Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns in French show that the subject does an action to itself, and they appear in pronom réfléchi constructions where the pronoun agrees with the subject.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns match the subject and appear immediately before the verb in normal voeux réflexifs; they are typically forms of me, te, se, nous, vous.
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| je | me (m’) |
| tu | te (t’) |
| il/elle/on | se (s’) |
| nous | nous |
| vous | vous |
| ils/elles | se (s’) |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪞 Je me regarde dans le miroir. | I am looking at myself in the mirror. |
| 🪞 Tu te coiffes avant de sortir. | You are styling your hair before going out. |
| 🪞 Il se rase la barbe. | He is shaving his beard. |
| 🪞 Elle se maquille doucement. | She is putting on makeup gently. |
| 🪞 Nous nous lavons les mains. | We are washing our hands. |
| 🪞 Vous vous habillez élégamment. | You are dressing elegantly. |
| 🪞 Ils se regardent et sourient. | They look at each other and smile. |
| 🪞 Elles se préparent pour la soirée. | They are getting ready for the evening. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Placement
Reflexive pronouns come before the verb in propositions affirmatives, before an auxiliary in compound tenses, and they attach as enclitics in commands; they also remain separate in negative forms.
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪞 Je me lave le visage le matin. | I wash my face in the morning. |
| 🪞 Je vais me maquiller avant la fête. | I am going to put on makeup before the party. |
| 🪞 Ne te coiffe pas avec les mains sales. | Don’t style your hair with dirty hands. |
| 🪞 Elle est en train de se raser. | She is in the process of shaving. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Passé Composé
Reflexive verbs use être as the auxiliary in the passé composé, the reflexive pronoun goes before être, and the past participle normally agrees with the preceding direct object—usually the reflexive pronoun.
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪞 Je me suis lavé les cheveux ce matin. | I washed my hair this morning. |
| 🪞 Elle s’est coiffée avant de sortir. | She did her hair before going out. |
| 🪞 Nous nous sommes habillés rapidement. | We got dressed quickly. |
| 🪞 Ils se sont regardés dans le miroir. | They looked at themselves in the mirror. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Double Object / Y / En
When other pronouns like lui, leur, y, en appear alongside reflexive pronouns, they follow French pronoun order rules and never interrupt the reflexive pronoun; in commands, they attach in a specific sequence.
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪞 Je me le montre dans le miroir. | I am showing it to myself in the mirror. |
| 🪞 Elle va se l’appliquer. | She is going to apply it to herself. |
| 🪞 Ne te laves pas les mains avec ça ! | Don’t wash your hands with that! |
| 🪞 Il s’en nettoie le visage. | He is cleaning his face with some of it. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪞 Elle se brosse les cheveux devant la fenêtre. | She brushes her hair in front of the window. |
| 🪞 Ils se sèchent avec des serviettes colorées. | They dry themselves with colorful towels. |
| 🪞 Je me prépare un café avant de me coiffer. | I make myself a coffee before doing my hair. |
| 🪞 Nous nous couchons après une longue journée. | We go to bed after a long day. |
Non-Reflexive Uses
Some verbs that look reflexive can sometimes be non-reflexive and change meaning when se is removed; context determines whether an action is truly reflexive or if the verb acts on another object.
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪞 Je lave la voiture le samedi. | I wash the car on Saturdays. |
| 🪞 Elle coiffe sa sœur avant la fête. | She styles her sister’s hair before the party. |
| 🪞 Il habille le chien avec un manteau. | He dresses the dog with a coat. |
| 🪞 Ils regardent le spectacle ensemble. | They watch the show together. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Summary
Reflexive pronouns align with the subject and appear immediately before the verb or auxiliary, they attach to commands, and they guide agreement in compound tenses—master these patterns to handle daily routines and actions sur soi-même elegantly.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025