{"id":118297,"date":"2023-07-12T15:42:10","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T19:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/french-pronominal-verbs\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T06:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T11:04:11","slug":"french-pronominal-verbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-pronominal-verbs\/","title":{"rendered":"120+ French Pronominal Verbs (With Grammar Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It can be tempting to compare French with English. But it doesn’t work with French grammar<\/a>: It has limited use when learning to pronounce French vowels<\/a> or using pronominal verbs, which\u00a0are a very useful and completely necessary sector of French grammar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I’ll walk you through how pronominal verbs work, when to use them and even hand over to you the pronominal verbs the French like best.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What are Pronominal Verbs?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Pronominal verbs<\/strong> are verbs that need a reflexive pronoun before the verb. Reflexive pronouns are those little pronouns<\/a> you’ve likely seen placed before French verbs: me<\/strong>, te, se, nous, vous<\/strong>. <\/em>In a nutshell, they express what the verb is happening to. You can use them with verbs that aren’t pronominal, but the main thing you need to know is…<\/p>\n

These little pronouns are attached<\/strong> to the pronominal verbs.<\/p>\n

They stay right there, sometimes changing position around the verb depending on if you’re giving a command<\/a>, asking a question<\/a> or using a compound tense<\/a> (more on these special conditions later). And more importantly, they agree with the subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, the verb se moquer<\/strong><\/em> (to make fun of) is a pronominal verb that always has a reflexive pronoun. Here’s how you would conjugate it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Pronoun<\/th>Conjugation<\/th>Meaning<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Je<\/em><\/td> Je me<\/strong> moque <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>I make fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tu<\/em><\/td> Tu te<\/strong> moques <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>You make fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Il<\/em><\/td> Il se<\/strong> moque <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>He makes fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elle<\/em><\/td> Elle se<\/strong> moque <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>She makes fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nous<\/em><\/td> Nous nous<\/strong> moquons <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>We make fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vous<\/em><\/td> Vous vous<\/strong> moquez <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>You make fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ils<\/em><\/td> Ils se<\/strong> moquent <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>They make fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elles<\/em><\/td> Elles se<\/strong> moquent <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>They make fun of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Notice that all the reflexive pronouns match up to their subject!<\/p>\n

What can get some people bug-eyed is that not all pronominal verbs mean that the subject is doing something to themselves. With se moquer,\u00a0<\/em>these people aren’t making fun of themselves. Instead, they’re making fun of someone else who we haven’t specified.<\/p>\n

The end message here is:\u00a0Know your word definitions, know which verbs are pronominal and don’t worry too much about the translation.<\/p>\n

To tell when the subject actually is<\/strong> “verbing” themselves or not, we go on to our next topic…<\/p>\n

Types of Pronominal Verbs\u00a0<\/h2>\n

A lot of pronominal verbs are\u00a0reflexive verbs<\/strong>, but not all of them are. Pronominal verbs fall into three types:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Reflexive<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Reflexive verbs<\/a> are used when the subject is doing the verb to themselves. This ties back into that little caveat I mentioned a minute ago. These verbs include those such as se doucher<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(to shower oneself) and\u00a0se laver<\/strong> <\/em>(to wash oneself).<\/p>\n

When you conjugate these verbs, the reflexive pronoun has to agree with the subject:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Reflexive Verb<\/th>Meaning<\/th>Example Sentence<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
S'asseoir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To sit down<\/td> Il pr\u00e9f\u00e8re s'asseoir<\/strong> pr\u00e8s de la fen\u00eatre. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He prefers to sit down near the window.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se baigner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To bathe, to swim<\/td> Ils ont d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de se baigner<\/strong> malgr\u00e9 les vagues fortes. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They decided to swim despite the strong waves.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se brosser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To brush oneself<\/td> Elle doit se brosser<\/strong> les dents apr\u00e8s chaque repas. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(She needs to brush her teeth after every meal.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se cacher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To hide oneself<\/td> Le chat aime se cacher<\/strong> sous le lit. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(The cat likes to hide under the bed.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se calmer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To calm down<\/td> Respire profond\u00e9ment pour te calmer<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Breathe deeply to calm yourself down.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se casser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To break<\/td> Fais attention, tu pourrais te casser<\/strong> la jambe. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Be careful, you could break your leg.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se changer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To change clothes<\/td> Nous devons nous changer<\/strong> avant le d\u00eener. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(We need to change clothes before dinner.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se chausser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To put on shoes<\/td> Il faut se chausser<\/strong> avant de sortir. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(You need to put on your shoes before going out.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se coiffer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To style one's hair<\/td> Elle aime se coiffer<\/strong> diff\u00e9remment tous les jours. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She likes to style her hair differently every day.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se concentrer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To concentrate<\/td> Il est difficile de se concentrer<\/strong> dans un environnement bruyant. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(It's hard to concentrate in a noisy environment.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se coucher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To go to bed, to lie down<\/td> Je suis fatigu\u00e9, je vais me coucher<\/strong> t\u00f4t ce soir. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I'm tired, I'm going to bed early tonight.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9placer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To move oneself, to travel<\/td> Il faut se d\u00e9placer<\/strong> en voiture pour aller \u00e0 la r\u00e9union. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(You need to travel by car to go to the meeting.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9shabiller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To undress oneself<\/td> Il faut se d\u00e9shabiller<\/strong> avant de prendre une douche. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(You need to undress before taking a shower.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9tourner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To turn away, to avert oneself<\/td> Elle a pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 se d\u00e9tourner<\/strong> de la sc\u00e8ne d\u00e9sagr\u00e9able. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She preferred to turn away from the unpleasant scene.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9p\u00eacher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To hurry oneself<\/td> Nous devons nous d\u00e9p\u00eacher<\/strong> pour ne pas \u00eatre en retard. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to hurry so we won't be late.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9tendre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To relax, to unwind<\/td> Apr\u00e8s une longue journ\u00e9e, il est important de se d\u00e9tendre<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(After a long day, it's important to relax.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se doucher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To shower oneself<\/td> Je vais me doucher<\/strong> avant de partir au travail. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I am going to shower before going to work.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se f\u00e2cher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get angry<\/td> Il est facile de se f\u00e2cher<\/strong> lorsque les choses ne vont pas comme pr\u00e9vu. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(It's easy to get angry when things don't go as planned.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se habiller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To dress oneself<\/td> Il faut se habiller<\/strong> chaudement en hiver. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(You need to dress warmly in winter.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se laver <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To wash oneself<\/td> Il est important de se laver<\/strong> les mains r\u00e9guli\u00e8rement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(It is important to wash your hands regularly.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se lever <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To lift oneself up, to stand up<\/td> Je vais me lever<\/strong> t\u00f4t demain matin. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I am going to wake up early tomorrow morning.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se maquiller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To put on makeup<\/td> Elle aime se maquiller<\/strong> avant de sortir. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She likes to put on makeup before going out.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se moucher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To blow one's nose<\/td> Il a attrap\u00e9 un rhume et doit se moucher<\/strong> souvent. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He caught a cold and has to blow his nose frequently.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se parfumer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To perfume oneself<\/td> Elle aime se parfumer<\/strong> avec son parfum pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She likes to perfume herself with her favorite fragrance.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se peigner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To comb one's hair<\/td> Elle aime se peigner<\/strong> les cheveux avant de sortir. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She likes to comb her hair before going out.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se perdre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get lost<\/td> Il est facile de se perdre<\/strong> dans cette grande ville. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(It's easy to get lost in this big city.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se pencher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To lean oneself<\/td> Elle se penche<\/strong> par la fen\u00eatre pour regarder ce qui se passe dans la rue.
\n <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She leans out of the window to see what's happening in the street.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se pr\u00e9occuper <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To worry about oneself<\/td> Il ne faut pas se pr\u00e9occuper<\/strong> de l'opinion des autres. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(You shouldn't worry about what others think.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se pr\u00e9parer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To prepare oneself<\/td> Je me pr\u00e9pare<\/strong> pour mon examen de fran\u00e7ais.. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I am preparing for my French exam.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se promener <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To take a walk, to stroll<\/td> Je vais me promener<\/strong> dans le parc cet apr\u00e8s-midi. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I'm going to take a walk in the park this afternoon.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se rappeler <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To remember<\/td> N'oublie pas de te rappeler<\/strong> de lui souhaiter un joyeux anniversaire. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Don't forget to remember to wish him a happy birthday.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se raser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To shave oneself<\/td> Il se rase tous les matins avant d'aller travailler. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He shaves himself every morning before going to work.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se r\u00e9jouir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To rejoice, to be glad<\/td> Nous devrions nous r\u00e9jouir<\/strong> de cette bonne nouvelle. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We should rejoice at this good news.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se relaxer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To relax<\/td> Apr\u00e8s une longue journ\u00e9e, elle aime se relaxer<\/strong> dans son fauteuil pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(After a long day, she likes to relax on her favorite armchair.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se reposer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To rest, to relax<\/td> Il a besoin de se reposer<\/strong> apr\u00e8s une semaine charg\u00e9e. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He needs to rest after a busy week.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se r\u00e9veiller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To wake oneself up<\/td> Je dois me r\u00e9veiller<\/strong> t\u00f4t demain matin pour prendre mon vol. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I have to wake up early tomorrow morning to catch my flight.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se s\u00e9cher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To dry oneself<\/td> Apr\u00e8s la douche, elle se s\u00e8che<\/strong> avec une serviette. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(After the shower, she dries herself with a towel.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se sentir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To feel<\/td> Je me sens<\/strong> fatigu\u00e9 aujourd'hui. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I feel tired today.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se souvenir de <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To remember<\/td> Je vais me souvenir de<\/strong> ce moment toute ma vie. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se v\u00eatir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To dress oneself<\/td> Elle aime se v\u00eatir<\/strong> de mani\u00e8re \u00e9l\u00e9gante pour les occasions sp\u00e9ciales. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She likes to dress elegantly for special occasions.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

2. Reciprocal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With reciprocal verbs, you’ll find two or more people “verbing” on each other. Here’s an example with se voir<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(to see one another):<\/p>\n

Nous nous voyons<\/strong> le lundi. <\/i>(We see each other on Mondays.)<\/p>\n

Think of reflexive as “myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves, ourselves,” and reciprocal as “to each other, to one another.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Reciprocal Verb <\/th>Meaning<\/th>Example Sentence<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
S'aimer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To love oneself, to love each other<\/td> Ils ont appris \u00e0 s'aimer<\/strong> et \u00e0 se soutenir mutuellement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They have learned to love each other and support each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'appr\u00e9cier <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To appreciate each other<\/td> Dans une \u00e9quipe, il est important de s'appr\u00e9cier<\/strong> mutuellement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(In a team, it is important to appreciate each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se battre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To fight<\/td> Les deux boxeurs se battent<\/strong> pour le titre mondial. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The two boxers are fighting for the world title.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se c\u00e2liner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To cuddle<\/td> Le couple aime se c\u00e2liner<\/strong> sur le canap\u00e9. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The couple likes to cuddle on the couch.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se compl\u00e9ter <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To complement<\/td> Leurs comp\u00e9tences se compl\u00e8tent parfaitement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Their skills complement each other perfectly.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se comprendre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To understand<\/td> Nous devons apprendre \u00e0 nous comprendre<\/strong> les uns les autres. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to learn to understand each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se confier <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To confide<\/td> Ils se sont<\/strong> confi\u00e9 leurs r\u00eaves les plus profonds. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They confided their deepest dreams to each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se confondre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To blend<\/td> Les couleurs se confondent et cr\u00e9ent une belle harmonie. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The colors blend and create a beautiful harmony.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se congratuler <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To congratulate<\/td> Nous devons se congratuler<\/strong> pour notre r\u00e9ussite. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We should congratulate each other on our success.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se conna\u00eetre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To know each other<\/td>Ils se connaissent<\/strong> depuis l'enfance.<\/em><\/br>(They have known each other since childhood.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se contacter <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To contact<\/td> Ils ont l'habitude de se contacter<\/strong> par t\u00e9l\u00e9phone. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They are used to contacting each other by phone.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se croiser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To cross paths<\/td>Nous nous sommes crois\u00e9s<\/strong> dans la rue.<\/em><\/br>(We crossed paths in the street.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9tester <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To hate each other<\/td> Ils se sont rencontr\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9cole et se d\u00e9testent<\/strong> depuis. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They met in school and have hated each other since.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se dire <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To tell<\/td> Nous devons nous dire<\/strong> la v\u00e9rit\u00e9. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to tell each other the truth.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se disputer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To argue<\/td> Ils se disputent<\/strong> souvent \u00e0 cause de leurs diff\u00e9rences. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They often argue because of their differences.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'embrasser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To kiss each other<\/td> Ils se sont embrass\u00e9s<\/strong> passionn\u00e9ment \u00e0 l'a\u00e9roport. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(They kissed each other passionately at the airport.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'entendre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get along, to understand each other<\/td> Ils ont toujours r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 s'entendre<\/strong> m\u00eame dans les moments difficiles. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They have always managed to get along, even in difficult times.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'entraider <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To help each other<\/td> En tant qu'amis, on doit s'entraider<\/strong> dans les bons et les mauvais moments. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(As friends, we should help each other in good times and bad times.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se fr\u00e9quenter <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To see each other regularly, to date or hang out<\/td> Sophie et Pierre se fr\u00e9quentent<\/strong> depuis l'universit\u00e9.
\n <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Sophie and Pierre have been dating since college.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se ha\u00efr <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To hate each other<\/td> Les ennemis jur\u00e9s se ha\u00efssent<\/strong> depuis des ann\u00e9es. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The sworn enemies have hated each other for years.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se manquer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To miss each other<\/td> Les deux amis se sont manqu\u00e9s<\/strong> de peu dans la foule.
\n <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The two friends narrowly missed each other in the crowd.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se marier <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get married<\/td> Ils vont se marier<\/strong> l'\u00e9t\u00e9 prochain. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They are getting married next summer.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se parler <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To talk to each other<\/td> Ils aiment se parler<\/strong> pendant des heures. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They enjoy talking to each other for hours.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se partager <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To share with each other<\/td> Nous devons apprendre \u00e0 se partager<\/strong> nos ressources. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to learn to share our resources with each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se promettre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To promise each other<\/td> Ils se sont promis<\/strong> d'\u00eatre amis pour toujours. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They promised each other they will be friends forever.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se rassembler <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To gather, to assemble<\/td> Les manifestants vont se rassembler<\/strong> sur la place principale. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The protesters will gather in the main square.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se rencontrer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To meet each other<\/td> Nous devons nous rencontrer<\/strong> pour discuter de nos projets. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to meet up to discuss our plans.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se rendre visite <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To visit each other<\/td> Ils aiment se rendre visite<\/strong> le weekend. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They enjoy visiting each other on the weekends.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se respecter <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To respect each other<\/td> Dans une relation, il est important de se respecter<\/strong> mutuellement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(In a relationship, it is important to respect each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se ressembler <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To resemble each other<\/td> Les deux s\u0153urs se ressemblent<\/strong> \u00e9norm\u00e9ment. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The two sisters resemble each other a lot.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se retrouver <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To meet again, to reunite<\/td> Nous allons se retrouver<\/strong> au caf\u00e9 demain matin. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We are going to meet again at the cafe tomorrow morning.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se saluer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To greet each other<\/td> Quand ils se croisent, Ils se saluent<\/strong> chaque matin au travail. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They greet each other every morning at work.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se s\u00e9parer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To separate, to part<\/td> Apr\u00e8s des ann\u00e9es de mariage, ils ont d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de se s\u00e9parer<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(After years of marriage, they decided to separate.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se soutenir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To support each other<\/td> Nous devons se soutenir<\/strong> dans les moments difficiles. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to support each other in difficult times.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se sourire <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To smile at each other<\/td> Quand ils se voient, ils se sourient<\/strong> chaleureusement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(When they see each other, they smile warmly.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se taquiner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To tease each other<\/td> Entre fr\u00e8res et s\u0153urs, il est courant de se taquiner<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Among siblings, it is common to tease each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se t\u00e9l\u00e9phoner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To call each other<\/td> On devrait se t\u00e9l\u00e9phoner<\/strong> ce soir pour discuter. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We should call each other tonight to discuss.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se tenir la main <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To hold hands<\/td> Les jeunes mari\u00e9s se tiennent la main<\/strong> lors de leur premier danse.
\n <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The newlyweds hold hands during their first dance.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se toucher <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To touch each other<\/td> Pendant le jeu, les adversaires se touchent<\/strong> parfois accidentellement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(During the game, opponents sometimes accidentally touch each other.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se voir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To see each other<\/td> Nous nous voyons<\/strong> tous les jours \u00e0 l'\u00e9cole. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We see each other every day at school.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

3. Idiomatic<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These don’t express anyone doing anything to one another or themselves, but are rather “idiomatic.” They seem kind of wonky to French learners, but they seem totally normal to native French speakers.<\/p>\n

Say we’ve got our friend\u00a0douter<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(to doubt). When we add\u00a0se<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/em>the meaning changes to “to suspect.”<\/p>\n

Je me doute<\/strong>. <\/i>(I suspect.)<\/p>\n

Caution: This does not<\/strong> mean “I suspect myself.” The reflexive pronoun is just a part of the verb, and serves no function other than changing the meaning from “to doubt” to “to suspect.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Idiomatic Verb <\/th>Meaning<\/th>Example Sentence<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
S'agir de <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To be about, to concern<\/td> Cette d\u00e9cision importante s'agit de<\/strong> l'avenir de l'entreprise. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(This important decision concerns the future of the company.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'attendre \u00e0 <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To expect, to anticipate<\/td> Elle s'attend \u00e0<\/strong> recevoir une promotion apr\u00e8s tous ses efforts. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She expects to receive a promotion after all her efforts.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se creuser la t\u00eate <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To rack one's brain<\/td> Je dois me creuser la t\u00eate<\/strong> pour trouver une solution. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I have to rack my brain to find a solution.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se demander <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To wonder, to ask oneself<\/td> Je me demande<\/strong> o\u00f9 il est pass\u00e9. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I wonder where he went.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9barrasser de <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get rid of, to dispose of<\/td> Il faut se d\u00e9barrasser de<\/strong> ces vieux v\u00eatements. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to get rid of these old clothes.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9brouiller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To manage oneself, to get by<\/td> Je dois me d\u00e9brouiller<\/strong> seul. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I have to manage on my own.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se d\u00e9rouler <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To take place, to unfold<\/td> La r\u00e9union va se d\u00e9rouler<\/strong> dans la salle de conf\u00e9rence. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The meeting is going to take place in the conference room.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se donner <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To give oneself<\/td> Elle se donne<\/strong> \u00e0 fond dans son travail. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She gives herself fully to her work.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se douter <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To suspect, to have a hunch<\/td> Je me doute<\/strong> qu'il cache quelque chose. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I suspect he's hiding something.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se faire la malle <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To make a getaway, to take off<\/td> Les voleurs ont r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 se faire la malle<\/strong> avant l'arriv\u00e9e de la police. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The thieves managed to make a getaway before the police arrived.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se faire la belle <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To make a run for it, to escape<\/td> Le prisonnier s'est \u00e9chapp\u00e9 en se faisant la belle<\/strong> pendant la confusion. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The prisoner escaped by making a run for it during the confusion.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se fendre la poire <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To split one's sides laughing, to crack up<\/td> On s'est fendu la poire<\/strong> en regardant cette com\u00e9die hilarante.
\n <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We split our sides laughing while watching that hilarious comedy.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se fier \u00e0 <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To trust, to rely on<\/td> Je peux me fier \u00e0<\/strong> lui, il ne me d\u00e9cevra pas. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I can rely on him, he won't let me down.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se laisser aller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To let oneself go<\/td> Elle se laisse aller<\/strong> \u00e0 pleurer quand elle regarde des films \u00e9mouvants. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She lets herself go and cries when she watches emotional movies.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se m\u00e9fier <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To be wary, to distrust<\/td> Il vaut mieux se m\u00e9fier<\/strong> des apparences. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(It's better to be wary of appearances.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se mettre \u00e0 <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To start, to begin<\/td> Il a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de se mettre au<\/strong> sport. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He decided to start doing sports.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se mettre d'accord <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To agree, to come to an agreement<\/td> Nous devons nous mettre d'accord<\/strong> sur les termes du contrat. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We need to agree on the terms of the contract.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se mettre en quatre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To go to great lengths, to bend over backward<\/td> Ils se mettent en quatre<\/strong> pour satisfaire leurs clients. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(They go to great lengths to satisfy their clients.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se mettre en t\u00eate <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To put in one's head, to convince oneself<\/td> Il s'est mis en t\u00eate<\/strong> de gravir le plus haut sommet de la cha\u00eene de montagnes. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He got it into his head to climb the highest peak in the mountain range.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se mettre en valeur <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To highlight oneself, to show off<\/td> Elle sait se mettre en valeur<\/strong> lors des soir\u00e9es mondaines. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She knows how to highlight herself at social events.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se mettre \u00e0 table <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To sit down at the table, to start eating<\/td> Nous allons se mettre \u00e0 table<\/strong> pour le d\u00eener. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(We are going to sit down at the table for dinner.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se montrer \u00e0 la hauteur <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To measure up, to rise to the occasion<\/td> Il doit se montrer \u00e0 la hauteur<\/strong> des attentes de son \u00e9quipe. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He needs to measure up to his team's expectations.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se moquer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To make fun of oneself\/others<\/td> Les critiques se moquent<\/strong> souvent des c\u00e9l\u00e9brit\u00e9s dans les journaux \u00e0 scandale. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Critics often mock celebrities in tabloid newspapers.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se passer de <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To do without, to manage without<\/td> Je peux me passer de<\/strong> caf\u00e9, je n'en ai pas besoin. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I can do without coffee, I don't need it.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se prendre au jeu <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get carried away, to get caught up in the game<\/td> Il s'est pris au jeu<\/strong> et a pass\u00e9 toute la nuit \u00e0 jouer. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He got carried away and spent the whole night playing.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se prendre la t\u00eate <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To overthink, to complicate things<\/td> Arr\u00eate de te prendre la t\u00eate<\/strong> pour rien. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(Stop overthinking things for no reason.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se prendre pour quelqu'un <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To think highly of oneself, to consider oneself as someone<\/td> Il se prend pour quelqu'un<\/strong> d'important, mais il ne l'est pas. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He thinks highly of himself, but he's not important.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se pr\u00eater main-forte <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To lend a hand, to help out<\/td> Elle est toujours pr\u00eate \u00e0 se pr\u00eater main-forte<\/strong> en cas de besoin. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She is always ready to lend a hand when needed.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se produire <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To occur, to happen<\/td> L'incident a se produit<\/strong> hier soir pendant la r\u00e9union. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(The incident happened last night during the meeting.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se remettre de <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To recover from, to get over<\/td> Elle aura besoin de temps pour se remettre de<\/strong> cette blessure grave. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(It will take time for her to recover from this serious injury.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se rendre <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To surrender, to give oneself up<\/td> Il a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de se rendre<\/strong> \u00e0 la police apr\u00e8s avoir commis le crime. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He decided to surrender to the police after committing the crime.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se rendre compte <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To realize, to become aware<\/td> Il faut se rendre compte<\/strong> de l'importance de cette d\u00e9cision. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(You need to realize the importance of this decision.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se surpasser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To surpass oneself, to excel<\/td> Il s'est surpass\u00e9<\/strong> lors du marathon et a battu son record personnel. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He surpassed himself during the marathon and beat his personal record.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'excuser <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To apologize<\/td> Je vais m'excuser<\/strong> aupr\u00e8s d'elle pour mon comportement. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I'm going to apologize to her for my behavior.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'en aller <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To go away, to leave<\/td> Il a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de s'en aller<\/strong> sans dire au revoir. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(He decided to go away without saying goodbye.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'en sortir <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get by, to manage<\/td> Je suis s\u00fbr qu'il va s'en sortir<\/strong> dans cette situation difficile. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I'm confident he will get by in this difficult situation.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'en tirer <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To get away with, to manage<\/td> Elle a fait une erreur, mais elle a r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 s'en tirer<\/strong> sans cons\u00e9quences graves. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(She made a mistake, but she managed to get away with it without serious consequences.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S'occuper de <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>To take care of, to deal with<\/td> Je vais m'occuper de<\/strong> cette t\u00e2che, ne t'en fais pas. <\/a>\n <\/em>
(I'll take care of this task, don't worry.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

To recap, pronominal verbs come in a few different varieties:<\/p>\n