French Pronominal (Reflexive) Verbs — se laver, se lever, s'appeler
Getting Started
Pronominal (reflexive) verbs always come with a reflexive pronoun — me, te, se, nous, vous, se. French uses these far more than English does — everyday actions like “to get up” (se lever), “to go to bed” (se coucher), or “to be named” (s’appeler) are all pronominal in French, where English uses no pronoun at all. This lesson reuses the endings from Present Tense -ER Verbs — the only new piece is the pronoun attached in front.
1. Present Tense — the se laver Paradigm
| Subject | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je me | lave | zh(uh) muh lav | I wash myself |
| tu te | laves | tü t(uh) lav | You wash yourself (informal) |
| il/elle se | lave | eel/el s(uh) lav | He/she washes himself/herself |
| nous nous | lavons | noo noo la-vo(n) | We wash ourselves |
| vous vous | lavez | voo voo la-vay | You wash yourself/yourselves (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles se | lavent | eel/el s(uh) lav | They wash themselves |
Note — elision: Before a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent “h”, me/te/se contract to m’/t’/s’ for ease of pronunciation — the same rule that turns le/la into l’. Nous and vous never elide, even before a vowel:
| Full pronoun (before a consonant) | Elided pronoun (before a vowel) |
|---|---|
| je me lave | je m’appelle |
| tu te laves | tu t’appelles |
| il se lave | elle s’appelle |
| nous nous lavons | nous nous appelons |
| vous vous lavez | vous vous appelez |
| ils se lavent | elles s’appellent |
2. Common Pronominal Verbs
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| se lever | to get up | Je me lève à sept heures. (I get up at seven.) |
| se coucher | to go to bed | Il se couche tôt. (He goes to bed early.) |
| se réveiller | to wake up | Elle se réveille avant l’alarme. (She wakes up before the alarm.) |
| s’habiller | to get dressed | Tu t’habilles vite. (You get dressed quickly.) |
| se laver | to wash oneself | Nous nous lavons avant le dîner. (We wash up before dinner.) |
| se brosser les dents | to brush one’s teeth | Elle se brosse les dents. (She brushes her teeth.) |
| se dépêcher | to hurry | Nous nous dépêchons. (We’re hurrying.) |
| s’amuser | to have fun | Ils s’amusent au parc. (They’re having fun at the park.) |
| se reposer | to rest | Je me repose le dimanche. (I rest on Sundays.) |
| se sentir | to feel | Je me sens fatigué. (I feel tired.) |
| s’appeler | to be named | Elle s’appelle Amrit. (Her name is Amrit.) |
Note: Remember the body-part article rule? Elle se brosse les dents uses les, not the possessive ses — the reflexive pronoun already makes clear whose teeth they are.
3. Passé Composé and Agreement
Every pronominal verb takes être in the passé composé — even when the same verb’s non-reflexive form takes avoir (laver itself takes avoir: j’ai lavé la voiture). The pronoun comes before the auxiliary: Elle s’est levée.
The biggest trap: the past participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun, but only when that pronoun is the direct object. If the sentence has its own separate direct object — usually a body part — that noun becomes the direct object instead, and agreement stops.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Elle s’est lavée. | She washed (herself). |
| Elle s’est lavé les mains. | She washed her hands. |
In the first sentence there is no other object, so the reflexive pronoun is the direct object and the participle agrees — feminine lavée. In the second, les mains becomes the direct object, so the participle stays invariable — lavé, not lavée.
4. Quick Check
- Je ___ lève à six heures. (myself — lever) → me
- Comment tu ___ appelles ? (yourself, elided) → t’
- Nous ___ dépêchons. (ourselves, no elision) → nous
- Elle s’est ___ (levée / levé) — no other object. → levée
- Il s’est ___ (brossé / brossée) les dents — there is a direct object. → brossé
Four or five correct, and both rules — elision and agreement — are solid.
What’s Next
Pair this lesson with Passé Composé Basics and être and avoir, then practise with the Pronominal Verbs game.
FAQ
What is a pronominal verb?
A verb that always comes with a reflexive pronoun (me/te/se/nous/vous/se) — the subject is also the object of the verb. 'Il se lave' literally means 'he washes himself', but French uses this pattern for many everyday actions (se lever, se coucher, s'appeler) where English uses no pronoun at all.
When do je me, tu te, se become m', t', s'?
Before a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent 'h' — s'appeler, s'habiller, s'amuser. Nous and vous never elide: nous nous appelons, never 'nous n'appelons'.
When does the passé composé agreement not happen?
When the verb has its own separate direct object — usually a body part. 'Elle s'est lavée' agrees, but 'Elle s'est lavé les mains' does not, because 'les mains' becomes the direct object instead.