In this French grammar lesson, you will learn about reflexive verbs conjugation in the present tense.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- what reflexive verbs are in French
- how reflexive verbs are conjugated in French
- how reflexive verbs are used in sentences in French
- how you can quiz yourself on reflexive verbs conjugation in French
- how to practice with flashcards on reflexive verbs conjugation
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about reflexive verbs conjugation in the present tense!
Table of Contents
What are Reflexive Verbs in French?
In French, there are some verbs that have the reflexive pronoun “se” in front of them.
When a verb has a “se” in front of it, the action is done to oneself.
These kind of verbs are called reflexive verbs.
To illustrate this, I will use a verb that can work as a normal verb and as a reflexive verb.
lever
Je lève mon verre.
I raise my glass.
se lever
Chaque jour, je me lève à 8 heures.
Every day I get up at 8.
In the first example, the speaker is raising a glass. The verb doesn’t apply to the speaker.
In the second example, the verb applies to the speaker. It means that the speaker him/herself is getting up. Therefore you use a reflexive verb.
How can you know when to use a reflexive verb or not?
If the verb is done to the speaker then it is generally safe to assume that you have to a reflexive verb.
When you start learning French more and more, it becomes easier to distinguish when to use one.
Can all verbs be used as reflexive verbs?
No, this only applies to some.
Here is a list of common reflexive verbs that you are sure to encounter in day-to-day life:
| s’amuser | to enjoy |
| se coucher | to go to bed |
| se demander | to wonder |
| s’habiller | to get dressed |
| se lever | to get up |
Reflexive Verbs Conjugation Table
| subject pronouns | reflexive pronoun | conjugated verb |
| je | me/m’ | conjugated verb |
| tu | te/t’ | conjugated verb |
| il/elle/on | se/s’ | conjugated verb |
| nous | nous | conjugated verb |
| vous | vous | conjugated verb |
| ils/elles | se/s’ | conjugated verb |
Reflexive Verbs Conjugation Method
This section will show you how to conjugate reflexive verbs.
There is a three-step method that will make everything very easy for you
In order to conjugate reflexive verbs in the present tense you have to:
- Find the infinitive (full verb)
- Add the right reflexive pronoun
- Conjugate the verb
In the conjugation table above you can see the reflexive pronouns. For this example, we will take “se lever” which means “to get up/to raise” in English.
We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “je” form using the three-step method.
- se lever
The full verb of “to get up” is se lever in French
- me lever
Because we are conjugating in the “je” form, we will take “me“
- me leve
When we conjugate the verb we get an e ending, so its becomes leve
So if we wish to say “I get up” we must say:
Je me leve
Should the verb begin with a vowel or a silent h, then the procedure is slightly different.
In the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles form, we drop the “e” of the reflexive pronoun and replace it with an apostrophe.
To dress yourself in French is “s’habiller“.
Should you want to conjugate this in the “je” form then you can use the same exact procedure as above and you’d get:
Je m‘habille
You can see that the me changes into m’ as the verb begins with a silent h.
Please note that it is WRONG to say: je me habille.
Example Sentences with Reflexive Verbs
The final section of this lesson on reflexive verbs conjugation is about seeing it in action, so you can improve your understanding of how reflexive verbs conjugation works in practice.
Here are some example sentences that show how reflexive verbs are used in French.
se lever
Chaque jour, je me lève à 8 heures.
Every day I get up at 8 a.m.
se coucher
Tous les soirs, tu te couches à 23:00.
Every night you go to bed at 23:00.
s’habiller
Elle s’habille comme ça tous les jours.
She dresses like that every day.
se demander
Nous nous demandons pourquoi ils sont si en colère.
We wonder why they are so angry.
se demander
Et vous vous demandez pourquoi je déteste le dentiste.
And you wonder why I hate the dentist.
s’amuser
Les gens s’amusent de différentes manières.
People have fun in different ways.
Quiz Yourself on Reflexive Verbs Conjugation
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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