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What are German reciprocal verbs and pronouns?

By: Ivo Niethammer Tue Sep 23 2025

Pronouns, Sentence Structure, Verbs

In German, we use reciprocal (reziproke Verben) and along with reciprocal when individuals or groups do something to each other. Consequently, a lot of these actions cannot be performed alone and are commonly used in the plural.

reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

Die Mutter und ihr Kind umarmen sich.

The mother and her kid are hugging (each other).

It is important to note that reciprocal verbs must always be used together with a subject and an object. The objects are realized either with the use of the plural pronouns sich/uns/euch or with the reciprocal pronoun einander. They correspond to the English expressions “each other” or “one another.”

What are the German reciprocal pronouns?

In German, the German reciprocal are mostly the same as the plural reflexive pronouns sich, uns, and euch, but there is one additional one that is only used for reciprocal situations: einander. These pronouns all translate to “each other” or “one another,” and you can use them to express mutual actions, just like you would in English. For example,

reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

Sie umarmen sich.

They hug each other.

Wir helfen einander.

We help each other.

Note, though, that there are some cases where, in English, a reciprocal action doesn’t actually require us to use a phrase like “each other,” but a reciprocal pronoun is required in German!

reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

✅Alina und Gregor umarmen sich.
❌Alina und Gregor umarmen.

Alina and Gregor are hugging (each other).

✅Wir unterhielten uns über unsere Lieblingsrezepte.
❌Wir unterhielten über unsere Lieblingsrezepte.

We talked about our favorite recipes.

But when should you use each pronoun? Let’s have a look!

When use ‘sich,’ ‘uns,’ and ‘euch’ as reciprocal pronouns?

In German, the reciprocal pronouns sich, uns, and euch are all used to mean “each other” or “one another,” and the one you should use depends on the of the sentence.

Subject	Pronoun	Example
“we” 1st person	uns	Wir schreiben uns regelmäßig. We write to each other regularly.
“you (all)” 2nd person	euch	Habt ihr euch schon geeinigt? Have you come to an agreement yet?
“they” 3rd person	sich	Die Kinder streiten sich schon wieder. The kids are arguing again.

These three reciprocal pronouns have the exact same forms as reflexive pronouns uns(ourselves), euch(yourselves), and sich(themselves).

So does that mean that “we hugged ourselves” is the same as “we hugged each other” in German? Yes! Luckily, the context will usually make your meaning clear, but if it doesn’t you can add the word gegenseitig, which roughly means “mutually.” This can clarify that the reciprocal meaning is intended.

reflexive / reciprocal pronoun

Die Friseure schneiden sich die Haare.

✅The hairdressers cut their own hair. (reflexive)
✅The hairdressers cut each other’s hair. (reciprocal)

Die Friseure schneiden sich gegenseitig die Haare.

❌The hairdressers (mutually) cut their own hair. (reflexive)
✅The hairdressers (mutually) cut each other’s hair. (reciprocal)

Another way to resolve the ambiguity is to just use einander instead of sich. Read on to find out how and when you can do this!

When to use ‘einander’ in German?

In German, einander is a reciprocal pronoun that translates to “each other.” But when should you use einander rather than the three pronouns, uns, euch, and sich, that we discussed above?

In many (but not all) cases, reciprocal pronouns and einander can be used interchangeably.

Die Fahrer grüßen sich mit einem freundlichen Winken.
Die Fahrer grüßen einander mit einem freundlichen Winken.

The drivers greet each other with a friendly wave.

However, there are some cases where einander needs to be used:

Always use einander if the reciprocal pronoun is the . This pronoun often combines with the preposition it’s the object of to form a single word (more on this below!):
prepositionreciprocal pronoun
In unserem Auto passen drei Kindersitze nebeneinander.
Three child seats fit next to each other in our car.
You can use einander to help resolve ambiguity and clarify that the action is intended to be reciprocal, not reflexive. Unlike uns, euch, and sich, the pronoun einander can’t be used in reflexives.
Die beiden Schwestern kämmen sich das Haar vor dem Spiegel.
✅The two sisters comb their hair in front of the mirror. (reflexive)
✅The two sisters comb each other’s hair in front of the mirror. (reciprocal)
Die beiden Schwestern kämmen einander das Haar vor dem Spiegel.
❌The two sisters comb their hair in front of the mirror. (reflexive)
✅The two sisters comb each other’s hair in front of the mirror. (reciprocal)
Here’s another example:
Die Affen lausen sich.
✅The monkeys are delousing themselves. (reflexive)
✅The monkeys are delousing each other. (reciprocal)
Die Affen lausen einander.
❌The monkeys are delousing themselves. (reflexive)
✅The monkeys are delousing each other. (reciprocal)
However, if the action of the verb cannot ever be reflexive, you can never use einander.
reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun
✅Wir haben uns rasch angefreundet.
❌Wir haben einander rasch angefreundet.
We quickly became friends.
→ You can’t befriend yourself!

How to combine ‘einander’ with prepositions?

When einander(each other) is used after a preposition, it often combines with that preposition to form a compound word. You can see this, for example, when the verbs warten auf(to wait for), tanzten mit(dance with), or stehen neben(stand next to) are used reciprocally:

reciprocal pronoun

Die Skifahrer warten jeweils am Pistenende aufeinander.

The skiers wait for each other at the end of the slope.

→ auf(for) + einander = aufeinander

Die Gäste tanzten miteinander bis zum Morgengrauen.

The guests danced with each other until dawn.

→ mit(with) + einander = miteinander

Die Schüler stehen nebeneinander und warten auf das Gruppenfoto.

The students stand next to each other and wait for the group photo.

→ neben(next to) + einander = nebeneinander

Here are the most commonly used combinations between a preposition and einander, along with examples of each:

Preposition	Prep. + einander	Example
mit with	miteinander with each other	Wir haben lange miteinander gesprochen. We talked to each other for a long time.
an on	aneinander on each other	Wir denken oft aneinander. We often think of each other.
auf on top	aufeinander on top of each other	Die Zeitungen liegen aufeinander in der Verteilerbox. The newspapers lie on top of each other in the distribution box.
unter under	untereinander under each other	Die Bilder hängen untereinander an der Wand. The pictures hang one below the other on the wall.
bei near	beieinander near each other	Remo und Danielle stehen nahe beieinander. Remo and Danielle stand close to each other.
über over	übereinander over each other	Im Winter trage ich jeweils zwei Pullover übereinander. In winter, I wear two sweaters on top of each other.
neben next to	nebeneinander next to each other	Wir würden gerne nebeneinander sitzen. We would like to sit next to each other.
für for	füreinander for each other	Wir sind füreinander da. We are there for one another.
durch through	durcheinander through each other	Die Bücher lagen wüst durcheinander auf dem Boden. The books were lying on the floor in a mess. lit. The books were lying wildly through each other on the floor.
nach after	nacheinander after each other	Die Kinder kamen nacheinander ins Klassenzimmer. The children came into the classroom one after the other.

What are reciprocal verbs in German?

In German, reciprocal verbs are those that represent mutual actions — things that two subjects can do to each other. We can distinguish three types of reciprocal verbs: verbs that are purely reciprocal, verbs that have a reciprocal use, a reflexive use, and a transitive use, and verbs that have just a reciprocal and a transitive use. Let’s look at each type in more detail:

Purely reciprocal verbs

Purely reciprocal verbs are these verbs which describe an action that is always and only reciprocal: the action must always be done mutually and cannot be self-directed. Some examples might be sich einigen(to reach an agreement) or sich streiten(to argue, to quarrel). You can’t reach an agreement or quarrel alone, it must always be a mutual action.

pure reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

Nach langer Diskussion haben wir uns endlich geeinigt.

After a long discussion, we finally reached an agreement.

Als Kinder haben wir uns oft gestritten.

When we were children, we often quarreled.

This type of reciprocal verb is comparatively rare, simply because there are a limited number of actions that require mutual participation.

If you want to provide some information about the other party involved in the action, you can often do that by using the preposition mit(with) + other party. Remember, though, that you still need to include the reciprocal pronoun!

pure reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

Nach langer Diskussion haben wir uns endlich mit der gegnerischen Partei geeinigt.

After a long discussion, we finally reached an agreement with the opposing party.

Als Kinder haben wir uns oft mit den Nachbarskindern gestritten.

When we were children, we often quarreled with the neighbor’s kids.

Important

If you’re using a purely reciprocal verb, don’t use einander or gegenseitig. Just use uns, euch, or sich as the object of purely reciprocal verbs.

reciprocal pronounpure reciprocal verb

✅Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis die neuen Teammitglieder sich angefreundet haben.

It took a while for the new team members to become friends.

❌Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis die neuen Teammitglieder einander angefreundet haben.

It took a while for the new team members to become friends with one another.

However, you should still use einander for the :

reciprocal pronounpure reciprocal verb

✅Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis die neuen Teammitglieder sich miteinander angefreundet haben.

It took a while for the new team members to become friends with one another.

Verbs with a reciprocal use, a reflexive use, and a transitive use

In German, many verbs may be reciprocal (mutual), reflexive (self-directed) or transitive (one-way, directed at an ). For example:

Reciprocal	Wir mögen uns schon seit unserer Kindheit. We have liked each other since childhood.	Unser Hund hat sich in die Zunge gebissen. Our dog bit his tongue.
Reflexive	Ich mag mich so, wie ich bin! I like myself the way I am!	Die Hunde beißen einander beim Spielen in den Schwanz. The dogs bite each other’s tails when they play.
Transitive	Ich mag Weißwurst mit Sauerkraut. I like Weißwurst with sauerkraut.	Dein Hund hat meinen Hund gebissen! Your dog bit my dog!

Since verbs in this group have a reflexive and a reciprocal meaning, and since the reflexive and reciprocal pronouns sich, euch, and uns, these verbs can be ambiguous. Is it a self-directed action, or a mutually-directed one? These are therefore the verbs where you might need to use einander(each other) or gegenseitig(mutually), which we discussed above.

Verbs which can be transitive or reciprocal

Lastly, there are some verbs that can be transitive or reciprocal, but you don’t usually do them to yourself. An example might be grüßen(to greet):

transitive

Ich grüße die neue Kollegin stets, aber sie grüßt mich nie zurück.

I always greet the new colleague, but she never greets me back.

reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

In der Schweiz grüßt man sich mit “Grüezi”.

In Switzerland, people greet each other with "Grüezi".

Another example might be umarmen(to hug):

transitive

Umarme den Stamm des Baumes fest mit beiden Armen und schließe die Augen.

Hug the trunk of the tree tightly with both arms and close your eyes.

Wenn ich nach Hause komme, werde ich als Erstes meine Katze umarmen!

When I get home, the first thing I'm going to do is hug my cat!

reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

Die Bergsteiger umarmen sich vor Freude über das Erklimmen des Berges.

The climbers hug each other for the joy of climbing the mountain.

Tip

There’s an interesting distinction between the transitive and reciprocal version of treffen(to meet): the transitive version is for an accidental or unplanned meeting, while the reciprocal is for a planned or intentional meeting:

transitive

Du glaubst nicht, wen ich gestern beim Einkaufen getroffen habe!

You won’t believe who I ran into while shopping yesterday!

reciprocal verbreciprocal pronoun

Die internationalen Mitglieder trafen sich in Brüssel.

The international members met in Brussels.

Summary

Reciprocal verbs in German are verbs that show that two or more people are doing the same thing to each other. Here are the key points to remember:

These are the different ways to say “each other” or “one another” in German:

Reciprocal Pronoun	Use when…
uns	“we” do something to each other
euch	“you” do something to each other
sich	“they” do something to each other
einander	Always → when the reflexive pronoun follows a Sometimes → to clarify that the sentence is reciprocal not reflexive Never → as the object of a verb that can’t be reflexive

Einander(each other) combines with a number of prepositions.
Purely reciprocal verbs are rare. Most reciprocal verbs also have a reflexive use or a transitive use.

Want to review? Check out this list of common German reciprocal verbs, or try out these German reciprocal verb activities to get in some practice!

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