Language/French/Grammar/Pronominal-Verbs-Agreement

Pronominal Verbs Agreement

[CHANGED] Hi English learners 😀

Pronominal verbs ("Les verbes pronominaux" in French), of which there are several categories, are verbs that are constructed with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) of the same person as the subject.

This pronoun is always placed before the verb.

➡ NB: You can recognize a pronominal verb with its infinitive. It always has the pronoun "SE" just before the infinitive, as in "SE PREPARER" (to prepare).

Pronominal verbs only existing in the pronominal form

If a pronominal verb exists only in the pronominal form, it must always agree with the subject.

Example:

• Elle s'est souvenue de vous. [She remembered you]

Note: Only "Se souvenir" (to remember) exists. "souvenir" does not exist as a verb.

Pronominal verbs also existing in the non-pronominal form

Occasionally pronominal verbs also existing in the non-pronominal form, follow the same agreement rules as the past participle like with the auxiliary "avoir".

Those verbs agree with the complement (direct object complement, Complément d'Objet Direct COD in French) if the complement is before the verb. If the COD is not before the verb, the verb is invariable.

Example:

• Ils se sont échangés des lettres. [They exchanged letters]

(COD after the verb: no agreement)

• Les lettres qu'ils se sont échangées. [The letters they exchanged]

(COD before the verb: agreement)

Note: both "Echanger" and "S'échanger" (to exchange) exist as two separate verbs.