Reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject and object refer to the same person — the action bounces back to the doer. In Dutch, reflexive verbs use the reflexive pronoun zich for third-person subjects and me/je/ons/je/zich for other persons. Common reflexive verbs include: zich wassen (to wash oneself), zich voelen (to feel), zich vergissen (to be mistaken), zich herinneren (to remember), zich gedragen (to behave), and zich zorgen maken (to worry).
The reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject: ik was me, jij wast je, hij wast zich, wij wassen ons, jullie wassen je, zij wassen zich. Notice that zich is used for hij/zij/het/zij(pl) and u — while the other persons use the same forms as direct object pronouns. The reflexive pronoun typically follows the conjugated verb: “Ik voel me niet goed” (I don’t feel well).
Many Dutch reflexive verbs have no direct equivalent in English — they simply require learning the verb together with its reflexive pronoun as a unit. Zich vergissen (to be wrong/mistaken) has no direct English reflexive counterpart. Zich bevinden (to be located) is formal and common in written Dutch. Zich realiseren (to realize) is widely used. Learning these verbs in example sentences — always with the reflexive pronoun in place — is the most effective approach.