| Elle se regarde dans la glace. | She’s looking at herself in the mirror. |
|---|---|
| Je me couche à minuit. | I go to bed at midnight. |
| Tu t’habilles trop lentement. | You’re dressing too slowly. |
| s’adjoindre | to take on, appoint |
|---|---|
| s’adresser à | to address, speak to |
| s’apprêter | to get ready |
| s’approcher de | to approach |
| s’arrêter | to stop oneself |
| s’asseoir | to sit down |
| se baigner | to bathe, swim |
| se brosser (les cheveux, les dents) | to brush (one’s hair, one’s teeth) |
| se casser (la jambe, le bras) | to break (one’s leg, one’s arm) |
| se coiffer | to fix one’s hair |
| se coucher | to go to bed |
| se couper | to cut oneself, to cut (something) for oneself |
| se dépêcher | to hurry |
| se déshabiller | to get undressed |
| se disperser | to disperse, break up (a meeting, group) |
| se doucher | to take a shower |
| s’effrayer | to be frightened |
| s’éloigner | to move (oneself) away |
| s’endormir | to fall asleep |
| s’énerver | to get annoyed |
| s’enrhumer | to catch a cold |
| se fâcher | to get angry |
| se faire (un café, un sandwich…) | to make (a coffee, sandwich…) for oneself |
| se fatiguer | to get tired |
| se fier | to trust |
| s’habiller | to get dressed |
| s’habituer à | to get used to |
| s’imaginer | to imagine |
| s’informer | to ask, find out; to inform oneself |
| s’inquiéter | to worry |
| s’inscrire | to enroll, register |
| s’intéresser à | to be interested in |
| se laver (les mains, la figure) | to wash oneself (one’s hands, face) |
| se lever | to get up |
| se maquiller | to put on makeup |
| se marier (avec) | to get married (to) |
| se moucher | to blow one’s nose |
| se noyer | to drown |
| se nuire | to harm oneself |
| se peigner | to comb one’s hair |
| se précipiter | to rush, quicken; to hurl oneself, jump |
| se promener | to take a walk |
| se raser | to shave |
| se rassembler | to gather, assemble (as a group) |
| se refroidir | to cool down, get cold |
| se régaler | to enjoy oneself, have a delicious meal |
| se regarder | to look at oneself |
| se relaxer | to relax |
| se rendre compte | to realize |
| se reposer | to rest |
| se réserver | to keep for oneself |
| se réveiller | to wake up |
| se soûler | to get drunk |
| se sourire | to smile at/to oneself |
| se suffire | to be self-sufficient |
| se suicider | to commit suicide |
| se taire | to be quiet |
All of the above verbs require a reflexive pronoun when they indicate that the subject is doing something to itself. But they can also be used non-reflexively, indicating that the action of the verb is directed at someone or something else.
En comparaison…
| Je me réveille à 6h00. | vs | Je la réveille à 6h00. |
|---|---|---|
| I wake up at 6am. | I wake her up at 6am. | |
| Il se rase le menton. | vs | Il rase le menton de son fils. |
| He’s shaving his (own) chin. | He’s shaving his son’s chin. |
When talking about parts of the body, the reflexive pronoun and a definite article indicate the owner of that part of the body, rather than the possessive adjective that is used in English.
Par exemple…
| Je me lave le visage. | |
|---|---|
| I’m washing my face. | |
| Il se brosse les cheveux. | |
| He’s brushing his hair. |
| Ils s’aiment. | They love each other. |
|---|---|
| Nous nous connaissons. | We know each other. |
| Vous vous parlez souvent ? | Do you talk to each other often? |
En comparaison…
| Ils se regardent. | Ils regardent la télé. |
|---|---|
| They’re looking at each other. | They’re looking at the TV. |
| Vous vous souriez. | Vous souriez. |
| You’re smiling at each other. | You’re smiling. |
| s’adorer | to adore each other |
|---|---|
| s’aimer | to love each other |
| s’apercevoir | to see each other |
| s’appeler | to call each other |
| se battre | to fight with each other |
| se chercher | to look for each other |
| se comprendre | to understand each other |
| se connaître | to know each other |
| se croiser | to cross, pass each other |
| se détester | to hate each other |
| se dire | to tell each other |
| se disputer | to argue with each other |
| s’écrire | to write to each other |
| s’embrasser | to kiss each other |
| s’entendre | to get along, agree with each other |
| se nuire | to harm each other |
| se parler | to talk to each other |
| se promettre | to promise each other |
| se quereller | to quarrel with each other |
| se quitter | to leave each other |
| se regarder | to look at each other |
| se rencontrer | to meet each other |
| se sourire | to smile at each other |
| se suffire | to suffice, be enough for each other |
| se téléphoner | to call each other |
To stress the reciprocal nature of the verb, you can include something like