3.1 Common reflexive verbs and their conjugations

Reflexive verbs are key to talking about daily routines in French. They show actions we do to ourselves, like getting dressed or washing up. These verbs use special pronouns that match the subject and come before the verb.

In the present tense, reflexive verbs follow a simple pattern. For past tenses, they use être as the helping verb. Knowing these verbs helps you describe your day-to-day life in French with ease.

Reflexive Verbs in Present Tense

Common Reflexive Verbs and Their Conjugations

• Reflexive verbs express actions that a subject does to or for themselves, often related to daily routines (se lever - to get up, se laver - to wash oneself, se coucher - to go to bed)
• The reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) agrees with the subject and precedes the verb in all tenses and moods
• Common reflexive verbs conjugated in the present tense:
  • je me lève (I get up)
  • tu te laves (you wash yourself)
  • il/elle se couche (he/she goes to bed)
  • nous nous habillons (we get dressed)
  • vous vous brossez les dents (you brush your teeth)
  • ils/elles se maquillent (they put on makeup)
• Some verbs are always reflexive and do not exist in a non-reflexive form (se souvenir - to remember, s'apercevoir - to realize)

Reflexive Verbs in Compound Tenses

• In compound tenses (passé composé), the past participle of the reflexive verb agrees with the reflexive pronoun when it is a direct object
  • Elle s'est lavée (She washed herself)
  • Ils se sont vus (They saw each other)
• The auxiliary verb used in compound tenses for reflexive verbs is être (to be)
  • Je me suis couché(e) (I went to bed)
  • Nous nous sommes promenés (We went for a walk)

Structure and Usage of Reflexive Verbs

Grammatical Structure

• Reflexive verbs are composed of a reflexive pronoun and a verb, which agree with each other in person and number
• The reflexive pronoun indicates that the subject is performing the action on themselves, either literally or figuratively
  • Je me lave (I wash myself) - literal
  • Elle se souvient de son enfance (She remembers her childhood) - figurative
• The reflexive pronoun is placed before the verb in all tenses and moods
  • Présent: Je me lève (I get up)
  • Passé composé: Je me suis levé(e) (I got up)
  • Impératif: Lève-toi! (Get up!)

Usage and Meaning

• Reflexive verbs are often used to express actions related to personal care, emotions, or changes in one's physical or mental state
  • Personal care: se laver (to wash oneself), se raser (to shave), se maquiller (to put on makeup)
  • Emotions: se fâcher (to get angry), se calmer (to calm down), s'ennuyer (to be bored)
  • Physical/mental state: se fatiguer (to get tired), se reposer (to rest), se concentrer (to concentrate)
• Some reflexive verbs have idiomatic meanings that differ from their non-reflexive counterparts
  • s'entendre (to get along) vs. entendre (to hear)
  • se rendre compte (to realize) vs. rendre (to give back, to make)

Reflexive vs Non-Reflexive Verbs

Verbs with Both Reflexive and Non-Reflexive Forms

• Some verbs can be used both reflexively and non-reflexively, with a change in meaning
  • Je lave la voiture (I wash the car) - non-reflexive
  • Je me lave (I wash myself) - reflexive
• The reflexive form often has a more idiomatic or figurative meaning compared to the non-reflexive form
  • se trouver (to find oneself, to be located) vs. trouver (to find)
  • s'appeler (to be called) vs. appeler (to call)

Reciprocal Actions

• In some cases, the reflexive form of a verb may express a reciprocal action
  • Ils se parlent (They talk to each other)
  • Elles se sont embrassées (They kissed each other)
• Reciprocal actions involve two or more subjects performing the same action on each other

Determining Reflexive vs Non-Reflexive Usage

• Context and the presence of a reflexive pronoun are key to determining whether a verb is being used reflexively or non-reflexively
• If the subject is performing the action on themselves, the verb is reflexive
  • Elle se regarde dans le miroir (She looks at herself in the mirror)
• If the subject is performing the action on another person or object, the verb is non-reflexive
  • Il regarde la télévision (He watches television)

Applying Reflexive Verbs in Routines

Describing Daily Routines

• Reflexive verbs are commonly used to describe daily routines and personal care activities
  • Je me réveille à 7 heures (I wake up at 7 o'clock)
  • Il se rase tous les matins (He shaves every morning)
  • Nous nous brossons les dents après chaque repas (We brush our teeth after each meal)
• The order of events in a sentence with multiple reflexive verbs follows a logical sequence
  • Je me lève, puis je me douche et je m'habille (I get up, then I shower and get dressed)

Using Reflexive Verbs in Different Tenses

• Reflexive verbs can be used in various tenses to describe daily routines in the past, present, or future
  • Passé composé: Hier, je me suis couché(e) tard (Yesterday, I went to bed late)
  • Présent: Je me lave les mains avant de manger (I wash my hands before eating)
  • Futur: Demain, je me lèverai tôt (Tomorrow, I will get up early)
• The reflexive pronoun remains before the verb in all tenses, and the verb conjugation follows the regular rules for each tense

Negative Form with Reflexive Verbs

• When using reflexive verbs in the negative form, the ne...pas structure surrounds the reflexive pronoun and the verb
  • Je ne me couche pas tard (I don't go to bed late)
  • Il ne s'est pas rasé ce matin (He didn't shave this morning)
• The negative structure remains consistent across all tenses and moods
  • Présent: Je ne me lave pas (I don't wash myself)
  • Passé composé: Je ne me suis pas lavé(e) (I didn't wash myself)
  • Impératif: Ne te lève pas! (Don't get up!)