The Four Uses of French Pronominal Verbs | Meanings and Usage Explained

In French, there is a special group of verbs called pronominal verbs, which are formed by placing a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, etc.) in front of the verb. These verbs can express actions directed at oneself, actions done mutually, passive-like constructions, or idiomatic meanings that exist only in this form.

In this lesson, I will explain the four main uses of pronominal verbs—reflexive, reciprocal, passive, and idiomatic—along with examples and key features.

1. What Are Pronominal Verbs?

1-1. Basic Structure of Pronominal Verbs

Pronominal verbs are verbs that are always preceded by a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se).

The reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject and can express meanings such as “to do something to oneself,” “to do something to each other,” or “to be done.” In dictionaries, pronominal verbs appear in the form se + infinitive.

The pronoun se changes depending on the subject:

1-2. Pronominal Verbs vs. Reflexive Verbs

It is important to distinguish between pronominal verbs and reflexive verbs.

A pronominal verb is any verb that appears with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before it. It is a grammatical classification. A reflexive verb is one type of pronominal verb, where the subject performs the action on itself.

In other words:

2. The Uses of Pronominal Verbs

2-1. Reflexive Use: “Doing something to oneself”

This is the most basic use of pronominal verbs. The subject and the object of the action are the same. In English, this often corresponds to forms with “myself,” “yourself,” etc.

2-2. Reciprocal Use: “Doing something to each other”

When the subject is plural, the pronominal verb can express a reciprocal action, similar to “each other” in English.

2-3. Passive Use: “To be done”

In this use, pronominal verbs function as a passive construction. The agent is not expressed, and the sentence emphasizes the action or state itself.

Here, the reflexive pronoun does not mean “oneself,” but instead gives the sense of “being done.” This is very common in everyday French and in formal registers such as news reports.

2-4. Idiomatic Use: Verbs that Always Require se

Some verbs exist only in the pronominal form (se + verb). These verbs have idiomatic meanings, and their non-pronominal form either does not exist or is rarely used.

Examples:

In verbs such as se souvenir or se moquer, the base verb (souvenir, moquer) is not used independently. In dictionaries, they are always listed with se. These are not reflexive or passive in meaning; they must be learned as fixed idiomatic structures.

3. Summary

泉（Izumi）

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