Pronominal verbs or “verbes pronominaux” also called reflexive verbs hold an important part in the French language. They are always used with reflexive pronouns that replace the subject only. These are me, m’, te, t’, se, s’, nous, vous. Throughout this chapter we will explore the use, the form and the types of the pronominal verbs. We will also learn how to conjugate the pronominal verbs into the present simple, the passé composé, the imperfect tense, the future simple, the subjunctive, the imperative, the present and past conditional.
A verb in the pronominal form conjugates to the imperfect tense the same way a regular verb does. We only have to add the reflexive pronouns to the verb.
Let’s conjugate the verb se trouver into the imperfect tense and the verb trouver and see the difference between the two in terms of the form.
As you can see, the only difference there is between the two conjugations is the reflexive pronouns: me, te , se, nous, vous.
Let’s conjugate another verb that can only be pronominal. In other words, it is always preceded with a reflexive pronoun.
The verb s’absenter.
Now let’s see the difference in terms of the meaning between the vebs “trouver” and “se trouver” using the following example:
Quand j’étais petite, je trouvais toujours de bonnes cachettes.
When I was little, I always found good hiding places.
Quand j’étais petite, je me trouvais moche.
When I was little, I used to think I was ugly.
You can see the difference between the meaning of the two verbs “trouver” and “se trouver”. “trouver” in the first example means “to find”. “se trouver” in the second example means “to think something of oneself”.
Let’s take another example:
Elle promenait souvent son chien.
She often walked her dog.
Elle se promenait souvent dans le boulevard.
She often went for a walk on the boulevard.
The “est-ce que form: To ask questions using the “est-ce que form” with pronominal verbs in the present simple, we simply add “est-ce que” to the question.
For example:
Est-ce que tu te levais tôt le matin ?
Did you get up early in the morning?
As for the intonation, we just keep the same sentence and add the interrogation mark at the end when we write or we add the intonation of a question when we talk.
For example:
Vous vous voyiez souvent ?
Did you see each other often?
As you can see, the negative form is obtained by putting the pronominal verb between “ne” and “pas”.
A verb in the pronominal form conjugates to the imperfect tense the same way a regular verb does. We only have to add the reflexive pronouns to the verb.
Let’s conjugate the verb se trouver into the imperfect tense and the verb trouver and see the difference between the two in terms of the form.
Se Trouver (to find oneself) | Trouver (to find) |
| Je me trouvais | Je trouvais |
| Tu te trouvais | Tu trouvais |
| Il se trouvait | Il trouvait |
| Elle se trouvait | Elle trouvait |
| On se trouvait | On trouvait |
| Nous nous trouvions | Nous trouvions |
| Vous vous trouviez | Vous trouviez |
| Ils se trouvaient | Ils trouvaient |
| Elles se trouvaient | Elles trouvaient |
As you can see, the only difference there is between the two conjugations is the reflexive pronouns: me, te , se, nous, vous.
Let’s conjugate another verb that can only be pronominal. In other words, it is always preceded with a reflexive pronoun.
The verb s’absenter.
| Je m’absentais |
| Tu t’absentais |
| Il s’absentait |
| Elle s’absentait |
| On s’absentait |
| Nous nous absentions |
| Vous vous absentiez |
| Ils s’absentaient |
| Elles s’absentaient |
Now let’s see the difference in terms of the meaning between the vebs “trouver” and “se trouver” using the following example:
Quand j’étais petite, je trouvais toujours de bonnes cachettes.
When I was little, I always found good hiding places.
Quand j’étais petite, je me trouvais moche.
When I was little, I used to think I was ugly.
You can see the difference between the meaning of the two verbs “trouver” and “se trouver”. “trouver” in the first example means “to find”. “se trouver” in the second example means “to think something of oneself”.
Let’s take another example:
Elle promenait souvent son chien.
She often walked her dog.
Elle se promenait souvent dans le boulevard.
She often went for a walk on the boulevard.
The Interrogative form
As you know there are three ways of asking questions in French:| The est-ce que form: Standard form The subject/verb or auxiliary inversion: Formal form The intonation: Colloquial form |
The “est-ce que form: To ask questions using the “est-ce que form” with pronominal verbs in the present simple, we simply add “est-ce que” to the question.
For example:
Est-ce que tu te levais tôt le matin ?
Did you get up early in the morning?
The inversion form
Let’s take the following example: se moquer de| Me moquais-je de mes parents ? |
| Te moquais-tu de mes parents ? |
| Se moquait-il de mes parents ? |
| Se moquait-elle de mes parents ? |
| Se moquait-on de mes parents ? |
| Nous moquions-nous de mes parents ? |
| Vous moquiez-vous de mes parents ? |
| Se moquaient-ils de mes parents ? |
| Se moquaient-elles de mes parents ? |
As for the intonation, we just keep the same sentence and add the interrogation mark at the end when we write or we add the intonation of a question when we talk.
For example:
Vous vous voyiez souvent ?
Did you see each other often?
The Negative form
Let’s conjugate the verb ne pas juger in the imperfect tense:| Je ne me jugeais pas |
| Tu ne te jugeais pas |
| Il ne se jugeait pas |
| Elle ne se jugeait pas |
| On ne se jugeait pas |
| Nous ne nous jugions pas |
| Vous ne vous jugiez pas |
| Ils ne se jugeaient pas |
| Elle ne se jugeaient pas |
As you can see, the negative form is obtained by putting the pronominal verb between “ne” and “pas”.