Reflexive Verbs: Present Tense in French
This section explains Present Tense Reflexive Verbs. In French, reflexive verbs are verbs that are used when the subject performs an action on itself. They are conjugated with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject. Reflexive verbs are used in daily conversations and are important to understand for both Foundation and Higher Tier levels of the GCSE exam.
Reflexive Verbs Conjugation in the Present Tense
The key difference with reflexive verbs is that they require a reflexive pronoun in addition to the regular conjugation of the verb. The reflexive pronouns are:
- Je (I) → me (myself)
- Tu (you, informal) → te (yourself)
- Il/elle/on (he/she/one) → se (himself, herself, itself)
- Nous (we) → nous (ourselves)
- Vous (you, formal/plural) → vous (yourself/yourselves)
- Ils/elles (they) → se (themselves)
Conjugation 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 – formal/plural)
- Ils/elles se lèvent (They get up)
Common Reflexive Verbs in the Present Tense
Se réveiller (to wake up)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je me réveille | I wake up | Je me réveille à six heures. | I wake up at six o’clock. |
| Tu te réveilles | You wake up (informal) | Tu te réveilles tôt le matin. | You wake up early in the morning. |
| Il/elle/on se réveille | He/she/one wakes up | Elle se réveille toujours en retard. | She wakes up always late. |
| Nous nous réveillons | We wake up | Nous nous réveillons à huit heures. | We wake up at eight o’clock. |
| Vous vous réveillez | You wake up (formal/plural) | Vous vous réveillez après le matin. | You wake up after the morning. |
| Ils/elles se réveillent | They wake up | Ils se réveillent tard le dimanche. | They wake up late on Sunday. |
Se laver (to wash oneself)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je me lave | I wash myself | Je me lave les mains. | I wash my hands. |
| Tu te laves | You wash yourself (informal) | Tu te laves le visage. | You wash your face. |
| Il/elle/on se lave | He/she/one washes himself/herself | Elle se lave avant de sortir. | She washes before going out. |
| Nous nous lavons | We wash ourselves | Nous nous lavons tous les matins. | We wash ourselves every morning. |
| Vous vous lavez | You wash yourselves (formal/plural) | Vous vous lavez les cheveux. | You wash your hair. |
| Ils/elles se lavent | They wash themselves | Ils se lavent après le sport. | They wash themselves after sport. |
Se coucher (to go to bed)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je me couche | I go to bed | Je me couche tôt pendant la semaine. | I go to bed early during the week. |
| Tu te couches | You go to bed (informal) | Tu te couches à quelle heure ? | What time do you go to bed? |
| Il/elle/on se couche | He/she/one goes to bed | Il se couche tard le samedi. | He goes to bed late on Saturday. |
| Nous nous couchons | We go to bed | Nous nous couchons à minuit. | We go to bed at midnight. |
| Vous vous couchez | You go to bed (formal/plural) | Vous vous couchez dans une heure. | You go to bed in an hour. |
| Ils/elles se couchent | They go to bed | Ils se couchent après la fête. | They go to bed after the party. |
Reflexive Verbs with Different Meanings in French
Some verbs are only reflexive in French, and they have a different meaning when used reflexively. These verbs are important to remember for higher-level comprehension.
S’amuser (to have fun)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je m’amuse | I have fun | Je m’amuse au parc. | I have fun at the park. |
| Tu t’amuses | You have fun (informal) | Tu t’amuses bien ? | Are you having fun? |
| Il/elle/on s’amuse | He/she/one has fun | Elle s’amuse avec ses amis. | She has fun with her friends. |
| Nous nous amusons | We have fun | Nous nous amusons au cinéma. | We have fun at the cinema. |
| Vous vous amusez | You have fun (formal/plural) | Vous vous amusez à la fête. | You have fun at the party. |
| Ils/elles s’amusent | They have fun | Ils s’amusent bien à l’école. | They have fun at school. |
Se souvenir de (to remember)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je me souviens | I remember | Je me souviens de mon anniversaire. | I remember my birthday. |
| Tu te souviens | You remember (informal) | Tu te souviens de ce film ? | Do you remember that film? |
| Il/elle/on se souvient | He/she/one remembers | Il se souvient de son enfance. | He remembers his childhood. |
| Nous nous souvenons | We remember | Nous nous souvenons bien. | We remember well. |
| Vous vous souvenez | You remember (formal/plural) | Vous vous souvenez de nous ? | Do you remember us? |
| Ils/elles se souviennent | They remember | Ils se souviennent de cette chanson. | They remember that song. |
Key Points to Remember
- Reflexive pronouns must match the subject pronoun (je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles).
- Reflexive verbs are used to describe actions that people do to themselves, such as se laver (to wash oneself), se lever (to get up), and s'amuser (to have fun).
- The conjugation is the same as regular verbs, but the reflexive pronoun is added before the verb.
- Some reflexive verbs change meaning when used reflexively, such as s'amuser (to have fun) and se souvenir (to remember).
Higher Tier: Using Reflexive Verbs in Complex Sentences
At the Higher Tier, you may be asked to use reflexive verbs in more complex sentences. Here are some examples:
Examples:
- Après s’être réveillés, ils sont allés au parc.
- Translation: After waking up, they went to the park.
- Nous nous amusons toujours lors des fêtes de famille.
- Translation: We always have fun at family parties.
- Je me souviens du moment où nous avons rencontré.
- Translation: I remember the moment when we met.
Summary of Key Points:
- Reflexive verbs always require a reflexive pronoun in the present tense.
- Some common reflexive verbs include se lever (to get up), se réveiller (to wake up), and se laver (to wash oneself).
- Reflexive verbs may have different meanings when used reflexively, like s'amuser (to have fun) and se souvenir de (to remember).
- Practice using reflexive verbs in both simple and complex sentences to enhance your understanding of their use in French.
This videos covers the present tense in French.
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