Imagine this. It’s Monday. You’ve just joined your French class and your teacher asks “qu’est-ce que vous avez fait ce week-end?” (what did you do this weekend?) You freeze. How do you say wake up in French again? Don’t worry. This blog post covers all the vocabulary you need to talk about your daily routine in French, including some reflective verbs and time expressions.
Key Verbs to talk about Daily Routines in French
To describe your daily routine, you will need to familiarise yourself with some important verbs. A lot of them are reflective verbs. Reflexive verbs are commonly used to describe actions you do to yourself.
Se réveiller
to wake up
Je me réveille à 7 heures
I wake up at 7 o'clock.
Se lever
to get up
Je me lève à 7h30.
I get up at 7:30.
Prendre
to take
Je prends le petit-déjeuner à 8 heures.
I have breakfast at 8 o'clock.
Aller
to go
Je vais au travail à 9 heures.
I go to work at 9 o'clock
Travailler
to work
Je travaille de 9 heures à 5 heures.
I work from 9 to 5.
Rentrer
to return
Je rentre à la maison à 6 heures.
I return home at 6 o'clock.
Se coucher
to go to bed
Je me couche à 11 heures.
I go to bed at 11 o'clock.
Se laver
to wash oneself
Je me lave les mains avant de manger.
I wash my hands before eating.
Se brosser
to brush oneself
Je me brosse les dents après le repas.
I brush my teeth after the meal.
S’habiller
to dress oneself
Je m'habille rapidement pour aller travailler.
I quickly get dressed to go to work.
Se maquiller
to put on makeup
Elle se maquille tous les matins.
She puts on makeup every morning.
Se peigner
to comb oneself
Je me peigne les cheveux avant de sortir.
I comb my hair before going out.
S’occuper des enfants
To take care of the kids
Qui va s'occuper des enfants pendant qu'on n'est pas là?
Who's going to take care of the kids while we're not here?
Partir au travail
To leave for work
Je pars au travail vers 7h45 (sept heures quarante-cinq) parce que je commence à 8 (huit) heures.
I leave for work around 7:45 because I start at 8 o'clock.
Prendre le petit déj(euner)
To have breakfast
J'adore prendre le petit déj dans le balcon.
I love having breakfast in the balcony.
Se préparer
To get ready
Tu prends toujours tellement de temps pour te préparer!
You always take so long to get ready.
Se raser
To shave
Oh non! J'ai oublié de me raser ce matin.
Oh no! I forgot to shave this morning.
Rentrer à la maison/chez soi
Go back home
Tu rentres chez toi en bus?
Do you go back home by bus?
You might like:
What are reflective verbs in French?
Top 50 Verbs in French
Essential Time Expressions.
To provide a clear structure to your daily routine, incorporating time expressions is crucial. Here are some useful time-related words and phrases.
Le matin
in the morning
Je me réveille le matin.
I wake up in the morning.
L’après-midi
in the afternoon
Je travaille l'après-midi.
I work in the afternoon.
Le soir
in the evening
Je dîne le soir.
I have dinner in the evening.
Tôt
Early
Je me lève tôt.
I get up early.
Plus tard
Later
Je rentre à la maison plus tard.
I return home later.
To add a specific time, you can simply add it at the end of the sentence.
Je me lève à 7 heures.
I wake up at 7 o’clock.
In conclusion, being able to talk about your daily routine in French is an essential skill for effective communication. By incorporating important verbs, reflexive verbs, and time expressions, you can provide a comprehensive overview of your daily activities in French. Remember to practice these phrases regularly to enhance your fluency and gain confidence in conversing about your routine. Bonne chance (good luck) with your French language journey.
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