Verbes pronominaux réfléchis – How to conjugate and use reflexive verbs in French

Key takeaways

• Reflexive verbs show that the subject acts on itself.
• They use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous, se).
• Common in daily routines: se laver, s’habiller, se réveiller.
• In compound tenses, they take être as the auxiliary.
• Negatives wrap ne… pas around the pronoun and verb.

What Is a Reflexive Verb in French?

A reflexive verb (verbe pronominal réfléchi) is a verb where the subject and the object are the same person — in other words, the action is done to oneself.

Examples:

• Je me lave. → I wash myself.
• Tu te réveilles. → You wake yourself up.
• Ils se regardent dans le miroir. → They look at themselves in the mirror.

Reflexive Pronouns

Conjugating Reflexive Verbs in the Present

Example: se lever (to get up)

• je me lève
• tu te lèves
• il/elle se lève
• nous nous levons
• vous vous levez
• ils/elles se lèvent

Notice that the reflexive pronoun always matches the subject.

Reflexive Verbs in the Past Tense

In passé composé, reflexive verbs are always conjugated with être.

Example: se réveiller (to wake up)

• je me suis réveillé(e)
• tu t’es réveillé(e)
• il s’est réveillé
• elle s’est réveillée
• nous nous sommes réveillé(e)s
• vous vous êtes réveillé(e)(s)
• ils/elles se sont réveillé(e)s

Agreement: the past participle agrees with the subject unless followed by a direct object.

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Negatives with Reflexive Verbs

Negatives wrap around both the pronoun and the verb:

• Je ne me couche pas tard. → I don’t go to bed late.
• Elle ne s’est pas habillée. → She didn’t get dressed.

Reflexive Verbs List – Common Daily Routines

• se réveiller → to wake up
• se lever → to get up
• se laver → to wash oneself
• s’habiller → to get dressed
• se coucher → to go to bed
• se brosser les dents → to brush one’s teeth
• se dépêcher → to hurry
• se souvenir (de) → to remember
• se promener → to take a walk

Reflexive Verbs Examples in Sentences

• Je me brosse les dents deux fois par jour. → I brush my teeth twice a day.
• Nous nous reposons après le travail. → We rest after work.
• Ils se rencontrent chaque semaine. → They meet each other every week.

Reflexive vs Non-Reflexive Verbs

Some verbs can be reflexive or not, depending on meaning:

• Je lave la voiture. → I wash the car.
• Je me lave. → I wash myself.
• Elle rappelle son ami. → She calls back her friend.
• Elle se rappelle son enfance. → She remembers her childhood.

Exercises: Practice Reflexive Verbs

1. Conjugate in the present tense

• s’habiller → je ________, tu ________, il ________

2. Translate into French

• We get up at 7 a.m.
• She brushes her teeth.
• They remember the story.

3. Make negative sentences

• Je me repose. → ________
• Tu te couches tôt. → ________

Answers

1. m’habille, t’habilles, s’habille
2. Nous nous levons à 7h | Elle se brosse les dents | Ils se souviennent de l’histoire
3. Je ne me repose pas | Tu ne te couches pas tôt

Tips for Mastering Reflexive Verbs

• Memorize reflexive pronouns alongside subject pronouns.
• Practice with daily routines to make them automatic.
• Remember that passé composé uses être with reflexives.
• Pay attention to verbs that change meaning when reflexive.

For more, explore our French verb tenses overview. To study efficiently, check learning French effectively. And to plan your goals, see how long it takes to learn French fluently.

Summary

Reflexive verbs in French show that the subject acts on itself. They are common in routines (se lever, se coucher), use être in compound tenses, and require careful placement of reflexive pronouns.

By working through examples and practicing with a guide to reflexive verbs in French and Lawless French’s overview of Reflexive Verbs, you’ll master them faster. Over time, building sentences like je me lève, elle s’est habillée, nous nous souvenons will feel natural as you learn French with Promova.