This lesson covers French reflexive pronouns and reflexive verbs used to indicate actions performed on oneself. It explains the pronouns for singular and plural forms, the structure of reflexive verbs, elision before vowel sounds, and provides practical examples like "Je me réveille" and "Nous nous habillons." It also compares reflexive pronouns in French and English to aid understanding.
- You must place the personal pronoun first, then the reflexive pronoun, and finally the pronominal verb: "Je me lève", "Tu te lèves".
- In the infinitive, the pronoun "se" is used.
| Singulier (Singular) | Pluriel (Plural) |
| Je me réveille (I wake up) | Nous nous réveillons (We ourselves wake up) |
| Tu te réveilles (You wake up) | Vous vous réveillez (You wake up) |
| Il se réveille (He gets up) | Ils se réveillent (They wake up) |
Exceptions!
- "Me", "te" and "se" are elided as "m'", "t'" and "s'" before verbs starting with a vowel or a mute h.
Exercise 1: Les pronoms réflexifs
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
te, se, nous, vous, me
1.
Le week-end je ... réveille tard.
(At the weekend I wake up late.)
2.
Nous ... couchons tôt ces derniers jours.
(We have been going to bed early these last few days.)
3.
Tu ... laves à l'eau chaude ou froide ?
(Do you wash yourself with hot or cold water?)
4.
Il ... lave les mains avant et après les repas.
(He washes his hands before and after meals.)
5.
Vous ... réveillez à quelle heure ?
(What time do you wake up?)
6.
Tu ... couches après la douche.
(You lie down after the shower.)
7.
Nous ... lavons avant de dormir.
(We wash ourselves before going to sleep.)
8.
Ils ... couchent sans dire bonne nuit à leurs parents.
(They go to bed without saying good night to their parents.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Je ___ toujours à 7 heures.
(I ___ always at 7 o'clock.)2. Tu ___ souvent le matin.
(You ___ often in the morning.)3. Nous ___ avant de partir.
(We ___ before leaving.)4. Vous ___ rarement le week-end.
(You ___ rarely on weekends.)5. Il ___ à 22 heures tous les soirs.
(He ___ at 10 pm every night.)6. Ils ___ les mains avant de dîner.
(They ___ their hands before dinner.)
