Reflexive verbs in French – Conjugation, Examples, Exercises

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Reflexive verbs in the French language play a significant role in daily communication. They allow speakers to express actions that an individual performs upon themselves. These verbs can be a bit perplexing for learners, but they are a crucial part of mastering French grammar. In this article, we will look into the intricacies of reflexive verbs, their formation, and how they are used in sentences.

 

Definition and Formation

A reflexive verb is a verb where the subject and object are the same person, implying that the action of the verb is performed by the subject upon themselves. In French, reflexive verbs are formed by adding reflexive pronouns to the infinitive form of the verb. These pronouns vary depending on the subject and the tense of the verb. The most commonly used reflexive pronouns are “me,” “te,” “se,” “nous,” “vous,” “se,” which correspond to “myself,” “yourself,” “himself/herself/itself,” “ourselves,” “yourselves,” and “themselves,” respectively.

For example, “I wash myself” or “She dresses herself” are reflexive constructions. In French, these would be:

  • “Je me lave” (I wash myself)
  • “Elle se habille” (She dresses herself)

The reflexive pronouns in French correspond to the subject and must agree in person and number. They are:

  • me (myself)
  • te (yourself)
  • se (himself, herself, itself, oneself)
  • nous (ourselves)
  • vous (yourselves)
  • se (themselves)

These pronouns are placed immediately before the verb in its conjugated form. Reflexive verbs are conjugated according to the subject, tense, and mood, just like any other verb, but they also require the appropriate reflexive pronoun.

 

Usage of Reflexive Verbs

  1. Daily Routine: Reflexive verbs are often used to describe daily routines and personal hygiene. For instance, “Je me lave” means “I wash myself.”

  2. Emotions and States of Being: These verbs can also express emotions or states of being. For example, “Elle se sent heureuse” translates to “She feels happy.”

  3. Reciprocal Actions: In some cases, reflexive verbs indicate reciprocal actions between two or more people. “Ils se parlent” means “They are talking to each other.”

  4. Verbs with Reflexive Form: Some verbs in French are always reflexive, and they do not make sense without the reflexive pronoun. For example, “s'asseoir” means “to sit down,” and it must always be reflexive: “Je m'assieds.”

  5. Reflexive Verbs in Passé Composé: In the past tense, reflexive verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary verb “être.” For example, “Elle s'est levée” means “She got up.”

 

Conjugation of Reflexive Verbs

Conjugating reflexive verbs can be a bit tricky. In the present tense, the reflexive pronoun precedes the verb, and the verb endings are adjusted accordingly. For example:

  • Je me lave (I wash myself)
  • Tu te laves (You wash yourself)
  • Il/elle/on se lave (He/she/one washes oneself)
  • Nous nous lavons (We wash ourselves)
  • Vous vous lavez (You wash yourselves)
  • Ils/elles se lavent (They wash themselves)

In the past tense, as mentioned earlier, reflexive verbs use the auxiliary verb “être”, and the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. For example:

  • Je me suis lavé (I washed myself, if the subject is masculine singular)
  • Elle s'est lavée (She washed herself, if the subject is feminine singular)
  • Nous nous sommes lavés (We washed ourselves, if the subject is masculine plural)
  • Elles se sont lavées (They washed themselves, if the subject is feminine plural)

 

Text example

Text example using reflexive verbs:

Je me réveille tôt chaque matin, avant même que le soleil ne se lève. Je me lève lentement, étirant mes bras fatigués. Ensuite, je me dirige vers la salle de bain où je me brosse les dents et je me lave le visage. Après cela, je m'habille rapidement et je me prépare pour la journée qui m'attend.

Une fois prêt, je descends les escaliers et je me rends à la cuisine. Là, je me prépare un café bien chaud et je me sers un bol de céréales. Pendant que je mange, je me rappelle les tâches que je dois accomplir aujourd'hui. Je me concentre sur mes objectifs et je me fixe des priorités pour la journée.

Après le petit-déjeuner, je me saisis de mes affaires et je sors de la maison. En marchant vers mon travail, je me réjouis des défis qui m'attendent. Je me rappelle également de prendre le temps de me détendre et de profiter des petites joies de la vie.

Translation:

I wake up early every morning, even before the sun rises. I get up slowly, stretching my tired arms. Then, I head to the bathroom where I brush my teeth and wash my face. After that, I get dressed quickly and prepare myself for the day ahead.

Once ready, I go downstairs and make my way to the kitchen. There, I make myself a nice hot coffee and pour myself a bowl of cereal. While I eat, I remember the tasks I need to accomplish today. I focus on my goals and set priorities for the day.

After breakfast, I grab my things and leave the house. As I walk to work, I look forward to the challenges ahead. I also remember to take time to relax and enjoy the small joys of life.

 

Exercises with reflexive verbs

Here are some exercises using reflexive verbs in French:

 

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate reflexive pronouns and conjugated forms of the verbs in parentheses:

  1. Nous _______ (se lever) tôt le matin.
  2. Tu _______ (se laver) les mains avant de manger.
  3. Ils _______ (se brosser) les dents après chaque repas.
  4. Elle _______ (se maquiller) avant de sortir.
  5. Vous _______ (se reposer) un peu après le déjeuner.
  6. Je _______ (se promener) dans le parc tous les jours.
  7. Elles _______ (se préparer) pour la fête ce soir.
  8. Tu _______ (se dépêcher) si tu veux attraper le train.

 

Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentences using the given reflexive pronoun:

Example: “Elle se brosse les cheveux.” -> “Les cheveux, elle se les brosse.”

  1. “Je me lave les mains.”
  2. “Il se peigne les cheveux.”
  3. “Nous nous habillons.”
  4. “Vous vous maquillez.”
  5. “Ils se coupent les ongles.”
  6. “Elle se sèche les cheveux.”
  7. “Tu te brosses les dents.”
  8. “Elles se reposent dans le jardin.”

 

Exercise 3: Create sentences using the following reflexive verbs and indicate who is performing the action:

  1. se lever (nous)
  2. se coucher (tu)
  3. se regarder (elles)
  4. se préparer (je)
  5. se promener (vous)
  6. se dépêcher (il)
  7. se détendre (nous)
  8. se maquiller (elle)

 

Answers

Exercise 1:

  1. nous nous levons
  2. Tu te laves
  3. Ils se brossent
  4. Elle se maquille
  5. Vous vous reposez
  6. Je me promène
  7. Elles se préparent
  8. Tu te dépêches

 

Exercise 2:

  1. Les mains, je me les lave.
  2. Les cheveux, il se les peigne.
  3. Nous nous habillons.
  4. Vous vous maquillez.
  5. Les ongles, ils se les coupent.
  6. Les cheveux, elle se les sèche.
  7. Les dents, tu te les brosses.
  8. Dans le jardin, elles se reposent.

 

Exercise 3:

  1. Nous nous levons tôt le matin.
  2. Tu te couches tard le soir.
  3. Elles se regardent dans le miroir.
  4. Je me prépare pour la réunion.
  5. Vous vous promenez dans le parc.
  6. Il se dépêche pour ne pas rater le bus.
  7. Nous nous détendons après une longue journée.
  8. Elle se maquille avant d'aller à la soirée.