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Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns and reflexive verbs

Beginner

Reflexive verbs describe an action the subject does to itself, and they're identified by the pronoun se in the infinitive: se laver (to wash oneself), se lever (to get up), s'appeler (to be named). Like other object pronouns, the reflexive pronoun changes with the subject: je me lave, tu te laves, il se lave, nous nous lavons, vous vous lavez, ils se lavent.

Many reflexive verbs describe daily routines and don't have a literal "oneself" meaning in natural Englishse réveiller just means "to wake up", not "to wake oneself up". In the passé composé, all reflexive verbs use être as the auxiliary, and the past participle usually agrees with the subject: elle s'est levée (she got up).