Language/French/Grammar/Pronominal-Verbs-Agreement

Pronominal Verbs Agreement

You can identify a pronominal verb by its infinitive; it always has the pronoun "se" right before the infinitive, like in "se préparer" (to get (oneself) ready).

If the pronominal verbs only exists in the pronominal form, it always agree in gender and number with the subject.

Example:

• Elle s'est souvenue de vous. [She remembered (herself of) you]

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, 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 (themselves) letters]

(COD after the verb: no agreement)

• "Les lettres qu'ils se sont échangées.

(COD before the verb: agreement)