What is Reflexive?
In language, "reflexive" usually refers to a verb that has a direct object that is the same as the subject. It's like the action of the verb is being done to the subject itself.
Examples in English:
* "She hurt herself."
* Subject: She
* Verb: hurt
* Object: herself (same as the subject)
* "I washed my hands."
* Subject: I
* Verb: washed
* Object: my hands (same as the subject)
* "The dog scratched itself."
* Subject: The dog
* Verb: scratched
* Object: itself (same as the subject)
Reflexive Pronouns:
In English, we use special pronouns to indicate these actions:
* myself
* yourself
* himself
* herself
* itself
* ourselves
* yourselves
* themselves
More Complex Examples:
* "They made themselves a delicious dinner." (The action of making is for themselves.)
* "The children dressed themselves for the party." (The children are the ones dressing.)
Beyond Verbs:
"Reflexive" can also refer to actions or processes that are directed back at themselves, but it's less common in everyday language. For instance, you might say a system is "self-regulating" (the system controls its own behavior).
Let me know if you'd like to explore specific types of reflexive verbs, or if you have any other questions!