French conjugation explanation
Pronominal verbs with indirect object (no agreement)

<p>In French, pronominal verbs (reflexive verbs) form their compound tenses with the auxiliary

. The general rule implies that the past participle agrees with the subject. However, this rule has a crucial exception: there is <strong>no agreement</strong> when the reflexive pronoun functions as an <strong>indirect object (COI)</strong>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The Logic: Direct vs. Indirect Object</div>

<p>To determine if there should be agreement, you must identify the grammatical function of the reflexive pronoun (<span style="font-style: italic;">me, te, se, nous, vous</span>). A simple test helps determine the object type:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Direct Object (COD):</strong> Answers the question "Whom?" or "What?" → <span class="green_emphasis">Agreement</span> with the pronoun.</li>

<li><strong>Indirect Object (COI):</strong> Answers the question "To whom?" (<span style="font-style: italic;">À qui ?</span>). → <span class="brown_emphasis">No Agreement</span>.</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The Case of 'se demander'</div>

<p>The verb

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20demander/" title="Click to see conjugations for se demander" target="_blank">se demander</a>

(*to wonder*) literally means "to ask oneself". Let's analyze the syntax:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">s'est demandé</span> si c'était vrai. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She wondered if it was true.</span>)</div>

<p><strong>The Test:</strong> Elle a demandé <strong>à qui</strong> ? (<span style="font-style: italic;">She asked to whom?</span>)<br /><strong>The Answer:</strong> À elle-même (<span style="font-style: italic;">To herself</span>).</p>

<p>Since the answer involves the preposition <span style="font-style: italic;">à</span> (to), the reflexive pronoun <span style="font-style: italic;">se</span> is an indirect object. Therefore, the past participle <strong>demandé</strong> remains invariable and does not add an <span style="font-style: italic;">-e</span> for the feminine subject.</p>

<p>Observe in the table below that the past participle is spelt <span style="font-style: italic;">demandé</span> for all persons:</p>

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/81/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Passé composé</a>

</span>me suis demandé

</span>

</div>

</span>t'es demandé

</span>

</div>

</span>s'est demandé

</span>

</div>

nous

</span>nous sommes demandé

</span>

</div>

vous

</span>vous êtes demandé

</span>

</div>

ils

</span>se sont demandé

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Common Verbs with No Agreement</div>

<p>Many verbs involving communication or exchange often take an indirect object because you speak, write, or give something <strong>to</strong> someone. Even when used reflexively ("to each other"), the past participle remains invariable.</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20parler/" title="Click to see conjugations for se parler" target="_blank">se parler</a>

: to speak <strong>to</strong> each other</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elles <span class="green_emphasis">se sont parlé</span> hier. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They spoke to each other yesterday.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/t%C3%A9l%C3%A9phoner/" title="Click to see conjugations for téléphoner" target="_blank">se téléphoner</a>

: to phone <strong>to</strong> each other</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils <span class="green_emphasis">se sont téléphoné</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They called each other.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/sourire/" title="Click to see conjugations for sourire" target="_blank">se sourire</a>

: to smile <strong>at</strong> each other</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Les voisins <span class="green_emphasis">se sont souri</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The neighbors smiled at each other.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20ressembler/" title="Click to see conjugations for se ressembler" target="_blank">se ressembler</a>

: to resemble (<strong>to</strong>) each other</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ces deux maisons <span class="green_emphasis">se sont</span> toujours <span class="green_emphasis">ressemblé</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">These two houses have always looked alike.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div>Other common examples:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/mentir/" title="Click to see conjugations for mentir" target="_blank">se mentir</a>

(to lie to each other),

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%A9crire/" title="Click to see conjugations for écrire" target="_blank">s'écrire</a>

(to write to each other),

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20plaire/" title="Click to see conjugations for se plaire" target="_blank">se plaire</a>

(to please/like each other).</div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Contrast: Agreement vs. No Agreement</div>

<p>Compare these pairs to see how the "To whom (COI)" vs "Whom (COD)" distinction affects the spelling.</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Direct Object (Agreement)</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">s'est vue</span> dans la glace. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She saw herself.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Saw whom? Herself → COD)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Indirect Object (No Agreement)</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">s'est menti</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She lied to herself.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Lied to whom? To herself → COI)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Direct Object (Agreement)</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils <span class="green_emphasis">se sont battus</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They fought each other.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Fought whom? Each other → COD)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Indirect Object (No Agreement)</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils <span class="green_emphasis">se sont écrit</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They wrote to each other.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Wrote to whom? To each other → COI)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Special Case: Body Parts</div>

<p>Be careful with verbs like

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20laver/" title="Click to see conjugations for se laver" target="_blank">se laver</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to wash</span>) or

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20casser/" title="Click to see conjugations for se casser" target="_blank">se casser</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to break</span>). If a direct object is placed <strong>after</strong> the verb, the reflexive pronoun becomes indirect ("to herself"), and agreement stops.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">s'est lavée</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She washed herself.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(She washed <strong>whom</strong>? Herself (s') → COD precedes → <span class="green_emphasis">Agreement</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">s'est lavé</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">les mains</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She washed her hands.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(She washed <strong>what</strong>? The hands (<span style="font-style: italic;">les mains</span>) → COD is after → <span class="brown_emphasis">No Agreement</span>)</div>

French conjugation explanation Pronominal verbs with indirect object (no agreement)

French conjugation explanation
Pronominal verbs with indirect object (no agreement)