Reflexive Verbs (Leaving Cert French): Revision Notes

Reflexive Verbs

What Are Reflexive Verbs?

Reflexive verbs are special verbs in French where the action reflects back on the subject. This means that the person doing the action is also receiving the action. In English, you often see this with words like "myself," "yourself," "ourselves," etc.

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Step 1: Recognise Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs in French always have a small pronoun before them, like me, te, se, nous, or vous. Here are a few common reflexive verbs:

• se laver (to wash oneself)
• s'appeler (to call oneself, as in "My name is...")
• se lever (to get up)
• se reposer (to rest)

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Step 2: Learn the Reflexive Pronouns

The reflexive pronoun changes depending on who is doing the action. Here's how it works:

Subject	Reflexive Pronoun
Je (I)	me
Tu (You • informal)	te
Il/Elle/On (He/She/One)	se
Nous (We)	nous
Vous (You • formal/plural)	vous
Ils/Elles (They)	se

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Step 3: Conjugate the Verb

Now that you know the reflexive pronoun, you need to conjugate the verb like you would any other verb in French.

Let's use se laver (to wash oneself) as an example:

Subject	Reflexive Pronoun	Conjugation of se laver	Translation
Je	me	lave	Je me lave. (I wash myself.)
Tu	te	laves	Tu te laves. (You wash yourself.)
Il/Elle/On	se	lave	Il/Elle se lave. (He/She washes himself/herself.)
Nous	nous	lavons	Nous nous lavons. (We wash ourselves.)
Vous	vous	lavez	Vous vous lavez. (You wash yourself/yourselves.)
Ils/Elles	se	lavent	Ils/Elles se lavent. (They wash themselves.)

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Step 4: Using Reflexive Verbs in Sentences

To use reflexive verbs in a sentence, follow this structure:

1. Start with the subject (e.g., Je, Tu, Il, Elle, etc.)
2. Add the reflexive pronoun (e.g., me, te, se, nous, vous, se)
3. Conjugate the verb based on the subject.
4. Add the rest of your sentence as needed.

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Step 5: The Negative Form

To make a reflexive verb negative, simply put "ne" before the reflexive pronoun and "pas" after the verb.

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Step 6: Reflexive Verbs in the Imperative (Commands)

When giving commands with reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun comes after the verb and is connected by a hyphen.

• Lève-toi! (Get up!)

• Reposons-nous! (Let's rest!)

• Lavez-vous les mains! (Wash your hands!) For negative commands, the reflexive pronoun stays in front of the verb:

• Ne te lève pas! (Don't get up!)

• Ne nous reposons pas! (Let's not rest!)

• Ne vous lavez pas les mains! (Don't wash your hands!)

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Final Tips

• Remember that reflexive verbs are all about the action coming back to the subject.
• Practice with common verbs like se laver (to wash), se lever (to get up), and s'amuser (to have fun).
• Don't forget the reflexive pronoun—it's what makes the verb reflexive!

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Common Reflexive Verbs

Level 1	Translation
se coucher	to go to bed
se dépêcher	to hurry
s'habiller	to get dressed
se réveiller	to wake up
se laver	to get washed
se lever	to get up
se doucher	to shower
se maquiller	to put on make up
se raser	to shave
s'entraîner	to train
se demander	to wonder
s'amuser	to enjoy yourself
se baigner	to swim
se balader	to go for a stroll
se promener	to go for a walk
se détendre	to relax
se trouver	to be situated
se rendre	to go
s'abonner	to follow/subscribe

Level 2	Translation
se marrer	to have a laugh
se reposer	to rest
s'écraser	to crash
se heurter	to crash
se percuter	to crash
s'échapper	to escape
se passionner pour	to be mad about
s'allonger	to stretch out
s'écrouler	to collapse
s'occuper de	to look after
s'endormir	to fall asleep
s'arrêter	to stop
s'approcher	to approach
se fâcher	to get angry
se rebouter	to lose heart (idiom: je me reboute)
se demander	to wonder
s'éclater	to have a ball
se diriger	to head towards
se soucier	to worry

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