What reflexive verbs are
In Norwegian, some verbs are often used together with a reflexive pronoun. This pronoun shows that the action is directed back to the subject. In dictionary form, you will often see the pattern with seg: å vaske seg, å kle på seg, å sette seg.
It is important to remember that seg is not the only form. In a sentence, the pronoun changes according to person: meg, deg, seg, oss, dere, seg.
Reflexive pronouns
Here are the forms used with reflexive verbs:
jeg → meg
du → deg
han / hun / den / det → seg
vi → oss
dere → dere
de → seg
Examples:
Jeg vasker meg.
Du vasker deg.
Han vasker seg.
Vi vasker oss.
Dere vasker dere.
De vasker seg.
When seg is used
The form seg is used with the third person singular and plural. This means we use it when talking about other people, not about ourselves or the person we are speaking to.
Examples:
Hun legger seg tidlig.
Han barberer seg om morgenen.
Barna koser seg i parken.
De gleder seg til ferien.
Common reflexive verbs at A2 level
Below are frequent verbs that are useful to remember as fixed patterns:
å vaske seg — to wash oneself
å kle på seg — to get dressed
å legge seg — to go to bed, lie down
å sette seg — to sit down
å barbere seg — to shave
å skynde seg — to hurry
å glede seg — to look forward to, be glad
å kose seg — to have a good time
å føle seg — to feel
å bestemme seg — to decide
Reflexive verb and ordinary verb
Some verbs can be used both without and with a reflexive pronoun, but the meaning changes. That is why it is important to learn not only the verb itself, but the whole construction.
Compare:
Han vasker bilen. — he washes the car
Han vasker seg. — he washes himself
Hun setter stolen ved bordet. — she puts the chair by the table
Hun setter seg ved bordet. — she sits down at the table
Vi legger boka på bordet. — we put the book on the table
Vi legger oss tidlig. — we go to bed early
Word order in the sentence
The reflexive pronoun usually stands after the finite verb. If the sentence contains an adverb or another part of the predicate, it is important to follow normal Norwegian word order.
Examples:
Jeg føler meg trøtt.
Hun bestemmer seg raskt.
De gleder seg til sommeren.
In questions and with inversion, the verb moves to the second position, and the pronoun stays after it:
Legger du deg tidlig?
Nå skynder jeg meg.
I helgene koser vi oss hjemme.
Reflexive verbs with prepositions
Some constructions are especially often used together with a preposition. It is best to remember them as complete units.
å glede seg til + noun or action
å bestemme seg for + noun or action
å interessere seg for + noun
Examples:
Jeg gleder meg til helga.
Hun har bestemt seg for å studere mer.
Han interesserer seg for språk.
Reflexive verbs in everyday speech
Many of these verbs are very common in everyday topics: morning routines, daily schedule, leisure, emotions, and plans. That is why they are especially useful for spoken A2 Norwegian.
Examples in typical situations:
Jeg kler på meg og går på jobb.
Barna legger seg klokka ni.
Vi koser oss sammen i helgene.
Hun føler seg mye bedre i dag.
Dere må skynde dere.
Common difficulties
The first difficulty is forgetting the pronoun. In Norwegian, some verbs sound natural specifically as reflexive constructions, so without the pronoun the phrase may be incomplete or change meaning.
The second difficulty is using seg for all persons. You need to remember that seg is only used in the third person. For jeg you need meg, for du you need deg, and for vi you need oss.
The third difficulty is confusing the reflexive pronoun with an ordinary object. Compare:
Hun vasker barnet. — the action is directed at someone else
Hun vasker seg. — the action is directed at herself
How to remember them better
It is useful to learn reflexive verbs not as single words, but as ready-made expressions. For example, not just å glede, but å glede seg til. Not just å bestemme, but å bestemme seg for. This makes it easier to build natural phrases.
It is also helpful to connect these verbs with everyday topics: morning, home, work, leisure, and how one feels. Then the constructions move more easily into active speech.
Lesson summary
In this lesson, we got acquainted with reflexive verbs and saw that in Norwegian they often form fixed patterns. You learned how the reflexive pronouns change, when seg is used, and why it is important to remember the verb together with the pronoun and any preposition it may require. This topic will be useful later when building longer and more natural statements about daily life, plans, and feelings.