Pronominal verbs in the present

Level 2

Pronominal verbs are verbs like se laver (to wash oneself) or se souvenir (to remember). They always include a pronoun that changes based on the subject: Je me lave, Tu te laves, etc.

How It Works

Pronominal verbs are identified by the se in their infinitive form. To conjugate them in the present tense, you must place the correct reflexive pronoun between the subject and the verb.

1. The Reflexive Pronouns:

  • Je me (I ... myself)
  • Tu te (You ... yourself)
  • Il/Elle/On se (He/She/One ... himself/herself/itself)
  • Nous nous (We ... ourselves)
  • Vous vous (You ... yourself/yourselves)
  • Ils/Elles se (They ... themselves)

2. Elision:
When the verb starts with a vowel or a mute 'h', elision occurs: me, te, se become m', t', s'. For example: Je m'appelle or Il s'habille.

3. Types of Pronominal Verbs:

  • Reflexive: The subject acts on themselves (Je me lave - I wash myself).
  • Reciprocal: Subjects act on each other (Nous nous aimons - We love each other).
  • Idiomatic: The pronoun is part of the verb's meaning (Je me souviens - I remember).
  • Passive: Used for inanimate objects (Ça se dit - That is said).

4. Negation:
In negative sentences, the ne comes before the pronoun: Je ne me lève pas.

Examples (5)

  1. Je me réveille à sept heures.

    I wake up at seven o'clock.

    Word by Word: I me wake at seven hours.

    The pronoun 'me' matches the subject 'je'. Note that in English, we don't usually say 'I wake myself up', but it is required in French.

  2. Est-ce que vous vous connaissez ?

    Do you know each other?

    Word by Word: Is it that you you know?

    This is a reciprocal use of the pronominal verb 'se connaître'. The two 'vous' pronouns represent the subject and the reflexive object.

  3. Il s'habille très vite le matin.

    He gets dressed very quickly in the morning.

    Word by Word: He himself dresses very fast the morning.

    The pronoun 'se' becomes 's'' because the verb 'habiller' starts with a mute 'h'.

  4. Nous nous dépêchons pour le train.

    We are hurrying for the train.

    Word by Word: We ourselves hurry for the train.

    Even though 'nous' is repeated, the first is the subject and the second is the reflexive pronoun.

  5. Le fromage se mange avec du pain.

    Cheese is eaten with bread.

    Word by Word: The cheese itself eats with some bread.

    This is the passive sense. It describes how cheese is typically consumed rather than the cheese literally eating itself.

Common Mistakes

  • Using possessive adjectives with body parts.

    Je me lave mes mains.
    Je me lave les mains.

    When using a pronominal verb with body parts, use the definite article (le, la, les). The reflexive pronoun 'me' already indicates that the hands belong to the subject.

  • Omitting the reflexive pronoun.

    Je lave à huit heures.
    Je me lave à huit heures.

    In English, we often drop 'myself'. In French, if you say 'Je lave', it sounds like you are washing an object (like a car) but forgot to say what it is.

  • Misplacing the pronoun with two verbs.

    Je me vais coucher.
    Je vais me coucher.

    When using an auxiliary or modal verb (like 'aller' or 'vouloir') followed by an infinitive, the reflexive pronoun must stay with the infinitive it belongs to.

How It Connects

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Pronominal verbs in the presentLevel 2

Learn This First

To learn reflexive verbs, you first need to understand how to conjugate standard verbs in the present tense and be familiar with the subject pronouns that determine which reflexive pronoun to use. Additionally, understanding elision is crucial since many reflexive pronouns contract before vowel-heavy verbs.

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