Mastering French Reflexive Verbs: How to Talk About Your Daily Routine

Doing Things "To Yourself" in French

When English speakers learn how to describe their daily routine in French, they usually hit a wall. In English, you simply say, "I brush my teeth" or "I wake up." But the French view these actions a little differently. In French, you must say "I brush to myself the teeth" and "I wake myself up." These are called reflexive verbs (les verbes pronominaux).

The Reflexive Pronouns

You can easily spot a reflexive verb in the dictionary because it starts with se (e.g., se laver - to wash oneself). When you conjugate the verb, you must also change the "se" to match the subject of the sentence.

• Je me (I ... myself)
• Tu te (You ... yourself)
• Il/Elle/On se (He/She/One ... himself/herself)
• Nous nous (We ... ourselves)
• Vous vous (You ... yourselves)
• Ils/Elles se (They ... themselves)

Note: Before a vowel, me, te, and se contract to m

Want a structured path through grammar like this? Explore our French learning parcours for a complete course roadmap.