Les verbes pronominaux
A1
A2
Reflexive Verbs

Verbs used with reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous) for actions done to oneself or reciprocal actions.

Pronominal verbs, like se laver (to wash oneself) or s’aimer (to love each other), require reflexive pronouns and often describe self-directed or mutual actions.

They can belong to any verb group.

Reflexive pronouns change with the subject (e.g., me for je, te for tu).

In negative sentences, ne precedes the pronoun, pas follows the verb (e.g., Je ne me lave pas).

Conjugation Table (Present Indicative)

Pronoun	Pronoun	Se laver (to wash oneself)
je	me	je me lave
tu	te	tu te laves
il/elle	se	il/elle se lave
nous	nous	nous nous lavons
vous	vous	vous vous lavez
ils/elles	se	ils/elles se lavent

Common Verbs

se trouver: to find oneself
se laver: to wash oneself
s'habiller: to dress oneself
se réveiller: to wake up
se lever: to get up
se reposer: to rest

Exceptions

Some pronominal verbs are idiomatic, not reflexive (e.g., s’en aller: to go away).

Examples

Je me lave tous les soirs.
- I wash myself every evening.
Elle se repose après le travail.
- She rests after work.

Example of Dialogue

Anna: Salut, Tom ! Tu te réveilles tôt ?
Hi, Tom! Do you wake up early?
Tom: Oui, je me lève à cinq heures.
Yes, I get up at five.
Anna: Et comment tu te rends au travail ?
And how do you get yourself to work?
Tom: Je me rends au travail en vélo !
I get myself to work by bicycle!

French Grammar