Reflexive verbs are verbs which either:
1. reflect the action back onto the subject (e.g. I wash myself: Je me lave), or
2.have the sense of "each other" (e.g. They love each other: Ils s'aiment)
Reflexive verbs only differ from ordinary verbs in that they have an additional Reflexive Pronoun. These are as follows, given here with the verb se laver, to wash:
| je me lave |
| tu te laves |
| il se lave |
| elle se lave |
| on se lave |
| nous nous lavons |
| vous vous lavez |
| ils se lavent |
| elles se lavent |
Another important difference is that when these verbs are used in the infinitive, although the verb itself is infinitive, the reflexive pronoun must still agree with its subject:
e.g. Je dois me raser avant de sortir.
e.g. Nous devons nous dépêcher.
In the Perfect Tense, reflexive verbs take être as their auxiliary verb, and consequently the past participle needs to agree with the subject, as with other être verbs.
Thus if the subject is feminine, we add an "e" to the past participle, and if the subject is plural, we add an "s".
The following table shows the verb se réveiller in all its forms in the perfect tense.
** Letters in brackets may be needed, depending on the gender and the number of the subject.
| je me suis réveillé(e) |
| tu t' es réveillé(e) |
| il s est réveillé |
| elle s' est réveillée |
| on s' est réveillé |
| nous nous sommes réveillés |
| vous vous êtes réveillé(e)(s) |
| ils se sont réveillés |
| elles se sont réveillées |
BUT: If the reflexive verb has a direct object, as in the examples below, the reflexive pronoun is the indirect object and therefore the past participle does not need to agree:
e.g. Marie s'est blessé la jambe. (la jambe is direct object, the reflexive pronoun is therefore indirect)
e.g. Mes frères se sont lavé les mains. (les mains is the direct object, the reflexive pronoun is therefore indirect)
In other tenses reflexive verbs follow the same patterns as above:
i.e. As normal verbs in simple tenses, but with a reflexive pronoun agreeing with the subject.
As être verbs in compound tenses, with a reflexive pronoun and agreement of the past participle.