Reflexive verbs (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Reflexive verbs
What are reflexive verbs?
Reflexive verbs are special French verbs that describe actions you do to yourself. They always include an extra little word called a reflexive pronoun that sits between the subject and the main verb. Think of it as the difference between "I wash the car" and "I wash myself" - the second one would use a reflexive verb in French.
When you see a French verb starting with "se" in the dictionary (like se laver), this tells you it's reflexive. The "se" changes depending on who is doing the action.
Reflexive pronouns
The reflexive pronouns change depending on who is performing the action:
| Person | Reflexive Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| je | me | je me lave |
| tu | te | tu te laves |
| il/elle/on | se | il se lave |
| nous | nous | nous nous lavons |
| vous | vous | vous vous lavez |
| ils/elles | se | ils se lavent |
Notice how the reflexive pronoun always matches the subject - this is crucial for getting these verbs right!
Present tense examples
Here are two important reflexive verbs fully conjugated:
Worked Example: S'appeler (to be called)
- je m'appelle (I am called)
- tu t'appelles (you are called)
- il/elle/on s'appelle (he/she/one is called)
- nous nous appelons (we are called)
- vous vous appelez (you are called)
- ils/elles s'appellent (they are called)
Worked Example: Se lever (to get up)
- je me lève (I get up)
- tu te lèves (you get up)
- il/elle/on se lève (he/she/one gets up)
- nous nous levons (we get up)
- vous vous levez (you get up)
- ils/elles se lèvent (they get up)
Useful vocabulary
Essential Reflexive Verbs to Learn:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| se lever | to get up |
| se laver | to get washed |
| se marier | to get married |
| se demander | to wonder |
| s'intéresser à | to be interested in |
| se changer | to get changed |
| se trouver | to be situated |
| se passer | to happen |
| se séparer | to separate, break up |
| se situer | to be situated |
| se souvenir de | to remember |
| se rappeler de | to remember |
| se reposer | to rest |
| se sentir | to feel |
Perfect tense with reflexive verbs
This is where reflexive verbs get a bit tricky! In the perfect tense, all reflexive verbs use être as their auxiliary verb (not avoir). This means the past participle must agree with the subject.
Formation pattern: Subject + reflexive pronoun + être + past participle (agreeing with subject)
Perfect Tense Examples:
- je me suis levé(e) - I got up
- nous nous sommes séparé(e)s - We broke up
- elle s'est mariée - She got married
- ils se sont reposés - They rested
Here are some complete sentence examples comparing present and perfect tenses:
Present tense:
- Je me lève à sept heures - I get up at seven o'clock
- Tu t'intéresses au football? - Are you interested in football?
- Nous nous lavons les mains - We wash our hands
Perfect tense:
- Elle s'est mariée l'année dernière - She got married last year
- Ils se sont reposés après le match - They rested after the match
- Je me suis levé(e) tôt ce matin - I got up early this morning
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Important Grammar Points:
-
Contraction: Me, te, and se become m', t', and s' before a vowel or silent h
- Example: je m'appelle (not je me appelle)
-
Agreement in perfect tense: The past participle agrees with the subject when using être
- Masculine: levé, reposé
- Feminine: levée, reposée
- Plural masculine: levés, reposés
- Plural feminine: levées, reposées
-
Pronunciation: The reflexive pronoun and verb often flow together smoothly
- "je me lève" sounds like "zhuh-muh-LEV"
Translation practice
Practice Exercises:
French to English:
- Elle se réveille à six heures du matin
- Nous nous sommes amusés à la fête
English to French: 3. They get washed every morning 4. I got married last month
Answers:
- She wakes up at six o'clock in the morning
- We enjoyed ourselves/had fun at the party
- Ils se lavent tous les matins
- Je me suis marié(e) le mois dernier
Key Points to Remember:
- Reflexive verbs describe actions you do to yourself and always include a reflexive pronoun
- The reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) must match the subject
- In the perfect tense, all reflexive verbs use être and the past participle agrees with the subject
- The reflexive pronoun sits between the subject and the verb in present tense
- Look for "se" at the beginning of verbs in the dictionary to spot reflexive verbs