Reflexive verbs

Kurz erklärt

Reflexive verbs describe actions that people do to or for themselves, as well as common daily routines. In French, they use a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject. The infinitive is shown with se, as in se lever (to get up) and se coucher (to go to bed).

Bildung

Subject + reflexive pronoun + conjugated verb. The pronouns are me, te, se, nous, vous, se. Before a vowel or silent h, me, te, and se become m’, t’, and s’: je m’habille. In a negative sentence, ne comes before the reflexive pronoun: je ne me couche pas.

Verwendung

• Use reflexive verbs for daily routines such as getting up, getting dressed, and going to bed.
• Change the reflexive pronoun to match the subject.
• Keep the reflexive pronoun directly before the conjugated verb.

Beispiele

• Je me lève à sept heures. — I get up at seven o’clock.
• Tu t’habilles vite. — You get dressed quickly.
• Nous nous couchons tôt. — We go to bed early.
• Elle s’appelle Léa. — Her name is Léa.

Typischer Fehler

❌ Je lève à sept heures.

✅ Je me lève à sept heures.

Do not omit the reflexive pronoun as you can in English. In French, the reflexive pronoun must match the subject.

Merke

The reflexive pronoun always matches the subject: je me, tu te, il/elle se, nous nous, vous vous, ils/elles se.