Language/French/Grammar/Pronominal-Verbs-Agreement
Hi everyone!
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].
Pronominal verbs only existing in the pronominal form
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 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.