Grammar: Pronouns - Personal and

Reflexive
Section: Personal Pronouns
 Personal pronouns in French replace previously mentioned nouns to avoid
repetition.
 The ones to revise include je (I), tu (you -
singular), il/elle (he/she), nous (we), vous (you - formal or plural), ils/elles (they -
masculine/feminine).
 These pronouns change depending on where they appear in relation to the verb. For
example, “Me, I am a student” is “Moi, je suis étudiant” in French.
 The pronouns je, tu, il, elle become me, te, le, la respectively when used before a
verb, as in “he sees me” which translates to “il me voit”.
Section: Reflexive Pronouns
 Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs where the action is carried out by
the subject and received by the subject.
 For example, in “I wash myself,” both the verb ‘wash’ and pronoun ‘myself’ refer
back to the subject. In French it is translated as “Je me lave”.
 The reflexive pronouns to revise include me (myself), te (yourself -
singular), se (himself/herself/itself), nous (ourselves), vous (yourself - formal or
plural/yourselves), and se (themselves).
 Remember, much like other pronouns, reflexive pronouns must agree in gender and
number with the subject they are related to. For example, ‘They wash themselves’ is
translated as “Ils se lavent”.
 It is also worth noting the reflexive pronouns come before the verb in French. For
example, ‘I wake up’ is translated as “Je me réveille”.
Note
 Personal and reflexive pronouns are essential to form more complex sentences in
French without sounding repetitive. Practise using them in different contexts and
structures to gain confidence using them.