Reflexive verbs

Reflexive verbs describe actions that we do to ourselves … OK, I know it sounds weird, but I could not figure out or found a better, practical description….

So this is what we mean: when I comb the hair of my son, or bath my dog, then I do thingst to others. (Just to contiune the weirdness ;-)) But when I comb myself or I bath or wash myself, then I do these actions to myself. Or when my son combs his own hair or washes himself then he does something to himself. In many other languages it would be two different verbs. But luckily, you are learning Swedish and in Swedish, just like in English, it is the same verb, you just make sure that you use the right object. And what is that object then? myself = min yourself = dig himself / herself / itself = sig (yes, this is the only form. See? It is easy!) ourselves = oss yourselves = er themselves = sig (Yapp! Here it is again!)

This next word-pair is a bit tricky, so watch carefully!
”sitta – sätta”: sitta = sit; sätta = to make someone/oneself sit

Att sitta = to sit   Imperative: sitt! = sit! Sitt stilla! = Sit still!

Present tense: sitter Jag/ du / han / hon … sitter = I / you / he / she … sit / sits; I / you / he / she … am / is / are sitting

Past tense: satt Jag/ du / han / hon … satt = I / you / he / she … sat; I / you / he / she …  was / were sitting

Perfect tenses: har suttit / hade suttit Jag / du / … har suttit = I / you … have sat / have been sitting Jag / du / … hade suttit = I / you … had sat / had been sitting

Att sätta = to make someone sit, sitting someone down (indicating movement): Imperative: sätt
Sätt dig!  = Sit down! (you alone, singular)
Sätt /honom/henne/dem ner! = Sit him / her / them down! / Make him / her / them comfortable! Make him / her / them sit down!
Sätt er ner! = Sit down! (you all, plural)

Present tense: sätter Jag sätter mig. = I am sitting down (I am in the process of getting seated by myself) (Reflexive; word-by-word: I am sitting myself down / I am seating myself.)
Du sätter dig. = You are (in the process of) sitting down (as we speak).
Jag sätter dig. = I am sitting you down.
Han/Hon/Man sätter sig. = He / She / One is (in the process of) sitting down (right now).

Past tense: satte Jag satte mig ner …. = I sat myself down…
Hon satte sin son i bilbarnstolen innan hon satt sig i bilen. = She put her son into the car-seat before she sat in the car.

Hon satte sig i hörnet och flyttade inte på sig hela kvällen. = She sat down in the corner and did not move during the whole night.

Perfect tenses: har satt Hon har satt sig = She has seated herself.
Jag har satt henne på tåget. = I have put her on the train.
Jag sätter mig i en taxi direkt! = I’ll get into a taxi at once!
Jag har precis satt mig framför teven! = I have just sat/I did just sit  down in front of the tv.