with and without a reflexive pronoun:

Without Reflexive	With Reflexive
sette (to put/place)	sette seg (to sit down)
legge (to put/lay)	legge seg (to go to bed)
bestemme (to decide/determine)	bestemme seg (to make up one's mind)
gifte (to marry someone off)	gifte seg (to get married)
føle (to feel/touch)	føle seg (to feel a certain way)

Word Order with Reflexive Pronouns

In main clauses, the reflexive pronoun comes right after the verb:

Norwegian	English
Jeg vasker meg.	I wash myself.
Hun setter seg ned.	She sits down.

With V2 inversion (when another element starts the sentence), the pronoun follows the subject:

Norwegian	English
I dag vasker jeg meg.	Today I wash myself.
Nå setter hun seg ned.	Now she sits down.

In subordinate clauses, the pronoun follows the subject:

Norwegian	English
...fordi han vasker seg.	...because he washes himself.
...når de setter seg.	...when they sit down.

Imperative with Reflexive Pronouns

In commands, use "deg" (singular) or "dere" (plural):

Norwegian	English
Sett deg!	Sit down! (singular)
Skynd deg!	Hurry up! (singular)
Sett dere!	Sit down! (plural)
Oppfør dere!	Behave! (plural)

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Jeg vasker meg hver morgen.	I wash myself every morning.	Daily routine
Hun føler seg trøtt i dag.	She feels tired today.	State of being
Sett deg ned!	Sit down!	Imperative
De gifter seg i sommer.	They're getting married this summer.	Life event
Vi gleder oss til ferien.	We look forward to the vacation.	Anticipation
Han legger seg klokka elleve.	He goes to bed at eleven.	Routine
Har du bestemt deg?	Have you made up your mind?	Decision
Skynd deg, vi er sene!	Hurry up, we're late!	Urgent command
Barna kler seg selv nå.	The children dress themselves now.	Independence
Jeg kjedet meg på møtet.	I was bored at the meeting.	Past tense
De oppførte seg pent.	They behaved nicely.	Past tense
Hun befinner seg i Bergen.	She is located in Bergen.	Formal location

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the reflexive pronoun

• Wrong: Jeg føler trøtt.
• Right: Jeg føler meg trøtt.
• Why: "Føle seg" requires the reflexive pronoun to mean "to feel a certain way." Without it, the sentence is incomplete.

Using "seg" for all persons

• Wrong: Jeg vasker seg.
• Right: Jeg vasker meg.
• Why: "Seg" is only for the 3rd person. 1st person uses "meg," 2nd person uses "deg."

Placing the pronoun incorrectly

• Wrong: Jeg meg vasker.
• Right: Jeg vasker meg.
• Why: The reflexive pronoun goes after the verb, not after the subject.

Using reflexive verbs where Norwegian does not require them

• Wrong: Jeg føler meg boka. (trying to say "I feel the book")
• Right: Jeg føler boka. (I feel/touch the book.)
• Why: "Føle" without "seg" means to physically touch or feel something. "Føle seg" means to feel a certain way emotionally or physically. Do not add "seg" when the verb takes a regular object.

Forgetting the pronoun in imperatives

• Wrong: Sett! (meaning "sit down")
• Right: Sett deg!
• Why: The reflexive pronoun is required even in commands. "Sett!" alone would mean "put!" (without an object), which is incomplete.

Usage Notes

Reflexive verbs are used identically in formal and informal Norwegian. They are standard across all dialects and both Bokmål and Nynorsk. The frequency of reflexive constructions is higher in Norwegian than in English, so expect to encounter them constantly.

Some reflexive expressions are particularly idiomatic: "å glede seg til" (to look forward to), "å ta seg av" (to take care of), "å gi seg" (to give up/stop). These are best learned as fixed phrases.

In casual speech, the reflexive pronoun is sometimes phonetically reduced, especially "seg" which may sound like /sei/ or /sæ/ in dialects. But in writing, the full form is always used.

Practice Tips

1. Practice morning and evening routines. Describe your daily routine using reflexive verbs: "Jeg våkner, vasker meg, kler meg, setter meg ned og spiser." This hits multiple reflexive verbs in natural sequence.

2. Learn reflexive verbs with their pronouns as a unit. Always study "vaske seg" (not just "vaske"), "føle seg" (not just "føle"). Writing the reflexive pronoun as part of the dictionary form trains you to recall it automatically.

3. Pay attention to meaning changes. When you learn a reflexive verb, check if the base verb has a different meaning without "seg." "Sette" vs "sette seg," "legge" vs "legge seg" — understanding both meanings prevents confusion.

Related Concepts

• Parent: Present Tense — reflexive verbs conjugate normally in all tenses
• Related: S-Verbs (Reciprocal) — another way of expressing actions involving the subject
• Related: Object Pronouns — reflexive pronouns share forms with object pronouns (except 3rd person "seg")