1. Les verbes pronominaux Pronominal verbs can be used for a number of purposes. When they are used in a reflexive sense, they indicate that the subject acts upon itself. (Very often, this corresponds to “-self” constructions in English). Used in a reciprocal sense, pronominal verbs indicate actions that subjects perform on one another. (In English, we express these actions with “each other”). Some verbs change meaning when used as pronominal verbs.

2. Forme des verbes pronominaux All pronominal verbs are both formed with the reflexive pronouns: (je)me(nous) nous (tu) te (vous) vous (on/il/elle) se (ils/elles) se

3. Reflexive verbs The subject of the reflexive verb acts upon itself ex: Je me lève puis je me brosse aussitôt les dents et enfin je m’habille. I get up, then brush my teeth, and finally I get dressed. ex: Elle s’achète un livre She buy herself a book. ex: Nous nous lavons avant de nous coucher. We wash ourselves before going to bed.

4. Reciprocal verbs Two or more subjects act on one another ex: Nous ne nous voyons plus beaucoup mais nous nous écrivons souvent. We don’t see each other very much but we write to each other often. ex: Les professeurs et les étudiants doivent se respecter. Professors and students should respect each other. ex: Mes parents se sont rencontrés en Normandie au mois de Mai et ils se sont mariés quelques mois plus tard. My parents met each other in Normandy in May and got married a few months later.

5. Some verbs change meaning when they are used with a reflexive pronoun amuserto amuse (someone)s’amuserto have a good time appelerto calls’appelerto be named attendreto wait fors’attendre (à)to expect demanderto ask(for)se demanderto wonder leverto raise upse leverto get up mettreto putse mettre (à)to begin passerto passse passer to take place rappelerto call backse rappeler to remember trouverto findse trouver to be situated

6. Verbes pronominaux à sens idiomatique S’en aller to leave Se souvenir to remember S’ennuyer to be bored Se mettre à to begin Se rendre compte to realize Se détendre to relax S’inquiéter to worry

7. Verbes pronominaux au passé composé Always use the helping verb “être” The past participle agrees with the subject unless the verb is followed by an object Ce matin, Léticia s’est levée à 8h, s’est brossé les dents, puis elle et ses enfants se sont préparés pour partir à l’école.