English / Français
Reflexive verbs
A reflexive verb is used when the subject does something to itself. French marks this with a reflexive pronoun before the verb. In the passé composé, reflexive verbs use être.
Same diagram. The object is different from the subject.
- The object is a different thing from the subject, so no reflexive pronoun is needed.
- Compare this with the next example, where the subject and object refer to the same person.
Same diagram. The subject and object refer to the same person.
- Me fills the object slot that la voiture filled in the previous pattern.
- English normally drops the word and says “I wash” or “I get washed”. French cannot drop me.
- Without me the sentence is incomplete: Je lave does not say what is being washed.
French uses a reflexive pronoun and the article with body parts.
- With body parts French uses a reflexive pronoun plus the article where English uses “my”.
- The hands are the direct object, so me is the indirect object.
- Je lave mes mains is grammatical, but it sounds unnatural when all you mean is “I wash my hands”.
- More of the same: Je me brosse les dents (I brush my teeth), Je me suis cassé la jambe (I broke my leg).
Reflexive verbs use être in the passé composé.
- Reflexive verbs always take être in the past, even when the plain verb takes avoir: J’ai réveillé Luc, but Je me suis réveillé.
- Here the participle agrees with the subject, because me is the direct object. A woman says Je me suis réveillée. When a direct object follows the verb, there is no agreement: Elle s’est lavé les mains. See Past tenses.
- The pronoun goes before the helper verb, never between helper and participle. In the negative: Je ne me suis pas réveillé.
The plural reflexive pronoun can mean “each other”.
- The plural reflexive pronouns nous, vous, se can also express “each other”.
- The first nous is the subject, the second is the object. In speech on often replaces both: On se voit souvent.
- On se voit demain ? is an everyday way to say “See you tomorrow?”
- More of the same: Ils se connaissent (They know each other), Nous nous écrivons (We write to each other).
The pronoun comes before the verb
| Person | Present | Passé composé | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | je me lave | je me suis lavé(e) | I wash (myself), I washed |
| tu | tu te laves | tu t’es lavé(e) | you wash (yourself), you washed |
| il / elle | il se lave | il s’est lavé, elle s’est lavée | he, she washes (himself, herself), washed |
| nous | nous nous lavons | nous nous sommes lavé(e)s | we wash (ourselves), we washed |
| vous | vous vous lavez | vous vous êtes lavé(e)(s) | you wash (yourself or yourselves), you washed |
| ils / elles | ils se lavent | ils se sont lavés, elles se sont lavées | they wash (themselves), they washed |
- The same verb can be used both ways. In Je lave la voiture the object is something other than the subject. In Je me lave the object is the subject itself.
- English often leaves out the words in brackets in the table: “we wash” usually means “we wash ourselves”. French cannot leave out the pronoun: nous nous lavons.
- The infinitive is listed with se in front: se laver, se réveiller, s’appeler.
- Me, te and se become m’, t’, s’ before a vowel or silent h: Je m’appelle Camille, Il s’habille.
- In the negative, ne comes before the pronoun: Je ne me lève pas.
- With an infinitive, the pronoun matches the subject: Je vais me coucher (I’m going to bed), Nous allons nous coucher.
- In a positive command the pronoun follows the verb, and te becomes toi: Lève-toi ! Asseyez-vous. In a negative command it stays before the verb: Ne te lève pas !
Reflexive in French, plain in English
English gives no hint that these need a pronoun, so they have to be learned as reflexive.
- se leverto get up
- se réveillerto wake up
- s’endormirto fall asleep
- se coucherto go to bed
- s’habillerto get dressed
- s’asseoirto sit down
- s’appelerto be called
- se sentirto feel
- s’amuserto have fun
- s’ennuyerto get bored
- se fâcherto get angry
- s’inquiéterto worry
- se souvenir deto remember
- se tromperto be mistaken
- se marierto get married
- se promenerto go for a walk
- se dépêcherto hurry
- se reposerto rest