Dutch reflexive verbs: me, je, zich

In this article

01The rule in one table
02Where does the word go?
0320 verbs you need at A2
04The three most common mistakes
05Where to practise this

Which word?

ik	me
jij / jullie	je
u / hij / zij	zich
wij	ons

Some Dutch verbs always need an extra little word: me, je, zich, ons. That is called a reflexive verb. Leave that word out and the sentence is wrong — even when everyone understands what you mean. This is one of the mistakes that sticks around longest, also with people whose Dutch is otherwise good.

Amber van der Zalm · NT2 teacher

“Ik kan beter concentreren” — I hear that a lot. It has to be “ik kan me beter concentreren”. The verb is zich concentreren, and that little word does not disappear.

The rule in one table

The word changes with the person. That is all you have to remember.

Person	Word	Example
ik (I)	me	Ik voel me goed.
jij (you)	je	Voel je je goed?
u (you, formal)	zich	Voelt u zich goed?
hij / zij (he / she)	zich	Hij voelt zich goed.
wij (we)	ons	Wij voelen ons goed.
jullie (you, plural)	je	Voelen jullie je goed?
zij (they)	zich	Zij voelen zich goed.

In the dictionary the verb is always listed with zich: zich voelen, zich concentreren. That is your signal that this verb needs the extra word.

Where does the word go?

In a normal sentence: straight after the verb. — Ik bereid me voor op het examen.

With two verbs: after the first verb. — Ik kan me beter concentreren als het rustig is.

In a question: after the subject. — Voel je je beter?

Wrong

Ik me bereid voor op het examen.
Ik kan beter me concentreren.

Right

Ik bereid me voor op het examen.
Ik kan me beter concentreren.

20 verbs you need at A2

These are the ones that come up most often in exam tasks and in conversations with Dutch institutions.

Verb	Example sentence
zich voelen — to feel	Ik voel me vandaag beter.
zich concentreren — to concentrate	Ik kan me beter concentreren als het rustig is.
zich voorbereiden — to prepare	Ik bereid me goed voor op het examen.
zich herinneren — to remember	Ik herinner me dat ik vroeger veel buiten speelde.
zich ergeren aan — to be annoyed by	Ik erger me aan mensen die te laat komen.
zich vergissen — to be mistaken	Sorry, ik vergis me.
zich haasten — to hurry	Ik moet me haasten, anders mis ik de bus.
zich wassen — to wash	Ik was me elke ochtend.
zich aankleden — to get dressed	De kinderen kleden zich zelf aan.
zich schamen — to be ashamed	Ik schaam me een beetje.
zich vervelen — to be bored	Mijn zoon verveelt zich in de vakantie.
zich voorstellen — to introduce oneself	Mag ik me even voorstellen?
zich afvragen — to wonder	Ik vraag me af of de bus nog komt.
zich zorgen maken — to worry	Maak je geen zorgen.
zich interesseren voor — to be interested in	Hij interesseert zich voor politiek.
zich verheugen op — to look forward to	Wij verheugen ons op de zomer.
zich verbazen over — to be surprised at	Ik verbaas me over de prijzen.
zich inschrijven — to register	Ik schrijf me in bij de gemeente.
zich melden — to report, check in	U moet zich melden bij de balie.
zich aanmelden — to sign up	Ik meld me aan voor het examen.

Start with the last four. Zich inschrijven, zich melden, zich aanmelden and zich voorbereiden are what you need at the municipality, at DUO and in letters to an institution. They come back in KNM as well as in Writing.

The three most common mistakes

Is this sentence right?

The three most common mistakes, plus one correct sentence.

Ik kan beter concentreren.
Voelt u je goed?
Ik me bereid voor.
Ik voel me goed.

Which sentence is correct?

The correct answer is C. With u you use zich, not je. And you cannot leave it out: zich voelen always needs the word.

Where to practise this

You only unlearn this by saying it and hearing yourself back. On Speaking you hear your own omissions faster than you expect, and on Writing you see them if you read your text back once.

A2 Speaking practice exams · A2 Writing practice exams · The eight mistakes on Writing

Frequently asked questions

What is a reflexive verb?

A verb that always carries ‘me’, ‘je’, ‘zich’ or ‘ons’. In the dictionary it is listed with ‘zich’: zich voelen, zich concentreren, zich voorbereiden.

When do I use ‘me’ and when ‘zich’?

‘Me’ with ik, ‘je’ with jij and jullie, ‘zich’ with u, hij, zij and they, ‘ons’ with wij. Note that ‘u’ takes ‘zich’, not ‘je’.

Can I say ‘mij’ instead of ‘me’?

Yes, both are correct. ‘Me’ sounds more ordinary in speech, ‘mij’ is slightly more emphatic.

Why is there a double ‘je’ in ‘voel je je goed?’

The first ‘je’ belongs to the subject jij, the second belongs to the verb zich voelen. It sounds odd, but it is correct Dutch.

Do these verbs come up on the integration exam?

Yes, mainly on Speaking and Writing, where you build sentences yourself. On Reading and Listening you only have to recognise them.

How many reflexive verbs do I need to know?

The twenty in this article are more than enough for A2. Learn the ones you need at an institution first: zich inschrijven, zich melden, zich aanmelden.

Reviewed by Amber van der Zalm, certified NT2 teacher. Last revised on 2026-09-16. Every figure has been checked against DUO — the source is shown next to each one.

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