Question

French Tutorial: Reflexive Pronouns & Pronomial Verbs

Answer 1

reflexive pronouns are pronouns used to show that the subject is performing an action on themselves

pronomial verbs are verbs that are used with reflexive pronouns to show reflexive actions

we will cover three types of pronomial verbs: reflexive, reciprocal, and idiomatic

- reflexive: subject performs action on themselves
- reciprocal: action is shared mutually between multiple subjects
- idiomatic: verbs that take on different/specific meanings when used in conjunction with reflexive pronouns

Answer 2

\({\bf{Reflexive~Pronouns:}}\)
me/m': myself
te/t': yourself
se/s': him/her/oneself/themselves
nous: ourselves
vous: yourself/yourselves

ex: L'enfant s'habille. (The child dresses himself/herself.)

\({\bf{Reflexive~Verbs:}}\)
the reflexive verb follows the reflexive pronouns and indicate that the subject is performing an action on itself

in the verb + infinitive form, the reflexive pronoun precedes the infinitive

ex: Je vais me coucher tôt. (I get up early.) Nous nous repose bien. (We rest well.) Ils veulent se laver. (They want to wash themselves.)

Answer 3

cont.

Negative Statements:
ne + reflexive pronoun + verb + pas

ex: Je ne m'endors pas facilement. (I do not fall asleep easily.)

Interrogatives:

as a review, there are three ways to form a question: non-inverted form, inverted form, and the est-ce que form

Tu te couches? (You going to bed?)
Vous ennuyez-vous? (Are you bored?)
Est-ce que vous vous entraînez? )Do you work out?)

notice that, in the inverted form, the subject pronoun is appended to the verb with a hyphen, while the reflexive pronoun comes before the verb.

Te maquillés-tu? (Do you wear makeup?)

Imperative:
for affirmative commands, the reflexive pronoun is appended to the verb with a hyphen
for negative commands, the reflexive pronoun comes before the verb

ex:
Brosse-toi les dents. (Brush your teeth.) vs.
Ne te brosse pas les dents. (Don't brush your teeth.)

Body Parts:
some reflexive verbs involve parts of one's body (ex: brush your hair, brush your teeth, wash your hands, etc.) With body parts, use the *definite* article.

ex: Je me lave les cheveux tous les matins. (I wash my hair every morning.)

Answer 4

\({\bf{Reciprocal~Verbs:}}\) indicate shared actions between multiple individuals. for verb + infinitive constructions, the reflexive pronoun comes before the infinitive

ex: On s'entraide. (We help each other.)
Se disputent-ils fréquemment? (Do they argue frequently?)
Les chiens et leurs propriétaires se ressemblent. (Dogs and their owners resemble each other.)
Nous voulons nous écrire. (We want to write to each other.)

Answer 5

\({\bf{Idiomatic~Verbs:}}\) these are reflexive pronoun + verb constructions that have different meanings than the verb by itself.

ex: apercevoir (to see/glimpse) vs s'apercevoir de (to notice)

J'ai aperçu le colibri avant qu'il ne s'envole. (I glimpsed the hummingbird before it flew away.)
Senpai s'aperçoit de moi (Senpai notices me.)

Answer 6

\({\bf{References:}}\)

Rochester, Myrna B. Easy French Step-by-Step, United States, McGraw-Hill Education, 2009, 153-270.

CollinsDictionary for French and English translations

Forvo (https://forvo.com/), a French pronunciation database with samples from native French speakers