Reflexive Verbs in French What are Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs in French

What are ‘Reflexive Verbs’ ? In English and in French reflexive verbs are doing words which you do to yourself. I wash myself Je me lave. I get myself up Je me leve. I call myself Je m’ appelle.

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Verbs are doing, being or having words.

Here are some common examples acheter to buy } ecouter to listen } regarder to watch } end in ‘er’ } aimer to like aller to go avoir to have } finir to finish } faire to do } to read } lire } end in ‘ir’ end in ‘re’

Why do verbs change ? In English and French, verb endings change when linked to a PRONOUN. (I) je (you) tu (he) il (she) elle P R O N O U N nous (we) vous (you) ils (they) elles (they)

Patterns Luckily most verb endings in French follow a regular pattern. The pattern depends on whether the VERB INFINITIVE ends in: ‘er’ – habiter aimer ‘ir’ – finir choisir ‘re’ – vendre attendre We’ll concentrate on the most common form – ‘er’ verbs

Verbs ending in ‘er’: Take off ‘er’, add e. g. ‘habiter’ – ‘to live’ e (je) j’ habite (I) (live) es tu habites (you) (live) e il habite (he) (lives) e elle habite (she) (lives) ons nous habitons (we) (live) ez vous habitez (you) (live) ent ils habitent (they) (live) ent elles habitent (they) (live)

Here are some examples of reflexive verbs se laver to wash (oneself) se lever to get (oneself) up s’ appeler to call (oneself) se reveiller to wake (oneself) up se doucher to shower (oneself) s’ habiller to get (oneself) dressed / to dress se coucher to get (oneself) to bed / to go to bed

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In French, the ‘reflexive’ part of the verb (reflexive pronoun) also changes, as well as the verb ending. It changes depending on who is speaking (the pronoun). (I call myself) Je m’ appelle pronoun reflexive pronoun main verb (ending changes)

Here is how it changes: e. g. ‘se laver’ – ‘to wash (oneself)’ je me lave I wash myself tu te laves you wash yourself il se lave he washes himself elle se lave she washes herself nous lavons we wash ourselves vous lavez you wash yourself ils se lavent they wash themselves elles se lavent they wash themselves

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Now try these simple exercises: Change the verb in brackets to it’s correct form. 1) Je (se appeller) Bob. Je m’ appelle Bob. 2) Il (se appeller) Bob. Il s’ appelle Bob. 3) Comment tu (se appeller). Comment tu t’ appelles ? 4) Je (se lever) à six heures. Je me leve à six heures. 5) Nous (se coucher) à onze heures. Nous nous couchons à onze heures 6) Elle (se reveiller) quand ? Elle se reveille quand ? 7) Vous (se laver) à dix heures Vous vous lavez à dix heures. 8) Ils (se doucher) à sept heures. Ils se douchent à sept heures. …easy…

So try these too: Again, change the verb ‘avoir’ to it’s correct form. 1) Nous (se habiller). Nous nous habillons. 2) Vous (se lever) tot. Vous vous levez tot. 3) Je (se laver) doucement. Je me lave doucement. 4) Elles (se reveiller) a cinq heures. Elles se reveillent a cinq heures. 5) Tu (se laver) les dents. Tu te laves les dents. 6) Vous (se appeller) M. Shrimpton. Vous vous appellez M Shrimpton. 7) Tu (se coucher) tard. Tu te couches tard. 8) Je (se lever) a sept heures. Je me leve a sept heures. …Well done !!

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