French 2 / Unit 1: Review and Daily Routine
1.3 Reflexive Verbs in the Present
Notes
A reflexive verb shows that the subject does the action to itself. It uses a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject, placed before the verb.
| Subject | Pronoun | se laver |
|---|---|---|
| je | me (m') | me lave |
| tu | te (t') | te laves |
| il/elle/on | se (s') | se lave |
| nous | nous | nous lavons |
| vous | vous | vous lavez |
| ils/elles | se (s') | se lavent |
- Use m', t', s' before a vowel or silent h: Je m'habille. Elle s'habille.
- Common verbs: se réveiller, se lever, se laver, se brosser les dents, s'habiller, se coucher, se dépêcher, s'endormir.
- Negation wraps around the pronoun and verb: Je ne me lève pas tôt.
- With body parts, French uses le/la/les, not possessives: Je me brosse les dents.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
The pronoun goes before the verb, and body parts take a definite article, not a possessive.
How do you say "We get up at seven" in French?
The reflexive pronoun nous matches the subject nous.
Which sentence is the correct negative?
The ne ... pas surrounds the pronoun and the verb: ne se couche pas.
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