Reflexive verbs have the same subject and object nouns. Some languages have specific rules for constructing reflexive sentences, such as adding a particle or changing the form of the verb or pronoun. In some languages, there are different variations of correct grammar based on subtleties.
A sentence using a reflexive verb contains subject and object nouns that are the same. In the example, “She got embarrassed,” the subject pronoun “her” and the direct object pronoun “herself” are the same person. The verb, which expresses his action or state of being, is not applied to a different person or thing and can be said to reflect on him.
There are some verbs that are so inherently reflexive that the direct object noun can be omitted and understood to refer to the subject. In most cases, a reflexive verb will be contextual. You can use the same verb in the example in the previous paragraph, “He embarrassed his mother.” This time the verb is not reflexive. Some linguists and others who study the structure of languages refer to the subject and object of a sentence as “doer and patient.”
Most languages have grammatical rules or conventions for constructing reflexive sentences. Some languages force a change to the form of the verb to clearly indicate its reflexive use. In Spanish, for example, the particle “se” is attached to the end of the verb as a suffix. In Romanian, the same particle must precede the verb. An uncommon English convention is to turn some words into a reflexive verb by adding the hyphenated prefix “self-” as in “self-injure”.
In English, the word “self” itself is also typically attached to a pronoun that is the object of the sentence. “She embarrassed her,” can refer to anyone; but “itself” clearly specifies that the verb is reflexive. Changing the form of a pronoun when it is a direct object is also common in other languages. Some linguists refer to the reflexive verb as a “pronominal verb”, because they almost always, in many languages, require a direct object which is a pronoun.
Many of the older European languages change the form of both the reflexive verb and its object pronoun in rather complex ways. Some languages of Germanic origin have different rules for changing pronouns based on person and number: I, we, you, she, or they. Other languages may have up to a dozen slightly different variations of correct grammar, based on subtleties such as the nature of the agent or the patient. For example, a reflexive verb form may apply to an animate agent such as a person, while the same verb may require a different form when used for inanimate things.
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