Reflexive Verbs

• The quick reference. This is the night-before-the-exam page — every conjugation and every rule from the chapter, boiled down to tables and boxes.
• The reflexive pronoun is violet, the stem (the part that stays put) is navy, and the ending (the letters that change for each person) is red.
• If you want the full explanations, they're in the Learn tab.
• Tap 🌐 EN up top for translations.

Same family (drop straight into this table): se doucher (shower), se raser (shave), se maquiller (put on makeup), se reposer (rest), se préparer (get ready), se dépêcher (hurry), se réveiller (wake up).

• Look at each subject's three bricks left to right: pronoun + stem + ending → the whole word.
• Only the first and last bricks change from row to row — the stem in the middle never moves.
• That's the whole secret of a regular reflexive verb.

• Read this strip left to right, top to bottom — it's one ordinary Canadian morning, one reflexive verb per step.
• This exact sequence — wake up, get up, shower, get dressed, brush teeth, hurry out — is almost word-for-word what a TEF/TCF examiner expects when they ask "Décrivez votre routine du matin."

Same shape, two different tools. Read down each column: the highlighted rows are where the stem changes shape because the stress lands on it; the plain rows are nous/vous, where the stress shifts onto the ending and the stem stays light.

Se regarder is the clearest example in the whole language: identical spelling, identical pronoun, two completely different pictures in your head. The only thing that tells them apart is the context clue underneath.

Read this row like a sentence built from blocks. The pronoun stays glued to the verb, and the whole "ne...pronoun...verb" block sits sealed between ne and pas.

In an inversion question, only the verb and the subject swap places and get a hyphen. The reflexive pronoun is not part of that swap — it stays locked in front of the verb the whole time.

• This is the single most important picture in the chapter.
• The verb after aller / vouloir / devoir stays a plain infinitive and never conjugates — but the reflexive pronoun in front of it is not frozen.
• It keeps tracking the real, live subject of the sentence, row after row, exactly like it would for any other reflexive verb.

• The odd bits, gathered in one place. Most reflexive verbs just slot the right pronoun onto a normal verb and nothing else happens.

• But a handful of spots refuse to be that simple

  • a stem that changes shape
  • an irregular verb hiding inside a reflexive one
  • a pronoun that has to jump after the verb in a command
  • one verb that can mean two totally different things depending on whether "se" is attached
• This tab gathers every one of those spots so you meet them once, calmly, instead of getting surprised by them one at a time.
• As everywhere on this page, the reflexive pronoun is violet, the stem (the part that stays put) is navy, and the ending (the letters that change for each person) is red.
• Tap 🌐 EN up top for translations under every French line.

• Notice the three verbs use three different tools to make the stem "heavier", but the pattern of where it happens is identical every time: se lever adds an accent (e → è), s'appeler doubles a consonant (l → ll), and s'inquiéter swaps one accent for another (é → è).
• Once you recognise the boot shape, you don't need to memorise each verb separately — you just ask "is this form inside the boot, or is it nous/vous?"

• Je m'inquiète un peu quand mon fils rentre tard. I get a little worried when my son comes home late.
• Nous ne nous inquiétons pas trop pour les examens. We don't worry too much about the exams.
• Est-ce que vous vous inquiétez pour l'hiver au Canada ? Are you worried about winter in Canada?
• Mes parents s'inquiètent chaque fois qu'il neige beaucoup. My parents worry every time it snows a lot.

s'endormir (to fall asleep) — built on dormir, drops the last stem consonant in the singular

se sentir (to feel) — built on sentir, same drop-the-consonant pattern

se souvenir de (to remember) — built on venir, the three-way stem shift

• Same three-way shift you'd see in venir itself — souvien- in the singular, souven- for nous/vous, souvienn- (doubled n) for ils/elles — just with a reflexive pronoun glued onto the front of every form.
• If you already know venir, you already know se souvenir de; the only genuinely new thing is remembering the pronoun.

• Je m'endors presque toujours avant vingt-trois heures. I almost always fall asleep before eleven p.m.
• Il se sent un peu malade depuis hier soir. He's felt a bit sick since last night.
• Nous nous souvenons très bien de notre première neige à Toronto. We remember our first snowfall in Toronto very well.
• Ils se souviennent encore du numéro de leur appartement à Montréal. They still remember their apartment number in Montreal.

• Read down that "pronoun" column: me, te, se, nous, se — every single one is different, tracking whichever subject is in that row.
• The infinitive to the right never changes shape at all.
• That mismatch is exactly the point: your ear wants to leave the whole reflexive verb alone as one frozen chunk ("se reposer", "se coucher"), but French insists on splitting the pronoun off and re-matching it every time.

Two genuinely ambiguous sentences, side by side with what forces each reading:

• Marc et Julie se regardent. On its own, this is most naturally read as reciprocal — "Marc and Julie look at each other" — because two people looking at each other is the everyday situation. Add chacun dans son miroir ("each one in their own mirror") and it flips to reflexive: each is looking at themselves.
• Ils se voient tous les jours. Read alone, almost everyone hears this as reciprocal — "They see each other every day." To force the reflexive reading (e.g. seeing themselves on video calls), you'd need to add something like chacun sur son écran ("each one on their own screen").

• The takeaway: with a plural subject, default to the reciprocal reading unless the situation clearly points to each person acting alone.
• When you want zero ambiguity, add l'un l'autre: Ils se parlent l'un à l'autre avant chaque examen. They talk to each other before every exam. (spelled out, no doubt possible)

• Je lave la voiture le samedi, puis je me lave les mains. I wash the car on Saturdays, then I wash my hands. (two different objects of "washing" in one sentence)
• J'appelle ma mère tous les dimanches ; elle s'appelle Nirmal. I call my mother every Sunday; her name is Nirmal.
• Je réveille les enfants à sept heures, mais moi, je me réveille à six heures. I wake the kids up at seven, but I wake myself up at six.
• Nous couchons notre fille à vingt heures ; nous, nous nous couchons bien plus tard. We put our daughter to bed at eight; we ourselves go to bed much later.
• Ce cours n'ennuie personne, mais il s'ennuie quand même un peu. This class doesn't bother anyone, but he still gets a little bored.

• This tab is pure practice reading — no new rules, just a big pile of real sentences. Every subsection below drills one piece of the chapter using natural, Canada-life sentences: getting ready in the morning, weekends, family, TEF prep, winter.
• In the first few lines of each subsection the reflexive pronoun is violet, the stem is navy, and the ending is red, so the pattern jumps out at you before your eye gets used to plain black text.
• Tap 🌐 EN up top to see every English translation at once, or tap a single line if you only want that one.

First, the template verb from the Learn tab, but now in full sentences instead of a bare table. Watch the pronoun change with every subject while the stem "lav" never moves.

• Je me lave les mains avant de préparer le souper. I wash my hands before making dinner.
• Tu te laves rapidement parce que tu dois partir tôt ce matin. You wash up quickly because you have to leave early this morning.
• Il se lave le visage à l'eau froide pour se réveiller. He washes his face with cold water to wake himself up.
• Elle se lave les cheveux tous les deux jours. She washes her hair every two days.
• On se lave toujours les mains en rentrant à la maison, à cause de la grippe. We always wash our hands when we get home, because of the flu.
• Nous nous lavons les mains avant chaque repas, surtout depuis la pandémie. We wash our hands before every meal, especially since the pandemic.
• Vous vous lavez le matin ou le soir, d'habitude ? Do you usually wash up in the morning or the evening?
• Ils se lavent dans la salle de bains pendant que je prépare le café. They wash up in the bathroom while I make the coffee.
• Elles se lavent les mains avant de toucher le bébé. They wash their hands before touching the baby.
• Je me lave toujours avant d'aller au travail, jamais après. I always wash up before going to work, never after.
• Mon fils se lave tout seul maintenant, il a huit ans. My son washes himself alone now, he's eight.
• Nous nous lavons vite le matin parce que la salle de bains est petite. We wash up quickly in the morning because the bathroom is small.

This is the classic set for describing a typical day: se réveiller, se lever, se doucher, s'habiller, se brosser les dents, se coucher, se dépêcher. Remember that se lever gets the accent (è) in every form except nous/vous.

• Je me réveille à six heures moins le quart pour attraper le premier autobus. I wake up at quarter to six to catch the first bus.
• Tu te réveilles trop tard le lundi, et après tu dois te dépêcher. You wake up too late on Mondays, and then you have to hurry.
• Il se réveille avant l'alarme presque tous les jours. He wakes up before his alarm almost every day.
• Elle se réveille difficilement les jours de neige. She has trouble waking up on snowy days.
• Nous nous réveillons ensemble grâce au réveil sur la table de nuit. We wake up together thanks to the alarm clock on the nightstand.
• Vous vous réveillez à quelle heure pendant la semaine de travail ? What time do you wake up during the work week?
• Ils se réveillent tôt le samedi pour aller au marché. They wake up early on Saturday to go to the market.
• Je me lève dès que l'alarme sonne, sinon je me rendors. I get up as soon as the alarm rings, otherwise I fall back asleep.
• Tu te lèves du mauvais pied ce matin, on dirait. You got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, it seems.
• Il se lève à cinq heures et demie pour prendre le premier quart de travail. He gets up at half past five to take the first work shift.
• Elle se lève doucement pour ne pas réveiller le bébé. She gets up quietly so as not to wake the baby.
• Nous nous levons plus tard le dimanche, sans horaire fixe. We get up later on Sunday, with no fixed schedule.
• Vous vous levez toujours avant le soleil en hiver, ici au Canada. You always get up before the sun in winter, here in Canada.
• Ils se lèvent en même temps chaque matin, comme une routine militaire. They get up at the same time every morning, like a military routine.
• Je me douche avant le petit-déjeuner, jamais après. I shower before breakfast, never after.
• Tu te douches le soir pour te détendre après le travail. You shower in the evening to relax after work.
• Il se douche rapidement parce que la file d'attente pour la salle de bains est longue. He showers quickly because the line for the bathroom is long.
• Nous nous douchons à tour de rôle, l'appartement n'a qu'une salle de bains. We shower in turns, the apartment only has one bathroom.
• Je m'habille chaudement avant de sortir, il fait moins vingt dehors. I dress warmly before going out, it's minus twenty outside.
• Tu t'habilles en cinq minutes quand tu es en retard. You get dressed in five minutes when you're running late.
• Elle s'habille pour l'entrevue d'emploi avec beaucoup de soin. She gets dressed for the job interview very carefully.
• Nous nous habillons en couches pour l'hiver canadien. We dress in layers for the Canadian winter.
• Vous vous habillez toujours élégamment pour le bureau. You always dress elegantly for the office.
• Je me brosse les dents deux fois par jour, matin et soir. I brush my teeth twice a day, morning and evening.
• Tu te brosses les cheveux avant de partir pour l'école. You brush your hair before leaving for school.
• Les enfants se brossent les dents ensemble devant le miroir. The kids brush their teeth together in front of the mirror.
• Je me couche vers vingt-deux heures les soirs de semaine. I go to bed around ten p.m. on weeknights.
• Tu te couches trop tard, c'est pour ça que tu es fatigué. You go to bed too late, that's why you're tired.
• Nous nous couchons tôt le dimanche pour être prêts pour le lundi. We go to bed early on Sunday to be ready for Monday.
• Je me dépêche chaque matin pour ne pas manquer l'autobus de sept heures dix. I hurry every morning so I don't miss the seven-ten bus.

Now the feeling/state set: s'appeler, s'amuser, s'ennuyer, s'inquiéter, se sentir, se souvenir — plus se fâcher and s'intéresser à, which follow the same pattern.

• Je m'appelle Amandeep, et j'habite à Surrey depuis trois ans. My name is Amandeep, and I've lived in Surrey for three years.
• Tu t'appelles comment, déjà ? Je suis désolé, j'ai oublié. What's your name again? I'm sorry, I forgot.
• Il s'appelle Rohan, mais tout le monde l'appelle Ro. His name is Rohan, but everyone calls him Ro.
• Comment vous appelez-vous, madame ? What is your name, madam?
• Elles s'appellent Simran et Gurpreet, elles sont sœurs. Their names are Simran and Gurpreet, they're sisters.
• Je m'amuse beaucoup pendant les fêtes de fin d'année avec ma famille. I have a lot of fun during the holidays with my family.
• Les enfants s'amusent au parc même quand il fait froid. The kids have fun at the park even when it's cold.
• Nous nous amusons bien à la fête d'anniversaire de mon collègue. We're having a good time at my coworker's birthday party.
• Tu t'ennuies pendant les longues réunions du lundi matin, je le vois sur ton visage. You get bored during the long Monday morning meetings, I can see it on your face.
• Il s'ennuie un peu depuis que ses amis ont déménagé dans une autre ville. He's a little bored since his friends moved to another city.
• Je m'inquiète pour mon test de compréhension orale la semaine prochaine. I'm worried about my listening test next week.
• Elle s'inquiète toujours avant les résultats du TEF. She always worries before the TEF results.
• Nous nous inquiétons pour nos parents restés en Inde pendant l'hiver. We worry about our parents who stayed in India during the winter.
• Il se fâche facilement quand le Wi-Fi ne fonctionne pas. He gets angry easily when the Wi-Fi doesn't work.
• Je me sens un peu nerveuse avant l'entrevue d'immigration. I feel a little nervous before the immigration interview.
• Tu te sens mieux après une bonne nuit de sommeil. You feel better after a good night's sleep.
• Nous nous sentons chez nous ici, même après seulement deux ans. We feel at home here, even after only two years.
• Je m'intéresse beaucoup à l'histoire du Canada depuis mon arrivée. I've been very interested in Canadian history since I arrived.
• Je me souviens très bien de mon premier hiver ici, avec toute cette neige. I remember my first winter here very well, with all that snow.
• Ils se souviennent encore de leur premier appartement à Toronto. They still remember their first apartment in Toronto.

Same pronoun, second job: with nous/vous/ils/elles, the pronoun can mean "each other" instead of "-self". A plural subject is your clue to check for this reading.

• Nous nous voyons chaque vendredi soir pour regarder un film. We see each other every Friday evening to watch a movie.
• Vous vous voyez souvent, toi et ton frère ? Do you see each other often, you and your brother?
• Ils se voient tous les dimanches chez leurs parents. They see each other every Sunday at their parents' place.
• Elles se parlent en pendjabi à la maison, même si elles étudient en français. They talk to each other in Punjabi at home, even though they study in French.
• Nous nous parlons tous les soirs au téléphone avec nos parents en Inde. We talk to each other every evening on the phone with our parents in India.
• Ils s'aiment depuis leur rencontre à l'université, il y a douze ans. They've loved each other since they met at university, twelve years ago.
• Vous vous aimez beaucoup, ça se voit. You two love each other a lot, it shows.
• Nous nous rencontrons souvent au café du coin après le travail. We meet up often at the corner café after work.
• Ils se sont rencontrés dans un cours de français, à Montréal. They met each other in a French class, in Montreal.
• Nous nous téléphonons chaque dimanche, ma mère et moi. We call each other every Sunday, my mother and I.
• Vous vous téléphonez souvent depuis que vous avez déménagé ? Do you call each other often since you moved?
• Mes collègues et moi, nous nous entraidons beaucoup au bureau. My colleagues and I help each other out a lot at the office.
• Les deux amis se regardent sans rien dire, un peu tristes. The two friends look at each other without saying anything, a little sad.
• Elle se regarde dans le miroir avant de partir, mais eux, ils se regardent avec amour. She looks at herself in the mirror before leaving, but those two, they look at each other lovingly.
• Nous nous écrivons des messages toute la journée, même au travail. We text each other all day, even at work.

The reflexive pronoun stays glued to the verb inside the ne...pas wrapper: ne + pronoun + verb + pas.

• Je ne me lève pas avant sept heures le week-end. I don't get up before seven on the weekend.
• Tu ne te dépêches pas assez, on va manquer l'autobus. You're not hurrying enough, we're going to miss the bus.
• Il ne s'appelle pas Simran, c'est sa sœur qui s'appelle comme ça. His name isn't Simran, that's his sister's name.
• Elle ne se sent pas bien depuis ce matin. She hasn't felt well since this morning.
• Nous ne nous couchons pas tard pendant la semaine de travail. We don't go to bed late during the work week.
• Vous ne vous inquiétez pas assez pour l'examen, à mon avis. You don't worry enough about the exam, in my opinion.
• Ils ne se voient pas souvent depuis qu'il a déménagé à Calgary. They don't see each other often since he moved to Calgary.
• Je ne m'ennuie jamais le week-end, il y a toujours quelque chose à faire. I never get bored on the weekend, there's always something to do.
• Tu ne t'habilles pas assez chaudement pour cet hiver. You're not dressing warmly enough for this winter.
• Il ne se rase pas le dimanche, c'est son jour de congé. He doesn't shave on Sunday, it's his day off.
• Nous ne nous souvenons pas du nom de la rue. We don't remember the name of the street.
• Elle ne se maquille pas pour aller au travail, seulement le week-end. She doesn't wear makeup to go to work, only on weekends.
• Vous ne vous téléphonez pas aussi souvent qu'avant. You don't call each other as often as before.
• Je ne me réveille pas facilement les matins d'hiver, il fait encore noir. I don't wake up easily on winter mornings, it's still dark.
• Ils ne s'aiment plus comme avant, c'est triste à voir. They don't love each other like before, it's sad to see.

Est-ce que changes nothing. With inversion, only the subject and verb swap places — the reflexive pronoun stays in front of the verb.

• Est-ce que tu te lèves tôt pendant la semaine ? Do you get up early during the week?
• Te lèves-tu tôt le samedi aussi ? Do you get up early on Saturday too?
• Est-ce que vous vous couchez tard le vendredi soir ? Do you go to bed late on Friday evening?
• Vous couchez-vous avant minuit d'habitude ? Do you usually go to bed before midnight?
• Est-ce qu'il se sent mieux aujourd'hui ? Does he feel better today?
• Se sent-elle prête pour l'entrevue de demain ? Does she feel ready for tomorrow's interview?
• Est-ce que tu t'inquiètes pour le test de français ? Are you worried about the French test?
• T'inquiètes-tu pour les résultats du TEF ? Are you worried about the TEF results?
• Est-ce qu'ils s'appellent souvent, ton frère et toi ? Do you two call each other often, you and your brother?
• Comment vous appelez-vous, exactement ? What exactly is your name?
• Est-ce que nous nous voyons cette fin de semaine ? Are we seeing each other this weekend?
• Nous voyons-nous vendredi ou samedi ? Are we seeing each other Friday or Saturday?
• Est-ce que tu te souviens de son adresse ? Do you remember his address?
• Te souviens-tu de la date de l'examen ? Do you remember the date of the exam?
• Est-ce que vous vous amusez bien pendant les vacances ? Are you having a good time during the holidays?

The single most-tested point in the chapter: the verb after aller/vouloir/devoir stays in the infinitive, but the pronoun in front of it always matches the real subject — never "se" by default.

• Je vais me lever tôt demain pour finir mes devoirs de français. I'm going to get up early tomorrow to finish my French homework.
• Tu vas te dépêcher, sinon tu vas manquer le train. You're going to hurry, otherwise you're going to miss the train.
• Nous allons nous préparer pour l'entrevue toute la fin de semaine. We're going to get ready for the interview all weekend.
• Vous allez vous coucher tard ce soir, à cause du match de hockey. You're going to bed late tonight, because of the hockey game.
• Ils vont se réveiller très tôt pour prendre le vol de six heures. They're going to wake up very early to catch the six o'clock flight.
• Elle va se doucher avant de partir pour le travail. She's going to shower before leaving for work.
• Je vais m'habiller chaudement, il neige encore aujourd'hui. I'm going to dress warmly, it's still snowing today.
• Nous allons nous reposer un peu avant de continuer à étudier. We're going to rest a little before continuing to study.
• Je veux me lever plus tôt à partir de la semaine prochaine. I want to get up earlier starting next week.
• Tu veux te reposer un peu avant le souper ? Do you want to rest a little before dinner?
• Il veut se raser avant l'entrevue, il veut avoir l'air professionnel. He wants to shave before the interview, he wants to look professional.
• Nous voulons nous promener au parc après le souper, s'il ne pleut pas. We want to go for a walk in the park after dinner, if it doesn't rain.
• Vous voulez vous inscrire à ce cours de français, n'est-ce pas ? You want to register for this French course, don't you?
• Elles veulent se voir plus souvent, mais leurs horaires ne correspondent pas. They want to see each other more often, but their schedules don't match.
• Je dois me dépêcher, la réunion commence dans dix minutes. I have to hurry, the meeting starts in ten minutes.
• Tu dois te lever à cinq heures pour attraper le premier autobus. You have to get up at five to catch the first bus.
• Il doit se raser avant la vidéoconférence avec son patron. He has to shave before the video call with his boss.
• Nous devons nous préparer pour l'examen de compréhension écrite. We have to prepare for the written comprehension exam.
• Vous devez vous coucher plus tôt avant un si grand examen. You should go to bed earlier before such a big exam.
• Ils doivent se dépêcher, le magasin ferme dans quinze minutes. They have to hurry, the store closes in fifteen minutes.
• Je vais me coucher tôt ce soir parce que je suis épuisée. I'm going to bed early tonight because I'm exhausted.
• Elle va s'habituer à l'hiver canadien, avec le temps. She's going to get used to the Canadian winter, with time.
• Nous devons nous souvenir de tous les nouveaux mots de vocabulaire. We have to remember all the new vocabulary words.
• Vous devez vous inquiéter un peu moins, tout va bien se passer. You should worry a little less, everything will go well.
• Ils vont s'amuser beaucoup à la fête, j'en suis certaine. They're going to have a lot of fun at the party, I'm sure of it.

Positive command: pronoun moves after the verb with a hyphen, and te becomes toi. Negative command: normal order, pronoun stays in front.

• Lève-toi, il est déjà sept heures et demie ! Get up, it's already half past seven!
• Dépêchons-nous, l'autobus arrive dans deux minutes ! Let's hurry, the bus is coming in two minutes!
• Habillez-vous vite, il fait moins quinze dehors ! Get dressed fast, it's minus fifteen outside!
• Réveille-toi, tu vas être en retard pour l'école ! Wake up, you're going to be late for school!
• Couchez-vous maintenant, demain l'école commence tôt ! Go to bed now, school starts early tomorrow!
• Calmons-nous avant de répondre à ce courriel. Let's calm down before answering this email.
• Prépare-toi, l'entrevue est dans une heure ! Get ready, the interview is in an hour!
• Ne te lève pas encore, il n'est que cinq heures. Don't get up yet, it's only five o'clock.
• Ne vous inquiétez pas, tout va bien se passer à l'examen. Don't worry, everything will go well on the exam.
• Ne te dépêche pas trop, il n'y a pas d'urgence. Don't rush too much, there's no emergency.
• Ne nous fâchons pas pour si peu de chose. Let's not get angry over such a small thing.
• Ne t'endors pas devant la télévision encore une fois ! Don't fall asleep in front of the TV again!

Many verbs exist in both a plain form (acting on something else) and a reflexive form (acting on the subject). Compare each pair.

• Je lave les assiettes après le souper. I wash the dishes after dinner.
• Je me lave les mains avant de manger. I wash my hands before eating.
• Il lève la main pour poser une question en classe. He raises his hand to ask a question in class.
• Il se lève tôt pour aller travailler. He gets up early to go to work.
• Elle couche le bébé à vingt heures tous les soirs. She puts the baby to bed at eight every evening.
• Elle se couche bien après le bébé, vers vingt-trois heures. She goes to bed well after the baby, around eleven.
• Je l'appelle chaque dimanche pour prendre des nouvelles. I call him every Sunday to check in.
• Je m'appelle Karan, enchanté de vous rencontrer. My name is Karan, nice to meet you.
• Nous regardons un film ensemble chaque vendredi soir. We watch a movie together every Friday evening.
• Nous nous regardons souvent sans rien dire, on se comprend. We often look at each other without saying anything, we understand each other.
• Je prépare le souper pendant que les enfants font leurs devoirs. I make dinner while the kids do their homework.
• Je me prépare pour l'entrevue depuis une semaine. I've been getting ready for the interview for a week.
• Ce film m'ennuie un peu, on peut en choisir un autre ? This movie bores me a little, can we pick another one?
• Je m'ennuie de ma famille restée au Pendjab. I miss my family back in Punjab.
• Ça sent bon dans la cuisine, qu'est-ce que tu prépares ? It smells good in the kitchen, what are you making?
• Je me sens vraiment bien aujourd'hui, reposée et prête. I feel really good today, rested and ready.

Real speech and writing chain several reflexive verbs together to describe a whole routine, exactly like you'll do on the TEF speaking and writing sections.

• Le matin, je me réveille, je me lave rapidement, puis je m'habille avant de préparer le café. In the morning, I wake up, wash quickly, then get dressed before making the coffee.
• D'habitude, il se lève à six heures, se douche, se rase, et se prépare pour le bureau en vingt minutes. Usually, he gets up at six, showers, shaves, and gets ready for the office in twenty minutes.
• Le week-end, nous nous réveillons plus tard, nous nous préparons doucement, et nous nous promenons dans le quartier. On the weekend, we wake up later, get ready slowly, and go for a walk around the neighbourhood.
• Elle se lève, se lave le visage, se brosse les dents, et se maquille avant de partir travailler. She gets up, washes her face, brushes her teeth, and puts on makeup before leaving for work.
• Tu te réveilles, tu te dépêches, et tu te prépares en dix minutes à peine, chaque matin. You wake up, hurry, and get ready in barely ten minutes, every morning.
• Après le travail, je me repose un peu, puis je me prépare le souper et je me couche tôt. After work, I rest a little, then I make myself dinner and go to bed early.
• Le samedi, ils se lèvent tard, s'habillent en pyjama toute la matinée, et s'amusent devant la télévision. On Saturday, they get up late, stay in pyjamas all morning, and have fun in front of the TV.
• Nous nous levons ensemble, nous nous préparons le petit-déjeuner, et nous nous dépêchons pour attraper l'autobus de sept heures dix. We get up together, make ourselves breakfast, and hurry to catch the seven-ten bus.
• Vous vous réveillez, vous vous douchez, et vous vous habillez avant même que le soleil se lève, en plein hiver canadien. You wake up, shower, and get dressed before the sun even rises, in the middle of the Canadian winter.
• Le dimanche soir, je me couche tôt parce que je m'inquiète toujours un peu pour la semaine de travail qui commence. Sunday evening, I go to bed early because I always worry a little about the work week starting.
• Mon fils se réveille, se lave les mains, s'habille tout seul, et se brosse les dents sans qu'on le lui rappelle. My son wakes up, washes his hands, dresses himself, and brushes his teeth without being reminded.
• Les enfants se lèvent, se préparent, et se dépêchent pour attraper l'autobus scolaire de sept heures et demie. The kids get up, get ready, and hurry to catch the seven-thirty school bus.
• Ma mère se réveille toujours la première, se prépare un chai, puis réveille tout le monde à la maison. My mother always wakes up first, makes herself a chai, then wakes everyone else in the house.
• Nous nous levons tôt les jours de semaine, mais nous nous reposons vraiment le week-end. We get up early on weekdays, but we really rest on the weekend.
• Il se rase, s'habille en costume, et se dépêche pour arriver à l'entrevue d'emploi à l'heure. He shaves, puts on a suit, and hurries to arrive at the job interview on time.
• Je m'habille chaudement, je me dépêche vers l'arrêt d'autobus, et je m'assois près de la fenêtre pour regarder la neige. I dress warmly, hurry to the bus stop, and sit near the window to watch the snow.
• Elle se réveille en sursaut, se lève d'un coup, et se rend compte qu'elle est en retard pour le travail. She wakes up with a start, gets up suddenly, and realizes she's late for work.
• Nous nous couchons tôt le dimanche pour bien nous préparer à la semaine de travail qui commence le lundi. We go to bed early on Sunday to prepare well for the work week starting Monday.
• Tu te lèves, tu te douches, et tu t'habilles avant même de vérifier ton téléphone, une bonne habitude. You get up, shower, and get dressed before even checking your phone, a good habit.
• Le matin, toute la famille se réveille en même temps, se prépare rapidement, et se dépêche vers la porte. In the morning, the whole family wakes up at the same time, gets ready quickly, and hurries to the door.
• Après une longue journée, je me douche, je me couche, et je m'endors presque immédiatement. After a long day, I shower, go to bed, and fall asleep almost immediately.
• Ils se lèvent, se préparent un café, et se souviennent qu'ils doivent appeler leurs parents avant midi. They get up, make themselves a coffee, and remember they have to call their parents before noon.
• Nous nous réveillons doucement le samedi matin, sans alarme, et nous nous reposons jusqu'à dix heures. We wake up gently on Saturday morning, with no alarm, and rest until ten.
• Elle se maquille, s'habille avec soin, et se regarde une dernière fois dans le miroir avant de sortir. She puts on makeup, dresses carefully, and looks at herself one last time in the mirror before going out.
• Chaque soir, nous nous couchons vers vingt-deux heures, nous nous endormons vite, et nous nous réveillons prêts pour une nouvelle journée. Every evening, we go to bed around ten, fall asleep quickly, and wake up ready for a new day.

Tally for this tab: 12 + 30 + 20 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 25 + 12 + 16 + 25 = 185 full French example sentences across 10 subsections.

• Each slip below comes from a habit in your first language — completely natural, and worth noticing once so you can catch it before the exam.
• Reflexive verbs are especially exposed, because Hindi and Punjabi don't mark "the action bounces back on you" with a small glued-on word the way French does.

• These are the reflexive-verb slips that cost the most marks, sorted by type.
• Read the wrong version, then the fix, then the why — then practise the same pattern live in the Drills tab.
• Sections C, D and F below deserve extra attention: the pronoun-matching rule after aller/vouloir/devoir, the elision, and the se lever / s'appeler stem changes are the things graders notice first, and all three come back in the deep-dive at the end.

A · Forgetting the reflexive pronoun entirely

B · Wrong pronoun, not matching the subject

C · Forgetting to change "se" after aller / vouloir / devoir (highest-stakes)

D · Missing the elision before a vowel (m'/t'/s')

E · Wrong "pas" placement in negation

F · Missing the stem change in se lever / s'appeler

G · Confusing reflexive and reciprocal meaning without noticing context

H · Wrong pronoun position in a positive command

I · Using a non-reflexive verb where French needs reflexive, or the reverse

J · Wrong pronoun in inversion questions

• In the speaking exam, nobody waits while you think "wait, was it me lève or just lève? did the pronoun change after je vais?" — the reflexive pronoun only earns points when it comes out glued to the verb, without a pause.
• So do everything here out loud: say the line, change one thing, say it again.
• Your target is a mouth that reaches for me/te/se/nous/vous/se automatically, and that swaps the pronoun on its own the moment the subject changes — even inside aller/vouloir/devoir + infinitive.
• Describing your day (je me réveille, je me lave, je m'habille…) is one of the most common speaking prompts there is, so this chapter pays off immediately.
• Tap 🌐 EN up top for translations.

• A conjugation ladder is one verb said all the way down through the six subjects — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — one after another, out loud, like climbing rungs.
• The point is muscle memory: when the pronoun and the ending both change on their own as you go down, the form is yours.
• On this page the reflexive pronoun is violet, the stem is navy, and the ending is red.

• Cover the right column. Read the English cue on the left and say the full French answer out loud immediately — a whole sentence with the pronoun and verb already glued together, not just a verb on its own.
• Then uncover and compare. Why it helps: the examiner asks about your routine and your relationships and you must answer straight away, with the right pronoun already in place.

• This is the classic TEF/TCF Section A/B prompt: narrate your day from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed.
• It is built almost entirely out of reflexive verbs, so this is where the whole chapter comes together.
• Use at least 8 different reflexive verbs, keep every pronoun matching its subject, and slip in at least one aller/vouloir/devoir + reflexive infinitive for a plan later in the day.
• Do it out loud, then tap the button to compare with a full sample.

Same idea, smaller. Say your answer out loud first, then tap Show a sample response to compare. Keep every pronoun matching its subject, and remember reciprocal verbs ("each other") only make sense with a plural subject.

• Writing is the one place you can slow down and check your work.

• So build up in safe steps:

  • one correct sentence conjugating se laver or se lever
  • a short "my morning routine" paragraph
  • a "my evening routine" paragraph
  • a paragraph using aller + reflexive infinitive for weekend plans, with the pronoun matching the subject the whole way through
• Short and correct beats long and broken — a missing pronoun, a frozen se after aller, or a missing accent on lève costs more than a plain, safe sentence ever will.
• On this page the reflexive pronoun is violet, the stem is navy, and the ending is red.
• Tap 🌐 EN up top for translations.

• Rapid-fire practice on the reflexive pronoun ladder, one family at a time — regular se laver, the stem-changing se lever and s'appeler, the daily-routine and feeling/state verbs, the reciprocal "each other" meaning, negation, questions, and the pronoun-agreement trap after aller/vouloir/devoir. 90 questions in 9 sets.
• Both modes are here: 🟢 Pratique ("practice" — shows the answer and explanation right away) and ⏱️ Examen ("exam" — holds the answers back until you finish, like the real test). (Separate from the 50-question Quiz.)

Change one thing and keep the reflexive verb correct: conjugate the infinitive, flip a sentence to negative, push it through aller/vouloir/devoir (and watch the pronoun change!), turn a statement into a command, or turn an English pattern into natural French. 40 questions in 5 sets.

50 questions on reflexive verbs, by category — the pronoun ladder, stem-changing verbs like se lever and s'appeler, negation and questions, aller/vouloir/devoir plus commands, and a final meaning/mixed-review set.

• • Everything from this chapter on one screen.
  • The colours are the same ones you've used all along: reflexive pronoun (the little word — me/te/se/nous/vous/se — that shows the action comes back to the subject), stem (the part of the verb that stays put) and ending (the letters that change to match the subject).
• "Conjugate" just means changing the pronoun and the ending together so the whole verb fits je, tu, il…

• Five stages, in order. Each stage is a different kind of work, and each one needs the one before it.
• Finish a stage before you open the next, and tick it when it is done.
• • A quick reminder of the words we keep using: a reflexive verb is a verb where the action bounces back onto the subject, like "wash yourself" ;
  • the reflexive pronoun is the little word — me/te/se/nous/vous/se — that shows the action comes back to the subject ;
  • to conjugate a verb means to change its pronoun and ending so it matches the subject (I, you, he…).
• Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can close the page and come back.

• One honest rule: check a box only when it has been true for 3 days in a row.
• One good day can be luck — you might have just gotten lucky with an easy verb.
• Three days in a row means the reflexive pronoun is really yours.
• Your checks are saved on this device, so you can close the page and come back any time.

• Learning a reflexive verb is not one jump — it is a ladder with 7 steps.
• Each step is a little harder than the one before it.
• For reflexive verbs, that means moving from just recognising the right pronoun when you read one, all the way to catching yourself the moment a pronoun goes missing or freezes as se after aller.
• Climb the steps in order. It is completely normal to sit on step 2 or 3 for a while.

Read each line out loud. If it is true — and has been true for 3 days — check it. If you hesitate, that's useful too: it tells you exactly which tab to visit next.