French Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject performs an action on itself, indicated by a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se). They are common in daily French and often describe routines, emotions, or reciprocal actions.

1. How to Recognize Reflexive Verbs

• Always paired with a reflexive pronoun (matches the subject).
• Infinitive form begins with "se" (e.g., se laver = to wash oneself).

Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun	Example (se laver)
Je	me	Je me lave.
Tu	te	Tu te laves.
Il/Elle/On	se	Il se lave.
Nous	nous	Nous nous lavons.
Vous	vous	Vous vous lavez.
Ils/Elles	se	Ils se lavent.

2. Common Uses of Reflexive Verbs

A. Actions Performed on Oneself

• se brosser les dents (to brush one’s teeth)
• s’habiller (to dress oneself)

B. Emotional States

• s’inquiéter (to worry)
• se calmer (to calm down)

C. Reciprocal Actions

• s’embrasser (to kiss each other)
• se parler (to talk to each other)

D. Idiomatic Expressions

• se souvenir de (to remember)
• se tromper (to be mistaken)

3. Conjugation Rules

• Placement: The reflexive pronoun comes before the verb.
• Elle se réveille tôt. (She wakes up early.)
• Negation: Surrounds the pronoun + verb.
• Je ne me lève pas tard. (I don’t get up late.)
• Compound Tenses (Passé Composé): Use être as the auxiliary.
• Ils se sont lavés. (They washed themselves.)

4. Key Exceptions & Tips

• Infinitive Construction: The pronoun agrees with the subject.
• Je vais me coucher. (I’m going to bed.)
• Body Parts: Use definite articles (not possessive adjectives).
• Je me lave les mains. (I wash my hands.)

5. Common Reflexive Verbs

French	English
se réveiller	to wake up
se coucher	to go to bed
se maquiller	to put on makeup
se fâcher	to get angry
se marier	to get married
se dépêcher	to hurry