How to Negate Reflexive Verbs in French (Simple Tenses)

how to negate reflexive verbs in french

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In this grammar lesson, you will learn how to negate reflexive verbs in French.

In this lesson you will learn about:

  • how to negate reflexive verbs in French
  • how negations of reflexive verbs are used in sentences
  • how you can quiz yourself on how to negate reflexive verbs in French
  • how to practice with flashcards on how to negate reflexive verbs in French
  • 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 how to negate reflexive verbs in French!

Table of Contents

How to Negate Reflexive Verbs in French

In this lesson I am going to use the ne (verb) pas negation, with both normal and reflexive verbs, to show you the difference between the two.

This will make it easier for you to understand how to negate reflexive verbs in French.

This is what a normal negation looks like:

  • ne (verb) pas = not

Il aime Madrid.

He likes Madrid.

Il n’aime pas Madrid.

He doesn’t like Madrid.

As you can see, the “ne…pas” is wrapped around the verb.

Negating with reflexive verbs is very similar:

  • ne + (me/te/se/nous/vous/se) + (verb) + pas

se lever

Elle se lève à 8 heures.

She wakes up at 8.

se lever

Elle ne se lève pas à 8 heures.

She doesn’t wake up at 8.

The same principle as before has been applied here.

The “ne…pas” is wrapped around the verb AND the reflexive pronoun.

Please take a look at the following sentences to get a practial understanding on how to negate reflexive verbs in French.

se souvenir

Je ne me souviens pas de ça.

I don’t remember that.

s’amuser

Tu ne t’amuses pas.

You are not having fun.

se maquiller

Elle ne se maquille pas.

She doesn’t wear make-up.

se laver

Vous vous lavez tous les matins ? – Non, je ne me lave pas tous les matins.

Do you wash yourself every morning? – No I don’t wash myself every morning.

se raser

Ils ne se rasent pas.

They don’t shave.

Examples Sentences on How to Negate Reflexive Verbs in French

The final section of this lesson on how negate reflexive verbs in French is about seeing the negation in action.

This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to negate reflexive verbs in French through examples.

se souvenir

Je ne me souviens pas de ça.

I don’t remember that.

s’amuser

Tu ne t’amuses pas.

You are not having fun.

Il aime Madrid. Il n’aime pas Madrid.

He likes Madrid. He doesn’t like Madrid.

se lever

Elle se lève à 8 heures. Elle ne se lève pas à 8 heures.

She wakes up at 8. She doesn’t wake up at 8.

se maquiller

Elle ne se maquille pas.

She doesn’t wear make-up.

s’habiller

Nous ne nous habillons pas comme tout le monde.

We don’t dress like everybody else.

se laver

Vous vous lavez tous les matins ? – Non, je ne me lave pas tous les matins.

Do you wash yourself every morning? – No I don’t wash myself every morning.

se raser

Ils ne se rasent pas.

They don’t shave.

Quiz Yourself on How to Negate Reflexive Verbs in French

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.

Fill in the Blank!

se souvenir

Je de ça.

I don’t remember that.

Fill in the Blank!

se maquiller

Elle .

She doesn’t wear make-up.

Fill in the Blank!

se raser

Ils .

They don’t shave.

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.

  1. Anki
  2. 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

Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?

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So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.

Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.

I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.

However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.

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