The confusion arises if you look at verbs which are syntax-wise not reflexive but can be used (semantics-wise) in a reflexive way:

In the non-reflexive expression etwas im Spiegel anschauen ("watch something in the mirror"), the object etwas can happen to be identical with the subject of the verb - one can watch oneself in the mirror. In this case, the sentence Ich schaue mich im Spiegel an describes a reflexive action. Nonetheless, the verb itself (etwas anschauen) is not reflexive. Hence, seeing the sentence alone, it might not be clear, whether mich is a reflexive or a personal pronoun. The distinction is even hard to make sense of in this case. These verbs are called "unechte reflexive Verben" ("phony reflexive verbs").

But there are some verbs which are syntactically reflexive but not semantically. In this case, it is clear that the pronoun is a reflexive pronoun. A reflexive pronoun does not always indicate reflexive semantics. Examples are:

• sich etwas vorstellen ("to imagine sth.")
• sich ausruhen ("to rest")
• sich schämen ("to be embarrassed")

There are more examples. These verbs are called "echte reflexive Verben" ("true reflexive verbs"). True reflexive verbs cannot be formed without the reflexive pronoun.

Probably, all true reflexive verbs have evolved from phony reflexive verbs in the past. Nonetheless, the boundary between phony and true reflecive verbs is definitive: When German speakers say sich schämen, they do not think of a verb schämen, and it does not exist in German.

The differentiation of the personal pronoun and the reflexive pronoun makes most sense for true reflexive verbs and is blurry for phony reflexive verbs.

The confusion arises if you look at verbs which are not reflexive syntax-wise but can be used (semantics-wise) in a reflexive way:

In the non-reflexive expression etwas im Spiegel anschauen ("watch something in the mirror"), the object etwas can happen to be identical with the subject of the verb - one can watch oneself in the mirror. In this case, the sentence Ich schaue mich im Spiegel an describes a reflexive action. Nonetheless, the verb itself (etwas anschauen) is not reflexive. Hence, seeing the sentence alone, it might not be clear, whether mich is a reflexive or a personal pronoun. The distinction is even hard to make sense of in this case. These verbs are called "unechte reflexive Verben" ("phony reflexive verbs").

But there are some verbs which are syntactically reflexive but not semantically. In this case, it is clear that the pronoun is a reflexive pronoun. The reflexive pronoun does not indicate a reflexive action in this case. Examples are:

• sich etwas vorstellen ("to imagine sth.")
• sich ausruhen ("to rest")
• sich schämen ("to be embarrassed")

There are more examples. These verbs are called "echte reflexive Verben" ("true reflexive verbs"). True reflexive verbs cannot be formed without the reflexive pronoun.

Probably, all true reflexive verbs have evolved from phony reflexive verbs in the past. Nonetheless, the boundary between phony and true reflecive verbs is definitive: When German speakers say sich schämen, they do not think of a verb schämen, and it does not exist in German.

The differentiation of the personal pronoun and the reflexive pronoun makes most sense for true reflexive verbs and is blurry for phony reflexive verbs.