Bonjour ! J'espère que vous avez bien mémorisé les jours et les mois de la leçon précédente.
In our last session, we learned how to state the date, which is crucial for scheduling. Now, we will learn the grammatical tool needed to describe the actions you perform on those dates: your daily routine. This brings us to a very important category of verbs in French.
Today's lesson will focus on how to conjugate common reflexive verbs in the present tense, such as se lever (to get up) and se laver (to wash oneself). Mastering these verbs is essential for talking about your daily activities, a skill that is fundamental both in everyday conversation and in a professional context like a call center.
1. What is a Reflexive Verb?
A reflexive verb describes an action that the subject performs on itself. The action "reflects" back onto the person doing it.
- Non-reflexive:
Je lave la voiture.(I wash the car.) — The action is done to the car. - Reflexive:
Je me lave.(I wash myself.) — The action is done to "me".
In French, you can identify these verbs in their infinitive (unconjugated) form because they always start with se or s'. For example: se laver (to wash oneself), s'habiller (to dress oneself).
To get a clear and simple explanation of this concept, let's start with a short video.
PYF Reflexive Verbs - Present Tense
The first part of this video from 'Learn French With Alexa' explains exactly what a reflexive verb is by comparing a normal action to a 'reflected' action.
Watch from 00:15 to 01:32. Focus on understanding the idea of the action 'coming back to you'.
2. The Reflexive Pronouns
To conjugate a reflexive verb, you need to use a special set of pronouns called reflexive pronouns. These pronouns must match the subject of the verb.
Here is the list of subject pronouns and their corresponding reflexive pronouns:
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| je (I) | me / m' | myself |
| tu (you, informal) | te / t' | yourself |
| il/elle/on (he/she/we) | se / s' | himself/herself/oneself |
| nous (we) | nous | ourselves |
| vous (you, formal/plural) | vous | yourself/yourselves |
| ils/elles (they) | se / s' | themselves |
Note the m', t', and s'. This is called an elision. The e is dropped when the verb that follows starts with a vowel or a silent 'h'. We'll see an example of this shortly.
The next part of the video explains these pronouns and where to place them.
PYF Reflexive Verbs - Present Tense
Let's continue with the same video to learn about the specific reflexive pronouns in French and their placement before the verb.
Watch from 01:32 to 04:13. Pay close attention to the list of pronouns. Don't worry if 'nous nous' and 'vous vous' seem strange at first; it's a normal part of the structure.
3. How to Conjugate a Reflexive Verb
Conjugating a reflexive verb is a two-step process:
- Start with the subject pronoun (e.g.,
je). - Add the correct reflexive pronoun (e.g.,
me). - Add the conjugated verb. The verb itself is conjugated in the present tense just like any other verb.
Let's use se laver (to wash oneself) as our main example. It's a regular -er verb.
| Person | Full Conjugation | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | je me lave | je + me + lave |
| 2nd singular | tu te laves | tu + te + laves |
| 3rd singular | il/elle/on se lave | il + se + lave |
| 1st plural | nous nous lavons | nous + nous + lavons |
| 2nd plural | vous vous lavez | vous + vous + lavez |
| 3rd plural | ils/elles se lavent | ils + se + lavent |
For a clear summary and further examples, the following article is an excellent reference.
This article from Lingolia, 'Les verbes pronominaux', clearly lays out the conjugation rules. The table for 'se laver' is a perfect summary.
Read the section 'Comment conjuguer les verbes pronominaux en français ?'. Focus on the general rules and the example conjugation table for 'se laver' in the present tense.
Test your understanding!
Choose the correct reflexive pronoun to complete the sentence.
Nous ____ levons à 8 heures.(We get up at 8 o'clock.)Elle ____ appelle Sarah.(Her name is Sarah.)Tu ____ douches le soir.(You shower in the evening.)
Show answer
nous->Nous **nous** levons à 8 heures.s'->Elle **s'**appelle Sarah.te->Tu **te** douches le soir.
4. Verbs Starting with a Vowel or 'h'
As mentioned, when the verb begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent 'h', the reflexive pronouns me, te, and se change to m', t', and s'.
A perfect example is s'habiller (to get dressed). The verb is habiller, but because it starts with a silent 'h', the se becomes s'.
Let's look at its conjugation:
je **m'**habilletu **t'**habillesil/elle **s'**habillenous nous habillons(No change fornousandvous)vous vous habillezils/elles **s'**habillent
You have already learned the verb s'appeler (to be called, as in "My name is..."). Now you can see it is a reflexive verb! That's why you say Je m'appelle... and Comment vous appelez-vous ?.
This image provides a great visual summary for conjugating two very common reflexive verbs, including one that starts with a silent 'h'.
5. Common Reflexive Verbs for Daily Routines
Here is a list of common reflexive verbs that you will use constantly to describe a daily routine. Try to memorize them.
| French Infinitive | English Meaning |
|---|---|
se réveiller |
to wake up |
se lever |
to get up |
se laver |
to wash oneself |
se doucher |
to take a shower |
s'habiller |
to get dressed |
se brosser (les dents, les cheveux) |
to brush (one's teeth, one's hair) |
se reposer |
to rest |
se coucher |
to go to bed |
s'amuser |
to have fun, to enjoy oneself |
This article from BBC Bitesize has a helpful video and vocabulary lists that put these verbs into the context of a daily routine.
Talking about school life and daily routine in French
This page, 'Talking about school life and daily routine in French,' is perfect for seeing these verbs in action. It reinforces what we've learned and gives you a feel for how they are used.
Scan the 'Useful vocabulary' table for daily routine verbs. Then, read the section 'Grammar - Reflexive verbs in the present tense' which provides a clear conjugation table for 'se lever'. This will be a good review.
Conclusion
Excellent work today! You've learned the mechanics of a fundamental part of French grammar.
Key Takeaways:
- Reflexive verbs describe an action the subject does to itself and are identified by
seors'in the infinitive. - They are conjugated with a reflexive pronoun (
me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that must match the subject. - The pronoun is placed between the subject and the verb.
- The verb part is conjugated normally in the present tense.
- Pronouns
me,te,sebecomem',t',s'before a vowel or silent 'h'.
In our next lesson, we will put this knowledge into practice. You will learn to describe a simple daily routine using reflexive verbs and time expressions, combining what you learned today with the skills from our previous lessons on time and dates.
À bientôt