Reflexive Pronouns
A reflexive pronoun bends a verb's action back onto its own subject. Caesar sē ex nāvī prōiēcit — "Caesar threw himself out of the ship" (B. G. iv. 25).
The third person has a dedicated form — suī, sibi, sē, sē — identical for singular and plural, with no nominative; for the first and second person, Latin just reuses the personal pronouns (meī, tibi, nōs, vōs).
The matching possessive is suus, -a, -um, "his/her/its/their own."
The trap is the second clause. In an indirect statement or a purpose clause, sē and suus leap past the nearby subject and refer back to the subject of the MAIN verb — the speaker, the planner, the one whose thought you're inside.
Caesar dīxit sē ventūrum esse means Caesar said HE (Caesar) would come, not someone else. Switch to eum / eius the moment you mean a different person.
Refers back to the subject of its own clause — or, in indirect speech, the subject of the MAIN verb.
Inside ut-clauses, infinitive phrases, and indirect statement, sē / suus skips the nearer subject. Use eum / eius the moment you mean somebody else.
| Case | Form | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | — | no reflexive nominative exists |
| Gen. | suī | "of himself / herself / itself / themselves" |
| Dat. | sibi | "to / for himself / themselves" |
| Acc. | sē (or sēsē) | "himself / themselves" |
| Abl. | sē (or sēsē) | "by / with / from himself" |
| Case | 1st sg. | 2nd sg. | 1st pl. | 2nd pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen. | meī | tuī | nostrī / nostrum | vestrī / vestrum |
| Dat. | mihi | tibi | nōbīs | vōbīs |
| Acc. | mē | tē | nōs | vōs |
| Abl. | mē (mēcum) | tē (tēcum) | nōbīs (nōbīscum) | vōbīs (vōbīscum) |
| Case | Singular m./f./n. | Plural m./f./n. |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | su-us, su | su-ī, su |
| Gen. | su-ī, su | su-ōrum, su |
| Dat. | su-ō, su | su-īs, su |
| Acc. | su-um, su | su-ōs, su |
| Abl. | su-ō, su | su-īs, su |
See It In Action
— B. G. iv. 25
Textbook Direct Reflexive: sē sits inside the same clause as prōiēcit and points back to its subject — the standard-bearer leaping into the surf.
— B. G. iv. 16
Sibi and suīs both leap over their nearer subjects to land on Caesar — the subject of the main verb. This is the indirect reflexive at full strength: the whole sentence is INSIDE Caesar's head.
— B. G. i. 41
Two pronouns in one sentence, two different referents. Eī points outward to Caesar (not the subject); sē loops back inside the legion's reported thought. Latin keeps them straight; English needs context.
— B. G. i. 1
Latin has no separate word for "each other." Inter sē + a plural verb does the whole job — memorize it as one chunk.
sē / suus refers to the subject of its OWN clause — translate with -self/-selves or "his own."
iūdicārī potest quantum habeat in sē bonī cōnstantia — "how much good firmness has IN ITSELF" (B. G. i. 40)
sē refers to the speaker / thinker — the subject of the MAIN verb. Translate as "he / she / they" relative to that person.
Caesar statuit sibi Rhēnum esse trānseundum — "Caesar decided that HE (Caesar) had to cross the Rhine" (B. G. iv. 16)
sē / suus points back to the subject whose intention or fear is being reported — usually the main-clause subject.
petiērunt utī sibi licēret — "they begged that it be permitted to THEM (the petitioners)" (B. G. i. 30)
Translate as "each other / one another" — never as a literal reflexive.
inter sē cōnflīgunt — "they fight with each other" (Cat. i. 25)
Both can translate as English "him" inside a that-clause. The choice tells you WHO is being talked about.
= subject of the MAIN verb
Caesar dīxit sē ventūrum esse
Caesar said HE (= Caesar) would come
= someone OTHER than the main subject
Caesar dīxit eum ventūrum esse
Caesar said HE (= some other man) would come
Tip: Ask yourself: "would the speaker say I?" If yes → sē. If the speaker would say he (pointing at someone else) → eum.
Caesar nōluit eum locum vacāre, nē Germānī ē suīs fīnibus trānsīrent (B. G. i. 28). Whose territory does suīs refer to?
Study Tips
- •Memorize the four forms as a chant: suī, sibi, sē, sē — singular and plural look the same, and there is no nominative.
- •When you meet sē or suus inside a that-clause, ut-clause, or infinitive phrase, ask: "whose head am I inside?" The reflexive points to that person — usually the subject of the main verb, not the nearer one.
- •Learn inter sē as a fixed reciprocal phrase meaning "with each other" — it shows up constantly in Caesar.
- •Drill minimal pairs (Caesar sē dēfendit vs. Caesar eum dēfendit) until the sē / eum swap is automatic.