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French · Grammar · A1 to B1

French reflexive verbs: je m’appelle, elle s’est levée, and on se voit demain

Add the mirror · the same verb with and without se
appeler · to call
J’appelleI-callmon frère.my brother
zha-PEL mon FRAIR · “I’m calling my brother.”
s’appeler · to be called
JeIm’appellemyself-callLéa.Léa
zhuh ma-PEL lay-A · “My name is Léa.”
Why: Literally “I call myself Léa”: the standard way to say your name.

Short answer: a reflexive verb has a pronoun that points back at the subject, like “myself”. In French the pronoun goes before the verb: je me lave (I wash myself), tu te lèves, il se couche. Many everyday verbs are reflexive where English is not: je m’appelle (my name is), je me souviens (I remember). In the past tense they all take être: elle s’est levée. In commands the pronoun moves after: Lève-toi !

The reflexive pronouns

Me, te, se, nous, vous, se

Each person has its pronoun. Before a vowel or silent h, me, te and se shrink to m’, t’, s’. Tap a row to hear both verbs.

PersonPronounse laver · to washs’habiller · to dress
jeme / m’je me laveje m’habille
tute / t’tu te lavestu t’habilles
il, elle, onse / s’il se laveelle s’habille
nousnousnous nous lavonsnous nous habillons
vousvousvous vous lavezvous vous habillez
ils, ellesse / s’ils se laventelles s’habillent
The past tense with être

Je me suis levé, elle s’est levée

In the passé composé every reflexive verb uses être, and the past participle usually agrees with the subject: add -e for a woman, -s for plural. The agreement is mostly silent.

JeIme suismyself amlevéraisedtôt.early
zhuh muh swee luh-VAY TOH
“I got up early. (man speaking)”Être + participle: levé.
Elleshes’estherself islevéeraisedtard.late
el say luh-VAY TAR
“She got up late.”Feminine subject: levée, with a silent -e.
Nouswenous sommesourselves areamusés.amused
noo noo SOM za-mü-ZAY
“We had fun.”Plural: amusés.
Elleshes’estherself islavéwashedles mains.the hands
el say la-VAY lay MAN
“She washed her hands.”No agreement here: the thing washed is les mains, which comes after the verb.
Where the pronoun goes

Ne … pas, Lève-toi !, Ne te lève pas !

Statement
Tuyoute lèves.yourself raise
tü tuh LEV · “You get up.”Pronoun before the verb.
Negative
Tuyounenotte lèvesyourself raisepas.not
tü nuh tuh LEV PA · “You don’t get up.”Ne goes before the pronoun.
Command
Lève-toi !raise yourself
LEV TWA · “Get up!”The pronoun follows with a hyphen; te becomes toi.
Negative command
Nenotte lèveyourself raisepas !not
nuh tuh LEV PA · “Don’t get up!”Back to normal order, before the verb.
Reflexive verbs with their own meaning

Se débrouiller, s’en aller, se moquer de

Some verbs only exist as reflexives, or mean something new with se. Learn them as whole units, with their preposition. Tap to hear an example.

Each other

Ils se parlent, on s’écrit

With a plural subject, se often means “each other”: a reciprocal verb. Context tells you which meaning is meant.

Ilstheyseeach-otherparlentspeaktous les jours.every day
eel suh PARL too lay ZHOOR · “They talk to each other every day.”
Onwes’écriteach-other-writesouvent.often
on say-KREE soo-VON · “We write to each other often.”
Ilstheyse sonteach-other arerencontrésmetà Lyon.in Lyon
eel suh son ron-kon-TRAY a lee-ON · “They met in Lyon.”
Nouswenouseach-otheraimons.love
noo noo zay-MON · “We love each other.”
A morning, step by step

Je me réveille, je me lève, je m’habille

A daily routine is mostly reflexive verbs. Read down the timeline; the reflexive pronoun is in blue.

  1. 6h45
    JeImemyselfréveille.wake
    zhuh muh ray-VAY · “I wake up.”
  2. 7h00
    JeImemyselflève.raise
    zhuh muh LEV · “I get up.”
  3. 7h10
    JeImemyselfdouche.shower
    zhuh muh DOOSH · “I have a shower.”
  4. 7h20
    JeIm’habille.myself-dress
    zhuh ma-BEE-yuh · “I get dressed.”
  5. 7h30
    JeImemyselfbrossebrushles dents.the teeth
    zhuh muh BROSS lay DON · “I brush my teeth.”
  6. 7h45
    JeImemyselfdépêche !hurry
    zhuh muh day-PESH · “I hurry!”
Keep going

Related guides

Passé composé →Être verbs and agreement. je me suis levéPresent tense →The verb endings. je laveNegation →Ne … pas around the pronoun. ne te lève pasHome vocabulary →The morning routine at home. la salle de bains