grammar premium's worksheet on reflexive verbs - French Etc

Les verbes pronominaux
French reflexive verbs
Grammar
Ça s’appelle un chou frisé.
It’s called a Savoy cabbage.
Lots of French verbs have a SE – or S’ – in front of them. I like to call them
‘SE-verbs’. In English though, they’re called ‘reflexive verbs’. For instance,
you’ll hear that ‘SE PROMENER', 'S'APPELER' or 'S’AMUSER' are reflexive
verbs. However, to be more accurate, we should call these verbs
‘pronominal’ verbs. One more thing: a French verb can go from one
category to another.
neutral appeler to call J’appelle mon avocat.
reflexive s’appeler to be named Je m’appelle Anne.
reciprocal s’appeler to call someone J’appelle Henri. Je l’appelle.
pronominal passive s’appeler to be called Ça s’appelle un chou frisé.
Pronominal verbs can be threefold.
reflexive reflexive verb – les verbes réfléchis
reciprocal reciprocal verb – les verbes réciproques
passive passive verb – les verbes passifs
©2009 FRENCH ETC. - E-Tutorials & Classes - www.frenchetc.org - anne@frenchetc.org

Let’s see how this works.
They are reflexive when the action of the verb is done onto itself.
il se regarde dans le miroir
he looks at himself in the mirror
Il s’appelle M. Dupont.
His name is Mr. Dupont.
They are reciprocal when the action of the verb is done onto one
another.
elle nous réveille
she wakes us up
Elle nous appelle le dimanche toutes les semaines.
She calls us on Sunday every week.
They are passive pronominal when the subject of the sentence undergoes
the action, and is not doing the action itself.
le français se parle
French is spoken
Ça s’appelle un chou frisé.
It’s called a Savoy cabbage.
*****************
‘SE-verbs’ all use a pronoun that can be reflexive, reciprocal or passive.
• Use a reflexive pronoun when the action is done onto itself
je me lève I’m getting up
I to myself am getting up
il se lève he’s getting up
he to himself is getting up
Reflexive pronouns work the following way
personal
pronoun
reflexive
pronoun verb
je me/m’ 1 verb
tu te/t’ verb
elle se/s’ verb
il se/s’ verb
on se/s’ verb
nous nous verb
vous vous verb
ils se/s’ verb
elles se/s’ verb
1 use m’ when the following verb starts with a vowel: s’amuser
©2009 FRENCH ETC. - E-Tutorials & Classes - www.frenchetc.org - anne@frenchetc.org

Practice
To practice this topic in a sentence, hide either one of the two language
columns, and translate into the other language. French to English is easier
than English to French.
I’m getting up.
You’re taking a walk.
She’s sitting in the armchair.
We’re waking up.
They’re having fun.
We wonder why.
He’s taking a walk.
You making fun of them.
They’ll get married the same year.
Do you get quiet at the library
Je me lève.
Tu te promènes.
Elle s’assoit sur le fauteuil.
Nous nous réveillons.
Ils s’amusent bien.
On se demande pourquoi.
Il se promène.
Vous vous moquez d’eux.
Elles se marieront la même année.
Est-ce que que vous vous taisez à la
bibli
• Use a reciprocal pronoun when the action is done onto one
another
je t’appelle I am calling you
I to you call
on les appelle we are calling them
we to them call
Reciprocal pronouns work the following way
personal
pronoun
je
tu
elle
il
on
nous
vous
ils
elles
reciprocal
pronoun
pick one:
me/m'
te/t'
le/la/l'
lui
nous
vous
les
leur
verb
verb
verb
verb
verb
verb
verb
verb
verb
verb
©2009 FRENCH ETC. - E-Tutorials & Classes - www.frenchetc.org - anne@frenchetc.org

Practice reciprocal pronouns
To practice your knowledge of reciprocal pronouns in a sentence, hide
either one of the two columns, and translate into the other language.
French to English is easier than English to French.
Je l’assois ici.
I’m sitting him down here.
Tu nous appelles à 9 heures. You call us at 9.
Elle vous voit souvent.
She often sees you.
Nous leur parlons.
We’re talking to them.
Vous me donnez un cadeau. You’re giving me a present.
Ils te réveillent tôt.
They get you up early.
Passive reflexive verbs
Sometimes, the reflexive pronoun ‘SE’ is a passive ‘SE’. That means that
the subject undergoes the action, and is not doing it itself.
• Use a passive pronominal pronoun when the subject undergoes the
action, and is not doing it itself.
Elles se vendent bien. They are popular. (They sell
well - They to themselves are sold well.)
Pronouns with passive pronominal verbs work the following way
personal reflexive
pronoun pronoun verb
elle se/s’ verb
il se/s’ verb
ils se/s’ verb
elles se/s’ verb
©2009 FRENCH ETC. - E-Tutorials & Classes - www.frenchetc.org - anne@frenchetc.org

List of common passive pronominal verbs
Practice
s’apercevoir to be noticed
s’attendre à to be expected
se boire to be drunk
se déclarer to be declared
se dire to be said
se faire to be done
se manger to be eaten
se parler to be spoken
se régler to be dealt
se vendre to be sold
se voir to be seen
Hide one of the two columns and translate.
Le Mont-Saint-Michel s’aperçoit de
loin.
Le français se parle ici.
Les musiques régionales s’écoutent
beaucoup.
La vérité se dit peu.
Les amitiés se font lentement.
La Tour Eiffel se voit bien de notre
chambre d’hôtel.
You can see the Mont-Saint-Michel
from far away.
French is spoken here.
Regional music is popular.
Truth is rarely said.
Friendships are slow to build.
The Eiffel Tower is seen easily from
our hotel room.
Related online <strong>worksheet</strong>s
Reflexi
ve
verbs
Reflexi
ve
prono
uns
Reflexi
ve vs.
nonreflexi
ve
verbs
list
Free <strong>worksheet</strong>
http://www.frenchetc.org/2013/01/20/fren
ch-reflexive-verbs/
http://www.frenchetc.org/2010/12/11/refl
exive-pronouns/
http://www.frenchetc.org/2011/05/11/refl
exnonreflexverb/
Premium <strong>worksheet</strong>
http://www.frenchetc.org/2007/11/20/fren
ch-reflexive-verb/
http://www.frenchetc.org/2008/04/15/pron
ounsreflexive-verbs/
http://www.frenchetc.org/2008/02/09/refle
xnonreflexverbs/
©2009 FRENCH ETC. - E-Tutorials & Classes - www.frenchetc.org - anne@frenchetc.org