A Complete Guide To French Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs are very common in the French language. So many daily used verbs in French are reflexive and it can be daunting for non-French natives.
But don’t worry! In 5 minutes, after reading this post, you will know exactly how to recognise, use, conjugate, and understand French reflexive verbs!
🇫🇷 **This is part of the French Grammar Crash Course which will put together all the basics of French grammar.**
What is a Reflexive Verb?
To put it simply, French reflexive verbs are those verbs with the little pronoun “se” in front of them.
In other words, reflexive verbs are verbs that indicate an action carried out by the subject on themselves. In English, we often use reflexive pronouns such as “myself,” “yourself,” or “ourselves” to convey similar meanings.
In French, these reflexive verbs are formed by adding the reflexive pronouns “me,” “te,” “se,” “nous,” “vous,” or “se” before the verb.
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What French Verbs are Reflexive?
The list is long… very long.
However, usually, reflexive verbs indicate one of these things:
- Daily routines and personal care Reflexive verbs are commonly used when describing activities related to personal care, grooming, or daily routines.
Se laver: to wash oneself
Se réveiller: to wake up
Se brosser les dents: to brush one’s teeth
Se lever: to get up
Se coucher: to go to bed/to lie down
S’endormir: to fall asleep
Se doucher: to take a shower
Se maquiller: to put makeup on
Se raser: to shave
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- Emotions and states of being: Reflexive verbs can also express emotions or states of being.
Se sentir: to feel
Se fâcher: to get angry
Se reposer: to rest
S’amuser: to have fun
S’ennuyer: to feel bored
Se brosser les cheveux: to brush one’s hair
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- Reciprocal actions: Reflexive verbs are used to indicate reciprocal actions between two or more people.
Se parler: to talk to each other
Se rencontrer: to meet each other
Se comprendre: to understand each other
Se connaître: to meet, to know each other
S’embrasser: to kiss each other
Se téléphoner: to call each other
-
- Other actions done to oneself
Se demander: to wonder (literally: to ask oneself)
Se placer: to place oneself, to position oneself
S’appeler: to be called
Se cacher: to hide
Se taire: to stop talking
Se perdre: to get lost
There are of course many more, but this is a list to help you get started.
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How to conjugate reflexive verbs?
Conjugating reflexive verbs requires adding the appropriate reflexive pronoun in front of the verb and then conjugating the verb itself. The reflexive pronoun used depends on the subject and the verb tense.
| je | me |
| tu | te |
| Il / elle / on | se |
| nous | nous |
| vous | vous |
| Ils / elles | se |
Je me lave
I wash myself
Tu te réveilles
You wake up
On se brosse les dents
One brushes one's teeth
Nous nous reposons
We rest
Vous vous sentez bien
You feel well
Elles se parlent
They talk to each other
French Reflexive Verbs in Passé Composé
Teacher tip: In composed tenses, aka those that need an auxiliary (passé composé, plus-que-parfait, conditionnel passé, etc.) reflexive verbs are always conjugated with être. This means the participe passé will accord with the subject.
Je me suis demandée quand tu allais arriver.
I wondered when you would arrive.
The e at the end of demandée indicates that a woman is speaking. However, this is only noticeable in writing, as the pronunciation doesn’t change.
Negative Sentences with Reflexive Verbs
To form a negative sentence with verbes réfléchis, it works just like the other verbs.
S + ne + V + pas + O
Je ne me lève pas avant 8 heures.
I don’t wake up before 8 o’clock.
In composed tenses, pas goes between the auxiliary and the participe passé.
Tu ne t’es pas encore lavé?
You haven’t washed yet?
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Common reflexive verb patterns
While many reflexive verbs are formed by simply adding the reflexive pronoun before the verb, some verbs have specific patterns. These patterns may include prepositions or changes in the meaning of the verb. Some common patterns are:
-
- Verbs followed by prepositions: “s’intéresser à” (to be interested in), “se souvenir de” (to remember), or “se plaindre de” (to complain about).
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- Reflexive verbs with infinitives: “se mettre à” (to start), “se décider à” (to decide), or “se mettre à” (to begin).
-
- Reflexive verbs with reciprocal meaning: “se rencontrer” (to meet), “se saluer” (to greet), or “se quitter” (to leave each other).
French reflexive verbs may initially seem confusing, but with practice and understanding, they can become second nature. Remember to pay attention to context and use the appropriate reflexive pronouns for different subjects and verb tenses. By incorporating reflexive verbs into your language learning journey, you will gain a deeper understanding of the French language.
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