Reflexive (Pronominal) Verbs

📌 Note de grammaire

A pronominal verb is accompanied by a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that refers back to the subject. The pronoun matches the subject in person and number.

📌 Note de grammaire

The reflexive pronouns for singular persons are: me (myself), te (yourself), and se (himself/herself/itself). They change to m', t', and s' before a vowel or mute h.

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The reflexive pronouns for plural persons are: nous (ourselves), vous (yourselves / formal yourself), and se (themselves). Note that 'nous' and 'vous' look identical to the subject pronouns.

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In negative sentences, 'ne' and 'pas' surround both the reflexive pronoun and the verb. The structure is: [Subject] + ne + [reflexive pronoun] + [verb] + pas.

📌 Note de grammaire

In positive commands, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb, connected by a hyphen, and 'te' changes to the stressed pronoun 'toi'.

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In negative commands, the reflexive pronoun returns to its normal position before the verb, and 'te' changes back. Structure: Ne + [pronoun] + [verb] + pas.

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All reflexive verbs use 'être' as their auxiliary verb in compound tenses. The structure is: [Subject] + [reflexive pronoun] + [être in present] + [past participle].

📌 Note de grammaire

In the passé composé, the past participle generally agrees in gender and number with the reflexive pronoun (acting as a direct object), adding 'e' for feminine and 's' for plural.

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Some verbs only exist in the pronominal form and have no non-reflexive counterpart. Common examples include 'se souvenir de' (to remember) and 's'en aller' (to leave).

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Many verbs change meaning entirely when used reflexively. For instance, 'tromper' means 'to deceive', but 'se tromper' means 'to be mistaken'.

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When plural subjects perform an action on each other, the reflexive verb takes a reciprocal meaning, translated as 'each other' or 'one another' in English.

📌 Note de grammaire

When a reflexive verb acts on a body part, French uses the reflexive pronoun with the verb, and a definite article (le, la, les) rather than a possessive adjective (my, your).