Monday, November 25, 2019

French Pronominal Verbs Require a Reflexive Pronoun

French Pronominal Verbs Require a Reflexive Pronoun French  pronominal verbs are accompanied by the reflexive pronoun  se  or  s  preceding the infinitive, thus, the grammatical term pronominal, which means relating to a pronoun. All conjugated  verbs, with the exception of the imperative  form, require a  subject pronoun.  Pronominal verbs also need a reflexive pronoun, like this: Nous nous habillons.   Were getting dressed (dressing ourselves).Tu te baignes.   Youre taking a bath (bathing yourself). There are a few kinds of French pronominal verbs. But in general, we can say the action and, thus construction, of the pronominal verb is reflexive, reciprocal or idiomatic.  Ã‚   Three Types of Pronominal Verbs Reflexive verbsReciprocal verbsIdiomatic pronominal verbs There are two steps in conjugating pronominal verbs. First, take the reflexive pronoun se, make it agree with the subject of the verb, and place it directly in front of the verb. Then, as with all verbs, conjugate the infinitive according to whether its a regular  -er, -ir, -re  verb or an irregular verb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Elle se brosse les dents.  Ã‚  Shes brushing her teeth.Vous vous levez tard.  Ã‚  You get up late. Review what pronominal verbs look like when conjugated in all the simple tenses  and use examples to practice recognizing and using them.   French Reflexive Verbs   The most common pronominal verbs are reflexive verbs (verbes sens rà ©flà ©chi), which indicate that the subject of the verb is performing the action upon himself, herself, or itself. Reflexive verbs mainly have to do with parts of the body,  clothing, personal circumstance  or location. Note that when referring to parts of the body, the French  possessive pronoun  is rarely used; instead, the owner is indicated with a  reflexive pronoun  and a  definite article  precedes the body part. Some common reflexive verbs:   Ã‚  Ã‚  sadresser   Ã‚  to address, speak to  Ã‚  Ã‚  sapprocher de  Ã‚  to approach  Ã‚  Ã‚  sasseoir  Ã‚  to sit down  Ã‚  Ã‚  se baigner  Ã‚  to bathe, swim  Ã‚  Ã‚  se brosser (les cheveux, les dents)  Ã‚  to brush (ones hair, ones teeth)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se casser (la jambe, le bras)  Ã‚  to break (ones leg, ones arm)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se coiffer  Ã‚  to fix ones hair  Ã‚  Ã‚  se coucher  Ã‚  to go to bed  Ã‚  Ã‚  se couper  Ã‚  Ã‚  to cut oneself  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dà ©pà ªcher  Ã‚  Ã‚  to hurry  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dà ©shabiller  Ã‚  to get undressed  Ã‚  Ã‚  se doucher  Ã‚  to take a shower  Ã‚  Ã‚  sà ©nerver  Ã‚  to get annoyed  Ã‚  Ã‚  senrhumer  Ã‚  to catch a cold  Ã‚  Ã‚  se fà ¢cher  Ã‚  to get angry  Ã‚  Ã‚  se fatigue  Ã‚  to get tired  Ã‚  Ã‚  se fier  Ã‚  to trust  Ã‚  Ã‚  shabiller  Ã‚  to get dressed  Ã‚  Ã‚  shabituer   Ã‚  to get used to  Ã‚  Ã‚  simaginer  Ã‚  to imagine  Ã‚  Ã‚  sintà ©resser   Ã‚  Ã‚  to be interested in  Ã‚  Ã‚  se laver (les mains, la figure)  Ã‚  to wash (ones hands, ones face)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se lever  Ã‚  to get up  Ã‚  Ã‚  se maquiller  Ã‚  to put on makeup  Ã‚  Ã‚  se marier (avec)  Ã‚  to get married (to)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se mà ©fier de  Ã‚  to mistrust, distrust, beware of/about  Ã‚  Ã‚  se moquer de  Ã‚  to make fun of (someone else)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se moucher  Ã‚  to blow ones nose   Ã‚  Ã‚  se noyer  Ã‚  to drown  Ã‚  Ã‚  se peigner  Ã‚  to comb ones hair  Ã‚  Ã‚  se promener  Ã‚  to take a walk  Ã‚  Ã‚  se raser  Ã‚  to shave  Ã‚  Ã‚  se refroidir  Ã‚  to cool down, get cold  Ã‚  Ã‚  se regarder  Ã‚  to look at oneself  Ã‚  Ã‚  se reposer  Ã‚  to rest  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rà ©veiller  Ã‚  to wake up  Ã‚  Ã‚  se soà »ler  Ã‚  to get drunk  Ã‚  Ã‚  se souvenir de  Ã‚  to remember  Ã‚  Ã‚  se taire  Ã‚  to be quiet Examples: Tu te reposes.   Youre resting.Il se là ¨ve 8h00.  Ã‚  He gets up at 8:00. Reflexive Verbs With a Nonreflexive Use Note that many reflexive verbs also have a nonreflexive use; that is, they can describe someone performing the action of the verb on someone or something else:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Elle se promà ¨ne.  Ã‚  Shes taking a walk.vs.Elle promà ¨ne le chien.  Ã‚  Shes taking the dog for a walk; Shes walking the dog.Je me lave les mains.  Ã‚  Im washing my hands.vs.Je lave le bà ©bà ©.   Im washing the baby. Note that some verbs that are normally not pronominal may be used with a reflexive pronoun in order to avoid the passive voice.  This construction is known as the passive reflexive. Reflexive verbs are the most common type of pronominal verb. But there are also two lesser-known types: reciprocal verbs and idiomatic pronominal verbs.   French Reciprocal Verbs   While reflexive verbs tell you that one or more subjects are acting upon themselves, reciprocal verbs (verbes sens rà ©ciproque)  indicate that there are two or more subjects acting on one another. Here are the most common French reciprocal verbs:   Ã‚  sadorer   to adore (one another)  Ã‚  Ã‚  saimer  Ã‚  to love  Ã‚  Ã‚  sapercevoir  Ã‚  to see  Ã‚  Ã‚  se comprendre  Ã‚  to understand  Ã‚  Ã‚  se connaà ®tre  Ã‚  to know  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dà ©tester  Ã‚  to hate  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dire  Ã‚  to tell  Ã‚  Ã‚  se disputer  Ã‚  to argue  Ã‚  Ã‚  sà ©crire  Ã‚  to write to  Ã‚  Ã‚  sembrasser  Ã‚  to kiss  Ã‚  Ã‚  se parler  Ã‚  to talk to  Ã‚  Ã‚  se promettre  Ã‚  to promise  Ã‚  Ã‚  se quitter  Ã‚  to leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  se regarder  Ã‚  to look at  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rencontrer  Ã‚  to meet  Ã‚  Ã‚  se sourire  Ã‚  to smile at  Ã‚  Ã‚  se tà ©là ©phoner  Ã‚  to call  Ã‚  Ã‚  se voir  Ã‚  to see Reciprocal verbs can also be used without the pronoun for a nonreciprocal meaning:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Nous nous comprenons.   We understand each other.vs.Nous comprenons la question.  Ã‚  We understand the question.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ils saiment.  Ã‚  They love each other.vs.Ils maiment.   They love me. French Idiomatic Pronominal Verbs   Idiomatic pronominal verbs (verbes sens idiomatique)  are verbs that take on a different meaning when used with a reflexive pronoun. Here are the most common French idiomatic pronominal verbs (and their non-pronominal meanings):   Ã‚  sen aller  Ã‚  to go away  Ã‚  Ã‚  (to go)  Ã‚  Ã‚  samuser  Ã‚  to have a good time (to amuse)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sappeler  Ã‚  to be named (to call)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sapproprier   to appropriate (to suit, adapt to)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sarrà ªter  Ã‚  to stop (oneself) (to stop [s.o. or s.t. else])  Ã‚  Ã‚  sattendre ()  Ã‚  to expect (to wait for)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se demander  Ã‚  to wonder (to ask)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dà ©brouiller  Ã‚  to manage, get by (to disentangle)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dà ©pà ªcher  Ã‚  to hurry (to send quickly)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se diriger vers  Ã‚  to head toward (to run, be in charge of)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se douter  Ã‚  to suspect (to doubt)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sà ©clipser  Ã‚  to slip away/out (to eclipse, overshadow)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sà ©loigner  Ã‚  to move (oneself, s.t.) away  Ã‚  Ã‚  sendormir  Ã‚  to fall asleep (to put to sleep)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sennuyer  Ã‚  to be bored (to bother)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sentendre  Ã‚  to get along (to hear)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se fà ¢cher  Ã‚  to get angry (to make angry)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se figurer  Ã‚  to imagine, picture (to represent, to appear)  Ã‚  Ã‚  shabituer   Ã‚  to get used to (to get in the habit of)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sinquià ©ter  Ã‚  to worry (to alarm)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sinstaller  Ã‚  to settle in (to a home) (to install)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se mettre    to begin to (to place, put)   Ã‚  Ã‚  se perdre  Ã‚  to get lost (to lose)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se plaindre  Ã‚  to complain (to pity, begrudge)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se refuser de  Ã‚  to deny oneself (the opportunity)o  Ã‚  Ã‚  (to refuse)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rendre   Ã‚  to go to (to return)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rendre  compte de  Ã‚  to realize (to account for)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rà ©unir  Ã‚  to meet, get together (to gather, collect)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se servir  Ã‚  to use, make use of (to serve)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se tromper  Ã‚  to be mistaken (to deceive)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se trouver  Ã‚  to be located (to find) See how the meaning changes when idiomatic pronominal verbs are used with and without the reflexive pronoun.   Ã‚  Je mappelle Sandrine.  Ã‚  My name is Sandrine.vs.Jappelle Sandrine.  Ã‚  Im calling Sandrine.   Ã‚  Tu te trompes.  Ã‚  You are mistaken.vs.Tu me trompes.   You are deceiving me. Word Order with Pronominal Verbs Placement of the reflexive pronoun is exactly the same as for  object pronouns  and  adverbial pronouns:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je mhabille.  Ã‚  Im getting dressed.Tu te reposeras.   You will rest.Il se levait quand...  Ã‚  He was getting up when... The pronoun directly precedes the verb in all tenses and moods, except the affirmative  imperative, when it follows the verb, attached by a hyphen: Repose-toi. Rest.Habillons-nous.   Lets get dressed. Pronominal Verbs in the Negative With  negation,  ne  precedes the reflexive pronoun: Je ne mhabille pas.  Ã‚  Im not getting dressed.Tu ne te reposes jamais.  Ã‚  You never rest. Pronominal Verbs in the Interrogative Questions  with pronominal verbs are usually asked with  est-ce que  and the  reflexive pronoun  once again stays directly in front of the verb. If you use  inversion, the reflexive pronoun precedes the inverted subject-verb: Est-ce quil se rase  ? Se rase-t-il  ?Is he shaving? Est-ce que tu te laves les mins  ? Te laves-tu les mains  ?Are you washing your hands? Pronominal Verbs in the Negative Interrogative To ask a negative question with pronominal verbs, you sort of have to use inversion. The reflexive pronoun stays directly in front of the inverted subject-verb, and  the negative structure surrounds that whole group: Ne se rase-t-il pas  ?Isnt he shaving? Ne te laves-tu jamais les mains ?Dont you ever wash your hands? Pronominal Verbs in Compound Tenses In  compound tenses  like the  passà © composà ©, all pronominal verbs are  Ãƒ ªtre verbs, which means two things: The auxiliary verb is  Ãƒ ªtre.The past participle may need to agree with the subject in gender and number. In compound tenses, the reflexive pronoun precedes the auxiliary verb, not the past participle: Elle sest couchà ©e minuit.She went to bed at midnight. Ils sà ©taient vus la banque.They had seen one another at the bank. Aprà ¨s mà ªtre habillà ©, jai allumà © la tà ©là ©.After getting dressed, I turned on the TV. Agreement with Pronominal Verbs When pronominal verbs are  in the compound tenses, the past participle has to agree with the reflexive pronoun when the pronoun is a  direct object  but not when its an  indirect object. So the trick is to figure out whether the reflexive pronoun is direct or indirect. 1.  For most  pronominal verbs that are not followed by a noun, the reflexive pronoun is the  direct object, so the past participle needs to agree with it. See number five  below for instances when the reflexive pronoun is an  indirect  pronoun. Nous nous sommes douchà ©s.We showered. \Marianne sest fà ¢chà ©e.Marianne got mad. 2.  Likewise, with a pronominal verb plus a preposition plus a noun, the reflexive pronoun is the direct object, so you need agreement. Elle sest occupà ©e du chien.She took care of the dog. Ils se sont souvenus de la pià ¨ce.They remembered the play. 3.  When a pronominal verb is followed directly by a noun with  no preposition in between, the reflexive pronoun is indirect, therefore there is no agreement. Nous nous sommes achetà © une voiture.NOT  Nous nous sommes achetà ©s une voiture.We bought ourselves a car. Elle sest dit la và ©rità ©.NOT  Elle sest dite la và ©rità ©.She told herself the truth. 4.  When you have a sentence with a reflexive pronoun plus  an object pronoun, the reflexive pronoun is always the  indirect object, so there is no agreement with it. However, there  is  agreement with the object pronoun, per the rules of  direct object pronoun agreement. Nous nous le sommes achetà ©.  (Le livre  is masculine.)We bought it (the book) for ourselves. Nous nous la sommes achetà ©e.  (La voiture  is feminine.)We bought it (the car) for ourselves. Elle se lest dit.  (Le mensonge  is masculine.)She told it (the lie) to herself. Elle se lest dite.  (La và ©rità ©Ã‚  is feminine.)She told it (the truth) to herself. 5.  For the following verbs, the reflexive pronoun is always an indirect object, so the past participle does not agree with it. In the abbreviations below, e.o. means each other and o.s. means oneself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  sacheter   to buy (for) o.s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  se demander  Ã‚  to wonder  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dire  Ã‚  to say (to o.s./e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se donner  Ã‚  to give (to e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sà ©crire  Ã‚  to write (to e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se faire mal   to hurt o.s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  simaginer  Ã‚  to imagine, think  Ã‚  Ã‚  se parler  Ã‚  to talk (to o.s./e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se plaire ( faire...)   to enjoy (doing...)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se procurer  Ã‚  to obtain (for o.s.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se promettre  Ã‚  to promise (o.s./e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se raconter  Ã‚  to tell (e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rendre compte de  Ã‚  to realize  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rendre visite  Ã‚  to visit  (e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se reprocher   to criticize, blame (o.s./e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se ressembler  Ã‚  to resemble (e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se rire  (de qqun)  Ã‚  to mock (someone)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se sourire  Ã‚  to smile (at e.o.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  se tà ©là ©phoner  Ã‚  to call (e.o.) Nous nous sommes souri.NOT  Nous nous sommes souris.We smiled at each other. Elles se sont parlà ©.NOT  Elles se sont parlà ©es.They talked to each other. Pronominal Verbs in the Infinitive or Present Participle When using pronominal verbs in the  infinitive  or  present participle, there are two things to keep in mind: The reflexive pronoun directly precedes the infinitive or present participle.The reflexive pronoun agrees with its implied subject. Pronominal Verbs in Dual-Verb Constructions Dual-verb constructions  are those where you have a verb like  aller  (to go) or  vouloir  (to want) followed by an infinitive. When using a pronominal verb in this construction, its important to remember that the reflexive pronoun goes directly in front of the infinitive, not the conjugated verb, and that the reflexive pronoun has to agree with the subject. Je vais mhabiller.Im going to get dressed. Nous voulons nous promener.We want to go for a walk. Tu devrais te laver les cheveux.You should wash your hair. Pronominal Verbs after Prepositions When you use pronominal verbs in the infinitive after prepositions, remember to change the reflexive pronoun to agree with the implied subject of the verb. Avant de te coucher, range ta chambre.Before you go to bed, clean your room. Il faut trouver un juge pour nous marier.We have to find a judge to get married. Pronominal Verbs Used as Subjects To use pronominal verbs in the infinitive as subjects at the beginning of a sentence, remember to change the reflexive pronoun to agree with the implied subject of the verb: Me lever tà ´t est une rà ¨gle de ma vie.Getting up early is a rule for me. Te moquer de ton frà ¨re nest pas gentil.Making fun of your brother isnt nice. Pronominal Verbs  as Present Participles Once again, the reflexive pronoun always has to agree with the subject, including when pronominal verbs are used as present participles: En me levant, jai entendu un cri.While getting up, I heard a scream. Cà ©tait en vous inquià ©tant que vous avez attrapà © un ulcà ¨re.It was by worrying that you got an ulcer.

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