French Reflexive Verbs: How You Describe Your Whole Day
Se lever, se laver, s'habiller - most of your daily routine is described with French reflexive verbs. The full pattern, conjugated.
French reflexive verbs use a pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb when the subject acts on itself: je me lave (I wash myself). Most daily-routine vocabulary is reflexive: se réveiller (wake up), se lever (get up), s’habiller (get dressed).
Quick answer
French reflexive verbs use a pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb when the subject acts on itself: je me lave (I wash myself). Most daily-routine vocabulary is reflexive: se réveiller (wake up), se lever (get up), s’habiller (get dressed).
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You’ve likely already met one: see s’appeler, my first reflexive verb.
What makes a verb reflexive
The subject acts on itself; a reflexive pronoun (me/te/se/nous/vous/se) always precedes the verb.
The pattern: se laver, fully conjugated
| Pronoun | Se laver |
|---|---|
| je | me lave |
| tu | te laves |
| il/elle | se lave |
| nous | nous lavons |
| vous | vous lavez |
| ils/elles | se lavent |
The daily-routine verb set
| French | English |
|---|---|
| se réveiller | to wake up |
| se lever | to get up |
| se doucher | to shower |
| s’habiller | to get dressed |
| se coucher | to go to bed |
Reflexive verbs in the passé composé
Always use être + agreement: je me suis levé(e), elle s’est habillée. See why reflexive verbs use être for the full rule.
Not all “self” verbs are reflexive in both languages
French and English reflexive usage doesn’t always map 1:1 - se souvenir (to remember) has no “self” in English. See French conjugation for the wider system.
Describe your whole day in French
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Questions about this note
What makes a French verb reflexive?
The subject and object are the same person, marked by a reflexive pronoun before the verb.
How do you conjugate se laver?
Je me lave, tu te laves, il/elle se lave, nous nous lavons, vous vous lavez, ils/elles se lavent.
Do reflexive verbs use avoir or être in passé composé?
Always être, with agreement: je me suis levé(e).
What are common daily-routine reflexive verbs?
Se réveiller, se lever, se doucher, s'habiller, se coucher.
Is every French reflexive verb reflexive in English?
No - some, like se souvenir (to remember), don't map to an English "self" verb.