In short

A pronominal verb carries an extra reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: je me lave, tu te laves. The key rule: the pronoun sits right before the verb and changes with the subject, exactly like the ending does.

The rule

Many everyday French verbs - especially those about daily routine - come with a built-in pronoun. In the dictionary they show up with se in front: se laver (to wash oneself), se lever (to get up). This se is the infinitive form of the reflexive pronoun; in a real sentence you swap it for the pronoun that matches the subject.

The six reflexive pronouns:

• me, te, se shorten to m’, t’, s’ before a vowel or a mute h: je m’appelle, elle s’habille.
• The pronoun always goes directly before the conjugated verb: nous nous levons.
• The verb itself conjugates normally - se laver is a regular -er verb, so only the pronoun is “extra”.

Reflexive meaning - the action falls back on the subject. The subject does the action to itself: je me lave = I wash myself. Compare with the non-reflexive je lave la voiture (I wash the car - the action goes to something else).

Not every pronominal verb is reflexive. Many verbs simply come with se and have no “oneself” in them at all, and their subject is often a thing rather than a person: Le magasin se trouve derrière la gare. (“is located”), Le train s’arrête ici. (“stops”), Le film se termine tard. (“ends”). Here the se is part of the verb, not a word you translate on its own.

Daily-routine verbs

These pronominal verbs are the backbone of describing a typical day:

• se lever (to get up): Je me lève à sept heures.
• se coucher (to go to bed): Ils se couchent tard.
• s’appeler (to be called): Elle s’appelle Camille.
• se laver (to wash up): Nous nous lavons le matin.
• Also common: se réveiller (to wake up), s’habiller (to get dressed), se doucher (to shower), se dépêcher (to hurry), se reposer (to rest).

Note the spelling shift in s’appeler and se lever: some of these verbs double a consonant or add an accent grave in the “boot” forms (je m’appelle, je me lève) - see the table below.

Reciprocal use

With a plural subject (nous, vous, ils, elles), a pronominal verb can mean the people do the action to each other:

• Nous nous parlons tous les jours. - We talk to each other every day.
• Ils se regardent. - They look at each other.
• Vous vous aimez. - You love each other.

With these verbs, context tells you whether the meaning is reflexive (to oneself) or reciprocal (to each other). If needed, French adds l’un l’autre to force the reciprocal reading: ils s’aident l’un l’autre.

Negation

In the negative, ne goes before the pronoun and pas after the verb - the pronoun stays glued to the verb:

• Je ne me lève pas tôt. - I do not get up early.
• Elle ne s’appelle pas Marie. - Her name is not Marie.

The compound past of these verbs (with être and agreement) is covered later - see Passé composé with être (and agreement).

Forms & patterns

se laver (regular -er pattern):

s’appeler (doubles the l) and se lever (adds è):

Note that nous and vous keep the simple stem (appelons, levons) - the doubling and the accent only appear in the other four forms.

Examples

Common mistakes

• Je appelle Thomas -> Je m’appelle Thomas - the reflexive pronoun is not optional; without it the verb means “I call (someone)”.
• Je me lave les mains said as Je lave mes mains -> Je me lave les mains - French uses the reflexive + definite article, not a possessive, for body parts.
• Nous nous levons written nous levons -> nous nous levons - the nous pronoun looks repeated, but you truly need it twice (subject + reflexive).
• Elle se appelle -> Elle s’appelle - se must elide to s’ before a vowel.
• Je me lève pas (careful) -> Je ne me lève pas - in negation, ne comes before the pronoun, not before the verb only.
• Je me appelle -> Je m’appelle - me elides to m’ before a vowel.

Tips

• Learn each verb with its se: memorize “se lever”, never just “lever”.
• Match the pronoun to the subject, then conjugate the verb as usual - two separate steps.
• Elide me, te, se to m’, t’, s’ before a vowel or mute h: je m’habille, tu t’appelles.
• For daily routine, string them in order: je me réveille, je me lève, je me lave, je m’habille.
• With a plural subject, ask “to oneself” or “to each other?” - if the verb allows both readings, context decides.
• Watch the stem-change verbs: je me lève and je m’appelle change in every form except nous and vous.