Understanding French Reflexive Pronouns
French reflexive pronouns (pronoms réfléchis) are used with reflexive verbs where the subject performs an action on itself. They are essential for expressing daily activities and reciprocal actions.
Complete set of reflexive pronouns:
- me (myself)
- te (yourself - informal)
- se (himself/herself/itself/yourself formal)
- nous (ourselves)
- vous (yourselves/yourself formal)
- se (themselves)
Key features:
- Placement: Before the conjugated verb
- Agreement: Past participle agreement in compound tenses
- Elision: Me/te become m'/t' before vowels
- Reciprocal meaning: Can express "each other"
Why reflexive pronouns matter:
- Daily activities: Essential for routine actions
- Natural French: Required for fluent expression
- Verb system: Many verbs are inherently reflexive
- Reciprocal actions: Express mutual actions
Understanding reflexive pronouns is crucial for intermediate French proficiency.
Examples
REFLEXIVE: Je me lave les mains. (I wash my hands.)
RECIPROCAL: Ils se parlent. (They talk to each other.)
DAILY ROUTINE: Elle se lève à 7h. (She gets up at 7am.)
COMPOUND: Nous nous sommes amusés. (We had fun.)
Forms of Reflexive Pronouns
Complete paradigm of French reflexive pronouns:
Reflexive Pronoun Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | me | Je me lave. (I wash myself.) |
| tu | te | Tu te laves. (You wash yourself.) |
| il/elle/on | se | Il se lave. (He washes himself.) |
| nous | nous | Nous nous lavons. (We wash ourselves.) |
| vous | vous | Vous vous lavez. (You wash yourselves.) |
| ils/elles | se | Ils se lavent. (They wash themselves.) |
Examples
SINGULAR: Je me réveille, tu te réveilles, il se réveille
PLURAL: Nous nous réveillons, vous vous réveillez, ils se réveillent
Placement of Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns go before the conjugated verb:
Examples
PRESENT: Je me lève tôt. (I get up early.)
NEGATIVE: Je ne me lève pas tôt. (I don't get up early.)
QUESTION: Te lèves-tu tôt ? (Do you get up early?)
COMPOUND: Je me suis levé(e) tôt. (I got up early.)
With Infinitives
With infinitive constructions, reflexive pronoun goes before infinitive:
INFINITIVE: Je vais me lever. (I'm going to get up.)
MODAL: Je dois me dépêcher. (I must hurry.)
Elision with Reflexive Pronouns
Me and te become m' and t' before vowels:
Elision Rules
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| me + vowel | m' | Je m'habille. (I get dressed.) |
| te + vowel | t' | Tu t'habilles. (You get dressed.) |
| se + vowel | s' | Il s'habille. (He gets dressed.) |
| nous/vous | no elision | Nous nous habillons. (We get dressed.) |
Examples
ELISION: Je m'amuse beaucoup. (I have a lot of fun.)
ELISION: Elle s'appelle Marie. (Her name is Marie.)
NO ELISION: Nous nous amusons. (We have fun.)
NO ELISION: Vous vous appelez comment ? (What are your names?)
Common Reflexive Verbs
Essential reflexive verbs for daily activities:
Daily Routine Verbs
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| se lever | to get up | Je me lève à 7h. (I get up at 7am.) |
| se laver | to wash oneself | Il se lave les mains. (He washes his hands.) |
| se brosser | to brush | Elle se brosse les dents. (She brushes her teeth.) |
| se habiller | to get dressed | Nous nous habillons. (We get dressed.) |
| se coucher | to go to bed | Ils se couchent tard. (They go to bed late.) |
| se réveiller | to wake up | Je me réveille tôt. (I wake up early.) |
Examples
MORNING: Je me réveille, me lève et me lave.
EVENING: Je me brosse les dents et me couche.
Reflexive Verbs of Emotion and State
Reflexive verbs expressing emotions and states:
Emotion and State Verbs
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| se sentir | to feel | Je me sens bien. (I feel good.) |
| se fâcher | to get angry | Il se fâche facilement. (He gets angry easily.) |
| se dépêcher | to hurry | Nous nous dépêchons. (We hurry.) |
| se reposer | to rest | Elle se repose. (She rests.) |
| se tromper | to make a mistake | Tu te trompes. (You're wrong.) |
| s'inquiéter | to worry | Je m'inquiète pour toi. (I worry about you.) |
Examples
EMOTION: Elle se sent triste aujourd'hui. (She feels sad today.)
STATE: Nous nous reposons après le travail. (We rest after work.)
Reciprocal Meaning
Reflexive pronouns can express reciprocal actions (each other):
Examples
TALK: Ils se parlent souvent. (They talk to each other often.)
MEET: Nous nous rencontrons au café. (We meet each other at the café.)
LOVE: Ils s'aiment beaucoup. (They love each other a lot.)
WRITE: Elles se téléphonent chaque jour. (They call each other every day.)
HELP: Nous nous aidons mutuellement. (We help each other.)
SEE: Vous vous voyez souvent ? (Do you see each other often?)
Past Participle Agreement
In compound tenses, past participle agrees with the subject:
Past Participle Agreement
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je (m) | me suis levé | I got up (masculine) |
| je (f) | me suis levée | I got up (feminine) |
| nous (m) | nous sommes levés | We got up (masculine) |
| elles | se sont levées | They got up (feminine) |
Examples
MASCULINE: Il s'est lavé. (He washed himself.)
FEMININE: Elle s'est lavée. (She washed herself.)
PLURAL M: Ils se sont amusés. (They had fun.)
PLURAL F: Elles se sont amusées. (They had fun.)
Reflexive Pronouns in Imperative
In positive commands, reflexive pronouns come after the verb:
Imperative Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Lève-toi ! | Get up! |
| Negative | Ne te lève pas ! | Don't get up! |
| Positive plural | Levez-vous ! | Get up! (plural) |
| Negative plural | Ne vous levez pas ! | Don't get up! (plural) |
Examples
POSITIVE: Dépêche-toi ! (Hurry up!)
NEGATIVE: Ne te dépêche pas ! (Don't hurry!)
FORMAL: Asseyez-vous ! (Sit down!)
NEGATIVE: Ne vous asseyez pas ! (Don't sit down!)
Reflexive vs Non-Reflexive
Same verbs can be reflexive or non-reflexive with different meanings:
Reflexive vs Non-Reflexive
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| laver | to wash (something) | Je lave la voiture. (I wash the car.) |
| se laver | to wash oneself | Je me lave. (I wash myself.) |
| appeler | to call (someone) | J'appelle Marie. (I call Marie.) |
| s'appeler | to be called | Je m'appelle Paul. (My name is Paul.) |
Examples
NON-REFLEXIVE: Elle lave ses cheveux. (She washes her hair.)
REFLEXIVE: Elle se lave les cheveux. (She washes her hair.)
NON-REFLEXIVE: Je réveille mon frère. (I wake up my brother.)
REFLEXIVE: Je me réveille tôt. (I wake up early.)
Common Mistakes
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. Wrong placement: Placing reflexive pronoun after verb
2. Missing elision: Not eliding me/te before vowels
3. Agreement errors: Wrong past participle agreement
4. Imperative confusion: Wrong pronoun placement in commands
Examples
❌ Je lève me → ✅ Je me lève
Wrong: reflexive pronoun must come before verb
❌ Je me appelle → ✅ Je m'appelle
Wrong: must elide me before vowel
❌ Elle s'est lavé → ✅ Elle s'est lavée
Wrong: past participle must agree with feminine subject
❌ Te lève ! → ✅ Lève-toi !
Wrong: in positive imperative, pronoun comes after verb