French pronominal verbs
Pronominal verbs in French
The verbs with se in front. List, types, and how to conjugate them.
A pronominal verb is a French verb that always travels with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se). The pronoun isn't optional. It's part of the verb's identity. Se laver isn't "to wash" with a pronoun added on, it's its own dictionary entry meaning "to wash oneself".
French has three flavours of pronominal: reflexive (the action loops back), reciprocal (the action goes between people), and idiomatic (the se is just baked in). All three conjugate the same way and all three use être in compound tenses.
For the deep dive on agreement, the three types, and the verbs that change meaning when you add se, read the complete pronominal verbs guide.
The 30 most common pronominal verbs
Memorize these and you've covered ~80% of pronominal usage in everyday French.
| Pronominal verb | English meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| s'appeler → appeler | to be called / named | idiomatic |
| se laver | to wash oneself | reflexive |
| se lever | to get up | reflexive |
| se coucher | to go to bed | reflexive |
| se réveiller | to wake up | reflexive |
| s'habiller | to get dressed | reflexive |
| se brosser (les dents) | to brush (one's teeth) | reflexive |
| se doucher | to take a shower | reflexive |
| se reposer → reposer | to rest | reflexive |
| s'asseoir | to sit down | reflexive |
| se promener | to go for a walk | reflexive |
| se dépêcher → dépêcher | to hurry | idiomatic |
| se souvenir (de) | to remember | idiomatic |
| se rappeler | to remember | idiomatic |
| s'amuser | to have fun | idiomatic |
| s'ennuyer | to be bored | idiomatic |
| se sentir → sentir | to feel (a way) | idiomatic |
| se demander → demander | to wonder | idiomatic |
| s'occuper (de) → occuper | to take care of | idiomatic |
| se trouver | to be located / find oneself | idiomatic |
| s'arrêter → arrêter | to stop (oneself) | reflexive |
| se tromper → tromper | to make a mistake | idiomatic |
| se mettre (à) | to start, to put on (clothes) | idiomatic |
| s'en aller | to leave / go away | idiomatic |
| se passer | to happen / take place | idiomatic |
| s'appeler | to be called | idiomatic |
| s'inquiéter | to worry | idiomatic |
| se servir (de) → servir | to use | idiomatic |
| se rendre (compte) | to realize | idiomatic |
| s'écrire | to write to each other | reciprocal |
How to conjugate a pronominal verb
Three rules cover almost everything:
- The reflexive pronoun matches the subject. je → me, tu → te, il/elle/on → se, nous → nous, vous → vous, ils/elles → se.
- In simple tenses, the pronoun goes before the verb. Je me lave. Tu te lèves. Nous nous couchons.
- In compound tenses, always use être as the auxiliary. The reflexive pronoun goes between the subject and the auxiliary: Je me suis lavé. Nous nous sommes levés.
For the agreement rule (when the past participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun and when it doesn't), see the past-participle agreement guide.
Pronominal vs non-pronominal: same verb, different meaning
Some verbs change meaning entirely when you add the reflexive pronoun. Watch for these:
| Non-pronominal | Pronominal |
|---|---|
| appeler (to call) | s'appeler (to be called / named) |
| rendre (to return / give back) | se rendre compte (to realize) |
| mettre (to put) | se mettre à (to start doing) |
| tromper (to deceive) | se tromper (to make a mistake) |
| passer (to pass / spend time) | se passer (to happen) |
| entendre (to hear) | s'entendre (to get along) |
| douter (to doubt) | se douter (to suspect) |