REFLEXIVE VERBS

TABLE DE MATIERES Definition Examples of relexive verbs Comparison with regular verbs Formation

DEFINITION Reflexive verbs allow one to tell what one does to oneself. (Imagine a mirror reflecting actions you do to yourself.) S’APPELER is a reflexive verb meaning “to call oneself”. When you say “Je m’appelle …”, you are saying “I call myself …”.

EXAMPLES OF REFLEXIVE VERBS S’AMUSER = TO HAVE FUN SE RÉVEILLER = TO WAKE UP SE LEVER = TO GET ONESELF UP SE LAVER = TO WASH ONESELF S’HABILLER = TO DRESS ONESELF SE PROMENER = TO GO FOR A WALK SE BAIGNER = TO SUNBATHE SE NOURRIR = TO NOURISH ONESELF SE COUCHER = TO GO TO BED

COMPARISON WITH REGULAR VERBS Reflexive verbs have a pronoun that agrees with the subject. For example, the “me” in “Je m’appelle” agrees with “je” the way “me/myself” agrees with “I”. This pronoun will be the object. Regular verbs have objects that are different from the subject. In the sentence “J’appelle ma mère”, there is no reflexive pronoun. I am not calling myself; “ma mère” is a separate object.

EXAMPLES Je M’habille  I dress MYSELF. J’habille la poupée  I dress the doll. Nous NOUS lavons  We wash ourselves. Nous lavons la voiture  We wash the car.

FORMATION The reflexive pronoun SE of the verb changes to agree with the subject. je  MEnous  NOUS tu  TEvous  VOUS il  SEelles  SE The pronouns come before the verb in general. The rest of the verb is conjugated normally.

S’AMUSER – TO HAVE FUN (AMUSE ONESELF) JE M’ AMUSE TU T’ AMUSES IL S’ AMUSE NOUS NOUS AMUSONS VOUS VOUS AMUSEZ ELLES S’ AMUSENT

SE RÉVEILLER – TO WAKE UP Je __________________ Tu __________________ Il ___________________ Nous __________________ Vous __________________ Elles ___________________

When you have a subject and use a reflexive verb in the infinitive (without conjugating it), you still change the pronoun to agree with the subject. Je vais ME brosser les dents. (I’m going to brush my teeth. Nous n’aimons pas NOUS lever tôt. (We don’t like to get up early.)

With AFFIRMATIVE commands, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb and a hyphen. TE changes to TOI. Remember you don’t say the subject (TU, NOUS, VOUS) in a command. Lave-TOI!Wash yourself! Promenons-NOUS!Let’s go for a walk! Dépêchez-VOUS! Hurry yourselves up!

Negative commands are normal (that is, the pronoun comes before the verb). Ne T’habille pas comme ça! Don’t dress like that! Ne VOUS fâchez pas. Don’t get yourself all mad.