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1.35:_Verbes_Pronominaux
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<div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-advancedtext-outer-element"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-advanced-text"> <p><strong>A pronominal verb</strong> is a verb that is accompanied by a <strong>reflexive pronoun.</strong> In French, in the infinitive form, they can easily be recognized as they are always preceded by “<strong>se</strong>“. <span style="text-align:initial;font-size:1em;">You are already familiar with one of those verbs :</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><strong style="text-align: initial;font-size: 1em">▫︎ s’appeler, </strong> <span style="text-align:initial;font-size:1em;">je m’appelle, tu t’appelles.. etc. </span><em style="text-align: initial;font-size: 1em"><span style="color:#808080;"> to call oneself</span></em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-advancedtext-outer-element"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-advanced-text"> <div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-advancedtext-outer-element"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-advanced-text"> <p>To conjugate pronominal verbs in the present tense, you need to pay attention to both the pronoun and the verb form. See below the conjugaison of the French pronominal verbs <em><strong>se raser</strong></em> and <em><strong>s’habiller</strong></em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-image-outer-element"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-image"><img title="" alt="French verbs "se laver" and "s'habiller" conjugated in various forms in a table format." loading="lazy" class="internal" src="https://human.libretexts.org/@api/deki/files/121905/file-63138e1a8a368.png?revision=1" /></div> <p>Pronominal verbs fall into <strong>three major classes</strong> based on their meaning: <strong>reflexive</strong>, <strong>idiomatic</strong> and <strong>reciprocal</strong>.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-advanced-text"> <div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-image-outer-element"> <p><strong style="text-align: initial;font-size: 1em">1.</strong> <strong style="text-align: initial;font-size: 1em">Reflexive verbs.</strong></p> <p>The subject perform the action on himself/herself, as the words “himself/herself” express it. Here are some common reflexive verbs :</p> <ul> <li>s’asseoir <em>to sit (down)</em></li> <li>s’habiller <em>to get dressed</em></li> <li>se laver / se laver les mains <em>to wash / to wash one’s hands</em></li> <li>se brosser les dents <em> to brush one’s teeth</em></li> <li>se réveiller <em>to wake up</em></li> <li>se lever <em>to get up</em></li> <li>se coucher <em>to lie down / to go to bed</em></li> <li>se promener <em> to take a walk</em></li> <li>s’arrêter <em> to stop</em></li> </ul> <p>Practice</p> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="411" src="https://pressbooks.pub/introductiontofrench1/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=99" title="verbes pronominaux au présent" width="686"></iframe><script src="https://pressbooks.pub/app/plugins/h5p/h5p-php-library/js/h5p-resizer.js" charset="UTF-8"></script></div> <p><strong>2.</strong> <strong>Reciprocal verbs.</strong></p> <p>They express a reciprocal action performed between two persons or more. The reflexive pronoun can then often be translated be “<strong>each other</strong>” Here are some common reciprocal verbs :</p> <ul> <li>s’aimer <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to love each other</em></span></li> <li>se détetester <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to hate each other</em></span></li> <li>se disputer <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to argue with each other</em></span></li> <li>s’embrasser <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to kiss each other</em></span></li> <li>se retrouver <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to meet</em></span></li> </ul> <p>Practice</p> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="411" src="https://pressbooks.pub/introductiontofrench1/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=100" title="Verbes réciproques au présent" width="686"></iframe><script src="https://pressbooks.pub/app/plugins/h5p/h5p-php-library/js/h5p-resizer.js" charset="UTF-8"></script> <p><strong>3.</strong> <strong>Idiomatic verbs.</strong></p> <p>Those verbs take a reflexive pronoun but do not express a reflexive or a reciprocal action. Here are some common idiomatic verbs :</p> <ul> <li>s’amuser <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to have fun</em></span></li> <li>se dépêcher <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to hurry</em></span></li> <li>s’ennuyer <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to be bored</em></span></li> <li>se marier <span style="color:#808080;"><em>to get married</em></span></li> <li>se trouver <em><span style="color:#808080;">to be situated</span></em></li> </ul> <p>In a simple <strong>negative</strong> sentence.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Je <strong>ne</strong> m’amuse <strong>pas</strong> du tout.</span></p> <p><span style="text-align:initial;font-size:1em;">When there is a </span><strong style="text-align: initial;font-size: 1em">conjugated verb + an infinitive verb</strong><span style="text-align:initial;font-size:1em;"> .</span></p> <div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-image"> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Je vais m’amuser. Je <strong>ne</strong> vais <strong>pas</strong> m’amuser.</span></p> <p>Practice</p> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="411" src="https://pressbooks.pub/introductiontofrench1/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=101" title="Verbes pronominaux sens idiomatiques - ex." width="686"></iframe><script src="https://pressbooks.pub/app/plugins/h5p/h5p-php-library/js/h5p-resizer.js" charset="UTF-8"></script></div> </div> <div class="h5p-element h5p-element-button-big h5p-transparent"> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-advancedtext-outer-element"> <div class="h5p-element-inner h5p-advanced-text"> <span id="The_imperative_form"></span><span id="The_imperative_form"></span><h3><strong>The imperative form</strong></h3> <p>1. The pronoun is placed after the imperative verb and <span style="text-decoration:underline;">a hyphen</span> separates the verb and the pronoun</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px">▫︎ Nous nous amusons <span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Amusons-nous !</span></p> <p>2. “<strong>Te</strong>” is replaced by the disjunctive pronoun “<strong>toi</strong>”</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px">▫︎ Tu t’amuses <span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Amuse-toi !</span></p> <p>3. With the <strong>negative imperative</strong> no specific changes take place</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px">▫︎ Tu ne t’amuses pas <span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ </span> <span style="color:#0000ff;">Ne t’amuse pas !</span></p> </div> <p>Practice</p> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="411" src="https://pressbooks.pub/introductiontofrench1/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=102" title="Verbes pronominaux à l'impératif - ex." width="686"></iframe><script src="https://pressbooks.pub/app/plugins/h5p/h5p-php-library/js/h5p-resizer.js" charset="UTF-8"></script></div> <span id="The_past_tense_of_the_pronominal_verbs"></span><span id="The_past_tense_of_the_pronominal_verbs"></span><h3><strong>The past tense of the pronominal verbs</strong></h3> <p>In the <strong>passé composé </strong>all pronominal verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary <strong>être</strong>.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Je me suis beaucoup amusé ! </span><span style="color:#808080;"><em>I had lot of fun !</em></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Elle s’est levé<strong>e</strong> à 8 heures ce matin.</span> <em><span style="color:#808080;">She got up at 8 this morning.</span></em></p> <div class="col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12"> <div class="a9l-wordkcs"> <div class="a9l-wordkc"> <div class="a9l-kcs"> <div class="a9l-kc"> <div class="a9l-kc-text-lang"> <p>Similar to the list of verbs of movement which take être in the passé composé, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ </span></strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">Elle s’est lav<strong>ée</strong><strong>. </strong></span> <span style="color:#808080;"><em>She </em><em>washed herself.</em></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ </span></strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">Elles se sont lav<strong>ées</strong><strong>. </strong></span><span style="color:#808080;"><em>They washed themselves.</em></span></p> <span id="Past_participle_agreement_exception"></span><span id="Past_participle_agreement_exception"></span><h5><strong>Past participle agreement exception</strong></h5> <ul> <li>When a <span style="text-decoration:underline;">direct object</span> follows the reflexive verb there’s no need to make the agreement on the past participle. For example:</li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Elle s’est lavé les mains.</span><span style="color:#808080;"><em> She washed her hands.</em></span></p> </div> <div class="a9l-kc-examples"> <ul> <li>Furthermore, in cases where the reflexive pronoun is an <b>indirect object</b> rather than a direct object, as in the verb <span class="tb_blue">se parler</span> (<span class="tb_blue">parler à</span>), there is no agreement.</li> </ul> <p class="a9t-kc-example" style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Elles se sont parl<strong><u>é</u></strong></span><strong>.</strong> <span style="color:#808080;"><em>They spoke with each other.</em></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="a9l-wordkcs"> <div class="a9l-wordkc"> <div class="a9l-kcs"> <div class="a9l-kc"> <p><strong>Negation in the past tense</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="h5p-element-outer h5p-advancedtext-outer-element"> <div class="col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12"> <div class="a9l-wordkcs"> <div class="a9l-wordkc"> <div class="a9l-kcs"> <div class="a9l-kc">In the negative, the <strong><span class="tb_blue">ne</span></strong> precedes the reflexive pronoun and the <span class="tb_blue">pas</span> follows the auxiliary.</div> </div> <div class="a9l-kc"> <p class="a9t-kc-example" style="padding-left: 40px"><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ Je <strong>ne</strong> me suis <strong>pas</strong> levé tôt</span><strong>.</strong> <span style="color:#808080;"><em>I didn’t get up early.</em><em>.</em></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>Practice</p> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="411" src="https://pressbooks.pub/introductiontofrench1/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=103" title="Verbes pronominaux au passé composé" width="686"></iframe><script src="https://pressbooks.pub/app/plugins/h5p/h5p-php-library/js/h5p-resizer.js" charset="UTF-8"></script> <div class="a9l-kc-text-lang"><span style="color:#800080;">Note:</span> When the verb isn’t pronominal, the verb <strong>avoir </strong>must be used as an auxiliary.</div> <div class="a9l-kc-examples"> <div class="a9t-kc-example" style="padding-left: 40px"><strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ </span></strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">Elle t’<u>a</u> blessé la main.</span> <span style="color:#808080;"><em>She hurt your hand (verb = blesser)</em></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">☞ </span></strong><span style="color:#0000ff;">Elle s’<u>est</u> blessé la main. </span> <em><span style="color:#808080;">She hurt her hand (verb = se blesser)</span></em></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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