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Les pronoms réfléchis = pronominals (reflexives)

When the subject does something to itself (when the subject and the object of the verb are the same) you have reflexivity.

The reflexive pronouns are used to denote this.

	Singular	Plural
1st person	me	nous
2nd person	te	vous
3rd person	se	se

NB : me, te, and se become m’ , t’ and s’ before vowels and mute h

Exemple :

Je me regarde dans le miroir, horrifié.
I look at myself in the mirror, horrified.

Soudain, la moto s’arrête.
Suddenly, the motorcycle stops.

If the verb is followed by an object, if the object is a part of the subject, the reflexive pronouns are normally used.

Exemple :

Il se rase la barbe.
He shaves his beard off.

Almost always, verbs that are used reflexively can also be used non-reflexively.

Exemple :

Elle se lave – Elle lave son bébé.

She washed herself – she washes her baby.

Following are some verbs that are commonly used reflexively:

s’arrêter	to stop oneself	se lever	to get up
se blesser	to hurt oneself	se peigner	to comb one’s hair
se brosser	to brush oneself	se raser	to shave oneself
se coucher	to go to bed	se reposer	to rest
se demander	to wonder	se réveiller	to wake up
s’habiller	to get dressed	se trouver	to be located
se laver	to wash oneself	se taire	to be quiet

Reciprocity

Reflexive pronouns are also used to express reciprocal exchanges:

Ils se parlent toute la nuit.
They talk with each other all night long.

Mind Verbs

Verbs of the mind (to feel, to anger, to remember) are naturally reflexive.

se fâcher	to become angry
s’intéresser à	to be interested in
se sentir	to feel
se souvenir de	to remember
se tromper	to be mistaken

Exemple :

Il ne se souvient pas de cette nuit.
He does not remember that night.

Nous nous sentons triste.

We feel sad.

Truly Passive
The pronominal is sometimes used to create a passive sentence. The following sentences are clearly passive; There aren’t any other interpretations.

Exemple :

Les pommes de terre se cuisent à la vapeur.
Potatoes are cooked by steam.

Les glaces se vendent mieux l’été que l’hiver.
Ice cream sells better during summer than winter.

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