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.
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.