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March 11, 2009
Reflexive verbs
Have I ever mentioned that I dislike all the different horrific ways reflexive verbs work in foreign languages? These ugly structures really make me wonder why all those people don't just surrender and learn better English.
Oh - it's not German in general - I got a smiley on my last homework and a 2+ (that's between a gut and a sehr gut) on yesterday's test. It really is reflexive verbs.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at March 11, 2009 6:45 PM
Comments
So pat yourself on the back, sit yourself down, and brace yourself for the ethical dative:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Krn3FBW9cKEC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=german+%22ethical+dative%22&source=bl&ots=-A8OQlXFE8&sig=NO7Y_BZ3j--KPjjjQIeqsmnGmWE&hl=en&ei=IvO3Se30GZ3etgf56KC5CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result
....EEEEK! Run! Nach Italien! --MCT
Posted by: Gary at March 11, 2009 7:28 PM
You just have to think of reflexive verbs as Southern. You'll get over your antipathy right away. My grandmother: "Setzt dich." Your grandmother: "Sit yourself down." Same thing.
.....It's not reflexivity itself, though really that's an idiomatic nightmare, but that so many of them combine with that scourge of the Indo European languages - particular prepositions. I think all the I.E. languages have this problem - sich ärgern über, but sich bewerben um. So here I am 47 and studying lists of prepositions yet again! --MCT
Posted by: Katherine at March 13, 2009 4:26 AM