French conjugation explanation

Auxiliary verb for reflexive verbs

<p>In French compound tenses, such as the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/81/" target="_blank">Pass&eacute; Compos&eacute;</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%AAtre/" title="Click to see conjugations for être" target="_blank">être</a>

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

<p>The structure is:</p>

<p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Subject + Reflexive Pronoun + Auxiliary (<span style="font-style: italic;">être</span>) + Past Participle</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je <span class="green_emphasis">me suis</span> levé. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I got up.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nous <span class="green_emphasis">nous sommes</span> amusés. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We had fun.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Past Participle Agreement</div>

<p>Because these verbs use

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%AAtre/" title="Click to see conjugations for être" target="_blank">être</a>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Masculine Singular:</strong> No change (base form).</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">L'homme <span class="green_emphasis">s'est arrêté</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The man stopped.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Feminine Singular:</strong> Add <strong class="in_word_highlight">-e</strong>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">s'est réveillé<span class="in_word_highlight">e</span></span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She woke up.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Masculine Plural:</strong> Add <strong class="in_word_highlight">-s</strong>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils <span class="green_emphasis">se sont trouvé<span class="in_word_highlight">s</span></span> dans une forêt. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They found themselves in a forest.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Feminine Plural:</strong> Add <strong class="in_word_highlight">-es</strong>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elles <span class="green_emphasis">se sont perdu<span class="in_word_highlight">es</span></span> en ville. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They got lost in the city.</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<p><strong>Important Exception:</strong> If a direct object (typically a body part) follows the verb, the past participle <strong>does not agree</strong> with the subject. Compare these two examples with

<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>

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

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Here, <span style="font-style: italic;">se</span> is the direct object and precedes the verb, so we add <strong>-e</strong>.</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">Here, the direct object is <span class="brown_emphasis" style="font-style: italic;">les mains</span> and it follows the verb. There is <strong>no agreement</strong>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Conjugation Table</div>

<p>In this table for

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/se%20r%C3%A9veiller/" title="Click to see conjugations for se réveiller" target="_blank">se réveiller</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<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>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

je

</span>me suis réveillé

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

je

</span>me suis réveillée

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

tu

</span>t'es réveillé

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

tu

</span>t'es réveillée

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

il

</span>s'est réveillé

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

elle

</span>s'est réveillée

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

nous

</span>nous sommes réveillées

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

nous

</span>nous sommes réveillés

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vous

</span>vous êtes réveillé

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vous

</span>vous êtes réveillée

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vous

</span>vous êtes réveillées

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vous

</span>vous êtes réveillés

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

elles

</span>se sont réveillées

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

ils

</span>se sont réveillés

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>