Many French verbs have a reflexive verb that matches an active verb. The reflexive verb is identified by the se that precedes the infinitive. For example, in the sentence Je lave la voiture, the verb laver is active. The subject is je (I), the verb is lave (wash) and the direct object is la voiture (the car).

In the sentence Je me lave dans la salle de bains, the verb se laver is reflexive. The subject is je (I) but the subject je is the same as the direct object, me (myself). A word-for-word translation to English would result in the ungrammatical statement "I me wash."

The object pronouns come in front of the verb in French, rather than after the verb as in English.

Here is an example of the present tense of a regular se verb: se coucher (to go to bed).

je me couche, tu te couches, il se couche, nous nous couchons, vous vous couchez, ils se couchent

There is an active verb, coucher. It is used when we want to say "to put a child to bed."

You will need to be careful to change the reflexive pronoun so that it agrees with the subject of the sentence. Se only works for the third-person singular and plural. See the example in the paragraph above.

The name for these verbs is, in French, les verbes pronominaux (pronominal verbs). The reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) will always be present with what we usually call a se verb. I think you'll find them quite easy after you have practiced a bit!

Here are some more examples:

Notice that the definite article is used in French, not the possessive pronoun as in English.

Rule: There will always be a reflexive pronoun with a se verb. That pronoun must agree with the subject of the sentence.

Just as a physical reflex is a reaction that goes back to an original move, a reflexive pronoun tells you that the subject and the object of the sentence are the same person or thing. There are more things to learn about se verbs but the information on this sheet will keep you on the right track!