Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Pronominal-verbs,-the-auxiliary-“être”-and-the-agreement-of-the-past-participle"
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<div | <div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/French/Grammar/Pronominal-Verbs|Pronominal verbs]], the [[Language/French/Grammar/Auxiliaries|auxiliary]] “être” and the [[Language/French/Grammar/Subject—Verb-Agreement|agreement]] of the [[Language/French/Grammar/Past-Participle|past participle]]</div> | ||
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__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
==Definitions== | ==Definitions== | ||
===Pronominal Verbs=== | ===Pronominal Verbs=== | ||
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. | 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. | ||
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*Toutes les étudiants se sont regardés. | *Toutes les étudiants se sont regardés. | ||
All the students looked at each other. | All the students looked at each other. | ||
==Pronominal verbs, “être” and the agreement of the past participle== | ==Pronominal verbs, “être” and the agreement of the past participle== | ||
Pronominal verbs are always conjugated with "to be" with [[Language/French/Grammar/Compound-Tenses|compound tenses]]. We need to know when the past participle is marked for agreement. | Pronominal verbs are always conjugated with "to be" with [[Language/French/Grammar/Compound-Tenses|compound tenses]]. We need to know when the past participle is marked for agreement. | ||
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For example: | For example: | ||
===[[Language/French/Grammar/Reflexive-and-reciprocal-verbs|Reflexive]] and Direct Object Pronoun=== | |||
===[[Language/French/Grammar/Reflexive-and-reciprocal-verbs|Reflexive]] and | |||
*Je (feminine) me suis lavée à l'eau froide | *Je (feminine) me suis lavée à l'eau froide | ||
<blockquote>I washed in cold water</blockquote> | <blockquote>I washed in cold water</blockquote> | ||
Line 48: | Line 42: | ||
<blockquote>Marianne hid in the cupboard</blockquote> | <blockquote>Marianne hid in the cupboard</blockquote> | ||
=== | ===Reciprocal and Direct Object Pronoun=== | ||
*Les deux | *Les deux amis se sont rencontrées à Marseille | ||
<blockquote>The two | <blockquote>The two friends met (each other) in Marseille</blockquote> | ||
* | *Vous vous êtes attendus les uns les autres avant d'entrer dans le théatre | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote>You waited for each other before entering the theater</blockquote> | ||
*Jean- | *Jean-Claude et Alfred se sont rencontrés à Nantes | ||
<blockquote>Jean- | <blockquote>Jean-Claude and Alfred met in Nantes</blockquote> | ||
* | *Marie et son frère se sont attendues à l'aéroport | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote>Marie and her brother waited for each other at the airport</blockquote> | ||
=== | ===The Pronoun is an integral part of the verb, is a direct object and has no detectable reflexive or reciprocal meaning=== | ||
*A la vue de | *A la vue de toute cette foule, elles sont parties en courant | ||
<blockquote>At the sight of | <blockquote>At the sight of all this crowd, they ran away</blockquote> | ||
*Ils se sont toujours repentis de | *Ils se sont toujours repentis de leurs péchés | ||
<blockquote>They always | <blockquote>They have always repented of their sins</blockquote> | ||
* | *Il s'est tu dès qu'ils a vu le président en personne | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote>He fell silent as soon as they saw the president in person</blockquote> | ||
This includes when the pronominal verb is used as a passive: | |||
*Les Iphones se sont vendus comme des petits pains | |||
<blockquote>Iphones sold like hot cakes</blockquote> | |||
However, the past participle does not agree in any case where the pronoun is an indirect object. For example : | |||
====(i)==== | |||
When the non-pronominal version of the verb has an indirect prepositional object (for example: "nuire à quelqu'un", "cacher quelque chose à quelqu'un", "écrire à quelqu'un") and then the "se" is seen as an indirect object: | |||
*Il s'est nui à lui-même en demandant cela | |||
<blockquote>He harmed himself by asking this</blockquote> | |||
*Cécile s'est caché la vérité en agissant ainsi | |||
<blockquote>Cécile hid the truth by doing this</blockquote> | |||
*Les participants à la conférence se sont ensuite écrit | |||
<blockquote>Conference participants then wrote to each other</blockquote> | |||
====(ii)==== | |||
When the pronoun is indirect and the direct object is a part of the body: | |||
*Je (feminine) me suis lavé les mains après être entré | |||
<blockquote>I washed my hands after entering</blockquote> | |||
*Elle s'est coupé le doigt en épluchant les légumes | |||
<blockquote>She cut her finger while peeling the vegetables</blockquote> | |||
*Pierre s'est cassé la jambe en tombant à cheval | |||
<blockquote>Peter broke his leg when he fell on a horse</blockquote> | |||
=====Note===== | |||
When the pronoun is an indirect object (and therefore the participle does not agree with it), the participle can nevertheless agree with a preceding direct object, as in the examples below: | |||
*Les deux montres qu'il s'est achetées sont cassées | |||
<blockquote>The two watches he bought for himself are broken</blockquote> | |||
*Combien de valises s'est-il achetées? | |||
<blockquote>How many watches did he buy?</blockquote> | |||
==Video: French Made Easy: Reflexive Verbs== | |||
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DybxlyAQrxo</youtube> | |||
==Other Chapters== | ==Other Chapters== | ||
{{French-Grammar-Course-Menu}} | {{French-Grammar-Course-Menu}} | ||
==Other Lessons== | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Present-Tense|Present Tense]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Reflexive-use-of-me,-te,-se,-nous,-vous|Reflexive use of me, te, se, nous, vous]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Position-of-object-pronouns-with-infinitives|Position of object pronouns with infinitives]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Position_of_more_than_one_object_pronoun_with_faire_etc._+_infinitive|Position of more than one object pronoun with faire etc. + infinitive]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Conditional-Mood-and-Future-Tense|Conditional Mood and Future Tense]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Ambiguity-of-reference-of-lui-and-leur|Ambiguity of reference of lui and leur]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Talk-about-Prices|Talk about Prices]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Subject-verb-agreement-—-Agreement-with-more-than-one-subject|Subject verb agreement — Agreement with more than one subject]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-the-definite-article-with-names-of-countries,-regions,-départements|Use of the definite article with names of countries, regions, départements]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Pronouns-referring-to-groups-of-mixed-gender|Pronouns referring to groups of mixed gender]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/ils-with-arbitrary-reference|ils with arbitrary reference]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Direct-object-quantifiers-and-«-en-»|Direct object quantifiers and « en »]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Marked-use-of-tu|Marked use of tu]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Adjectives-which-normally-follow-the-noun-but-can-also-precede,-without-significant-changes-in-meaning|Adjectives which normally follow the noun but can also precede, without significant changes in meaning]] | |||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Form-of-the-article-with-adjectives-and-nouns-beginning-with-a-vowel-or-an-h|Form of the article with adjectives and nouns beginning with a vowel or an h]] | |||
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Latest revision as of 14:00, 27 March 2023
[CHANGED]
Definitions[edit | edit source]
Pronominal Verbs[edit | edit source]
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.
Auxiliaries[edit | edit source]
There are only 2 auxiliaries in French: "avoir" or "être". As "avoir", "être" is used to form compound tenses for some verbs.
Compound Tenses[edit | edit source]
Conjugations for the different French verb tenses and moods can be divided into 2 categories:
- simple and compound.
Simple tenses and moods have only 1 part (e.g., "je mange") whereas compound tenses and moods have 2 (e.g., "j'ai mangé").
Direct Object Pronoun[edit | edit source]
A direct object pronoun is a word such as "me", "him", "us" and "them", which is used instead of the noun to stand in for the person or thing most directly affected by the action expressed by the verb.
Reflexive verb[edit | edit source]
A reflexive pronominal verb expresses an action that the subject does on himself:
- Tu te laves.
You wash yourself.
Reciprocal verb[edit | edit source]
The reciprocal pronominal verb expresses an action both accomplished and received by each of the actors in the action.
- Toutes les étudiants se sont regardés.
All the students looked at each other.
Pronominal verbs, “être” and the agreement of the past participle[edit | edit source]
Pronominal verbs are always conjugated with "to be" with compound tenses. We need to know when the past participle is marked for agreement.
While the past participle of non-pronominal verbs that take to always agree with the subject (elle est arrivée, nous sommes arrivés, elles sont arrivées), the participle of pronominal verbs only agrees with a direct object pronoun.
For example:
Reflexive and Direct Object Pronoun[edit | edit source]
- Je (feminine) me suis lavée à l'eau froide
I washed in cold water
- Elle était maladroite et s'était fréquemment blessée
She was clumsy and often injured herself
- Suzanne s'est très mal habillée
Suzanne dressed very badly
- Marianne s'est cachée dans l'armoire
Marianne hid in the cupboard
Reciprocal and Direct Object Pronoun[edit | edit source]
- Les deux amis se sont rencontrées à Marseille
The two friends met (each other) in Marseille
- Vous vous êtes attendus les uns les autres avant d'entrer dans le théatre
You waited for each other before entering the theater
- Jean-Claude et Alfred se sont rencontrés à Nantes
Jean-Claude and Alfred met in Nantes
- Marie et son frère se sont attendues à l'aéroport
Marie and her brother waited for each other at the airport
The Pronoun is an integral part of the verb, is a direct object and has no detectable reflexive or reciprocal meaning[edit | edit source]
- A la vue de toute cette foule, elles sont parties en courant
At the sight of all this crowd, they ran away
- Ils se sont toujours repentis de leurs péchés
They have always repented of their sins
- Il s'est tu dès qu'ils a vu le président en personne
He fell silent as soon as they saw the president in person
This includes when the pronominal verb is used as a passive:
- Les Iphones se sont vendus comme des petits pains
Iphones sold like hot cakes
However, the past participle does not agree in any case where the pronoun is an indirect object. For example :
(i)[edit | edit source]
When the non-pronominal version of the verb has an indirect prepositional object (for example: "nuire à quelqu'un", "cacher quelque chose à quelqu'un", "écrire à quelqu'un") and then the "se" is seen as an indirect object:
- Il s'est nui à lui-même en demandant cela
He harmed himself by asking this
- Cécile s'est caché la vérité en agissant ainsi
Cécile hid the truth by doing this
- Les participants à la conférence se sont ensuite écrit
Conference participants then wrote to each other
(ii)[edit | edit source]
When the pronoun is indirect and the direct object is a part of the body:
- Je (feminine) me suis lavé les mains après être entré
I washed my hands after entering
- Elle s'est coupé le doigt en épluchant les légumes
She cut her finger while peeling the vegetables
- Pierre s'est cassé la jambe en tombant à cheval
Peter broke his leg when he fell on a horse
Note[edit | edit source]
When the pronoun is an indirect object (and therefore the participle does not agree with it), the participle can nevertheless agree with a preceding direct object, as in the examples below:
- Les deux montres qu'il s'est achetées sont cassées
The two watches he bought for himself are broken
- Combien de valises s'est-il achetées?
How many watches did he buy?
Video: French Made Easy: Reflexive Verbs[edit | edit source]
Other Chapters[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Present Tense
- Reflexive use of me, te, se, nous, vous
- Position of object pronouns with infinitives
- Position of more than one object pronoun with faire etc. + infinitive
- Conditional Mood and Future Tense
- Ambiguity of reference of lui and leur
- Talk about Prices
- Subject verb agreement — Agreement with more than one subject
- Use of the definite article with names of countries, regions, départements
- Pronouns referring to groups of mixed gender
- ils with arbitrary reference
- Direct object quantifiers and « en »
- Marked use of tu
- Adjectives which normally follow the noun but can also precede, without significant changes in meaning
- Form of the article with adjectives and nouns beginning with a vowel or an h