Reflexive Pronouns in FrenchA2

Reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nous and vous. Their form depends on the subject's person: with je, we use me; with tu, te; with il, elle or on, se; with nous, nous; with vous, vous; with ils or elles, se. They are used with pronominal verbs, which can be found in Verbes pronominaux, and they are always constructed in direct relation to the subject, as je me lave, tu te dépêches, nous nous retrouvons.

Forms according to the subject's person

Idea
With je, one uses me to talk about oneself.
With tu, one uses te to talk to a single person.
With il, elle or on, one uses se for the subject.
With nous, one uses nous to include several people.
With vous, one uses vous to talk to several people or with politeness.

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In a common present-tense verbal sentence, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb: subject + reflexive pronoun + verb. We say je me prépare, tu te lèves, ils se parlent. The verbal group remains continuous, and the pronoun does not move away from the verb it accompanies. With the other Pronoms personnels, the placement of the pronoun also depends on the structure of the sentence, but with a pronominal verb the usual pattern remains very stable.

Placement in the ordinary sentence

Usage	Explanation
Before the conjugated verb	Place the reflexive pronoun just before the conjugated verb in a present tense sentence.
With multiple verbs	When there are several verbs, the reflexive pronoun stays in front of the verb it accompanies.

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Before a vowel or a silent h, me, te and se are elided to m', t' and s'. We say je m’appelle, tu t’habilles, il s’arrête, nous nous entendons, vous vous amusez. Elision avoids contact between two vowels and keeps the pronunciation fluid. It does not concern nous and vous, which keep their full form.

Reduction before a vowel or mute h

Idea
Before a vowel, me becomes m'.
Before a vowel, te becomes t'.
Before a vowel, se becomes s'.

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The reflexive pronoun can refer to the subject itself. In je me regarde, the person who looks is also the one who is looked at. In elle se brosse les cheveux, the subject performs the action on their own body or on what belongs to them. It can also express a reciprocal action when several people act on each other: ils se parlent, nous nous écrivons, elles se connaissent. The meaning depends on the verb and the context, but the pronominal form always shows a link between the subject and the action.

Two ways to convey the action

Usage	Explanation
Action on oneself	We use the reflexive sense when the subject performs the action on themselves.
Action among several people	We use the reciprocal sense when several people perform the action on each other.

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In daily life, pronominal verbs are very common: se lever, se coucher, s’habiller, se laver, se préparer, s’appeler, se retrouver, se souvenir. They are used in simple sentences such as je me lève tôt, nous nous préparons pour partir, vous vous souvenez de ce film ?, ils se retrouvent au café. These verbs are used with the subject and the reflexive pronoun in the same construction, as explained in Verbes pronominaux.

Everyday present-tense verbs

Usage	Explanation
Wake-up and routine	These verbs are often used to talk about daily routine with very simple gestures.
Hygiene and care	They are also used for body care and everyday small actions.
Dressing	They allow talking about the act of dressing oneself in a natural, frequent way.

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With an infinitive, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the infinitive: je vais me reposer, il préfère se taire, nous voulons nous inscrire. When an infinitive depends on another conjugated verb, the pronoun remains attached to the infinitive it accompanies. In the affirmative imperative, the pronoun follows the verb and is linked by a hyphen: lève-toi, habille-toi, dépêchons-nous, souvenez-vous. The form then changes position, but the link with the pronominal verb remains visible.

Placement of the pronoun according to the verb form

Idea
With an infinitive, the reflexive pronoun generally sits before the infinitive.
With the affirmative imperative, the reflexive pronoun sits after the verb.
In the affirmative imperative, one links the verb and the pronoun with a hyphen.

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The reflexive pronoun agrees with the person of the subject, never with the noun that follows. We say je me lave, tu te couches, nous nous amusons, vous vous trompez. With certain verbs, the pronominal form changes the meaning. Rappeler means to bring something to mind or to make someone come back; se rappeler means to keep something in memory: je me rappelle son nom. Arrêter means to stop something; s’arrêter means to stop moving: the bus s’arrête. Passer means to cross or to give; se passer means to take place: the meeting se passe bien. Demonstrative pronouns, Pronoms possessifs, Pronoms relatifs and Pronoms indéfinis serve other relations in the sentence, while the reflexive pronoun keeps the subject at the center of the action.

Agreement and meaning of pronominal verbs

Idea
The past participle agrees with the subject when the pronominal verb requires it.
Some verbs change meaning in the pronominal form.
The pronominal meaning can mark a personal or intimate action.

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