Published September 12, 2012 • Updated March 20, 2026 — This lesson is part of the French grammar curriculum developed by David Issokson, a graduate of McGill University and professional French teacher since 2014. These structured lessons guide students from beginner fundamentals to advanced C1-level fluency through clear, expert-led instruction.
French reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject does the action to itself. In other words, the action “reflects back” onto the subject. For example, je me lave means “I wash myself.” These verbs are extremely common in everyday French and are used for routines, emotions, movement, and many natural expressions.
In French, reflexive verbs are called verbes pronominaux. They always include a reflexive pronoun: me, te, se, nous, vous, se. In the infinitive form, they begin with se or s’, such as se laver (to wash oneself) or s’habiller (to get dressed).
Understanding reflexive verbs is essential because they appear constantly in real conversation. Once you master them, a large part of everyday French becomes much easier.
✅ What are French reflexive verbs?
✅ Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous)
✅ How to conjugate reflexive verbs
✅ Reflexive verbs in the passé composé
✅ List of common French reflexive verbs
What are French reflexive verbs?
A reflexive verb is a verb where the subject and object are the same. The subject performs the action and also receives it.
Compare:
Je lave la voiture.
I wash the car.
Je me lave.
I wash myself.
In the first sentence, the action goes to the car. In the second, the action comes back to me. The reflexive pronoun me shows that the subject is both doing and receiving the action.
This is why reflexive verbs are often understood as “to myself”, “to yourself”, “to himself”, and so on.
Reflexive pronouns
French reflexive verbs use the following pronouns:
je → me
tu → te
il / elle / on → se
nous → nous
vous → vous
ils / elles → se
Before a vowel or silent h, me, te, se become m’, t’, s’.
Je m’habille.
I get dressed.
Tu t’intéresses au français.
You are interested in French.
Elle s’appelle Marie.
Her name is Marie.
The reflexive pronoun always comes before the verb.
How to conjugate reflexive verbs ✍️
To conjugate a reflexive verb, conjugate the verb normally and place the reflexive pronoun before it.
Example with se laver (to wash oneself):
Je me lave — I wash myself
Tu te laves — You wash yourself
Il se lave — He washes himself
Nous nous lavons — We wash ourselves
Vous vous lavez — You wash yourselves
Ils se lavent — They wash themselves
The verb endings do not change. The only difference is the addition of the reflexive pronoun.
⚠️ Note: nous nous and vous vous may look confusing at first. The first word is the subject, the second is the reflexive pronoun.
Reflexive vs. non-reflexive verbs
Many verbs exist in both reflexive and non-reflexive forms, with different meanings.
Il lave la voiture.
He washes the car.
Il se lave.
He washes himself.
Elle réveille son fils.
She wakes up her son.
Elle se réveille.
She wakes up.
This distinction is essential. In the reflexive form, the action returns to the subject.
Reflexive verbs with body parts 🧼
French uses the definite article (le, la, les) instead of possessive adjectives for body parts.
Je me lave les mains.
I wash my hands.
Il se brosse les dents.
He brushes his teeth.
Elle s’est cassé la jambe.
She broke her leg.
In English, we say my, his, her. In French, the reflexive pronoun already shows ownership.
Negation with reflexive verbs 🚫
To make a reflexive verb negative, place ne before the reflexive pronoun and pas after the verb.
Je ne me lave pas.
I do not wash myself.
Tu ne te couches pas tôt.
You do not go to bed early.
Nous ne nous réveillons pas tôt.
We do not wake up early.
In spoken French, ne is often dropped, but it should be kept in writing.
Reflexive verbs in the passé composé ⏳
Reflexive verbs use être as the auxiliary verb in the passé composé.
Je me suis lavé(e).
I washed myself.
Tu t’es levé(e).
You got up.
Elle s’est habillée.
She got dressed.
Nous nous sommes reposé(e)s.
We rested.
Because they use être, the past participle often agrees with the subject.
Elle s’est levée.
She got up.
Ils se sont levés.
They got up.
⚠️ Important: When a direct object follows, agreement may change.
Elle s’est lavé les mains.
She washed her hands.
👉 See also: Être conjugation charts (with audio) »
Reflexive verbs with infinitives and modal verbs
When used with verbs like vouloir, pouvoir, or aller, the reflexive pronoun stays with the infinitive.
Je vais me coucher.
I am going to go to bed.
Tu veux te reposer.
You want to rest.
Nous pouvons nous asseoir ici.
We can sit here.
In negative sentences, ne…pas goes around the conjugated verb.
Je ne vais pas me coucher maintenant.
I am not going to bed now.
Why reflexive verbs matter ⭐
Reflexive verbs are used constantly in French. They describe daily routines, emotions, movement, relationships, and many natural expressions used by native speakers.
Mastering them will make your French sound more natural and help you understand real conversations much more easily.
They are also ideal for deeper study, as many reflexive verbs can be expanded into full lessons with pronunciation, examples, and common expressions.
List of common French reflexive verbs
Daily routine reflexive verbs
se réveiller — to wake up
se lever — to get up
se laver — to wash oneself
se laver les mains — to wash one’s hands
se laver le visage — to wash one’s face
se doucher — to take a shower
se brosser les dents — to brush one’s teeth
se brosser les cheveux — to brush one’s hair
se peigner — to comb one’s hair
se coiffer — to do one’s hair
se sécher les cheveux — to dry one’s hair
se raser — to shave
se maquiller — to put on makeup
s’habiller — to get dressed
se déshabiller — to get undressed
se coucher — to go to bed
s’endormir — to fall asleep
se reposer — to rest
se détendre — to relax
Movement and position verbs
se promener — to take a walk
se balader — to stroll
s’approcher de — to approach
s’éloigner de — to move away
s’arrêter — to stop
s’asseoir — to sit down
se mettre debout — to stand up
se diriger vers — to head toward
s’ic — to settle down
se dépêcher — to hurry
Emotion and state verbs
s’amuser — to have fun
s’ennuyer — to be bored
s’énerver — to get upset
se fâcher — to get angry
se calmer — to calm down
s’inquiéter — to worry
se sentir — to feel
s’effrayer — to get scared
s’impatienter — to become impatient
se fatiguer — to get tired
s’embêter — to get annoyed
se passionner pour — to be passionate about
Common everyday reflexive verbs
s’appeler — to be called
s’habituer à — to get used to
s’intéresser à — to be interested in
se souvenir de — to remember
se rappeler — to remember
se rendre compte de — to realize
se demander — to wonder
se tromper — to make a mistake
se passer — to happen
s’en aller — to leave
s’occuper de — to take care of
se moquer de — to make fun of
se marier — to get married
se débrouiller — to manage
Reciprocal reflexive verbs
se parler — to speak to each other
se voir — to see each other
se connaître — to know each other
se comprendre — to understand each other
se rencontrer — to meet each other
s’aider — to help each other
s’aimer — to love each other
se quitter — to leave each other
se téléphoner — to call each other
Example sentences
Je me lève à sept heures.
I get up at seven o’clock.
Elle se maquille avant de sortir.
She puts on makeup before going out.
Nous nous promenons dans le parc.
We take a walk in the park.
Tu t’inquiètes pour rien.
You are worrying for nothing.
Ils se sont rencontrés à Paris.
They met in Paris.
Je vais me coucher tôt ce soir.
I am going to bed early tonight.
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📚 Related French grammar lessons
👉 French grammar hub »
👉 Passé composé with être (agreement rules) »
👉 French verb conjugation hub (250 verbs) »
👉 French Word of the Day archive »
French Reflexive Verbs — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are French reflexive verbs?
French reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject does the action to itself. For example, je me lave means “I wash myself.”
How do reflexive verbs work?
Reflexive verbs use a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb to show the action reflects back onto the subject. For example, je me couche means “I go to bed.”
How are reflexive verbs conjugated?
Reflexive verbs are conjugated like regular verbs, with the reflexive pronoun placed before the verb. For example, nous nous lavons means “we wash ourselves.”
Do reflexive verbs use être in the passé composé?
Yes. Reflexive verbs use être in the passé composé, and the past participle often agrees with the subject. For example, je me suis levé(e) means “I got up.”
