The Reflexive Verbs/ Reciprocal Verbs

The reflexive verb.

In a reflexive verb the action if the verb falls on the subject, which means that the subject
and the (reflexive) pronoun are one and the same.
Example: I wash myself - je me lave
               She wakes up at ten o'clock - elle se réveille à dix heures
Note: Notice that "to wake up" is not reflexive in English; you must realize that many more verbs are
          reflexive in French than in English. You might, almost, say that anything that happens to your
             own body is reflexive in French.
          A reflexive verb can always be recognized by the reflexive pronoun "se" in front of the infinitve
          (se laver, se lever, se maquiller, se coucher, se doucher.....)

Let me run through a reflexive verb in the present tense and in the passé composé:

se laver - to wash oneself

So, you see that the reflexive pronouns are: me, te, se nous, vous, se -- and notice that the past
participle does agree with the subject (actually, it agrees with the reflexive pronoun, which
in this case is a direct object) .

There is (of course) one exception of the rule and
that is when there is direct object (besides the reflecive verb)present in the sentence --
then there is NO agreement.
Example Marianne s'est lavé les mains (notice NO agreement).
( French teachers, French natives and wise AP students: yes, I know, there is
one more nasty rule but I'll take care of that in due time: I am referring to the case as in:
Marianna se les est lavées).

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The Reciprocal Verbs
(C'est Ça, ScottForesman, © 1993)

The reflexive pronouns nous, vous and se can be used to express the idea of people doing things
to of for each other or sharing the same feelings about each other.
This is called reciprocal action.
Note: each other (reciprocal) is not the same as "ourselves, themselves, yourself(-ves."

Examples:
   1. Ils s'écrivent souvent ---------They write each other often.
   2. Nous nous détestons --------We dislike each other
   3. Vous vous connaissez?-------Do you know each other?

When using the reciprocal verb in a compound tense (passé composé, plus-que- parfait, etc.)
make the usual agreement of the past participle (see exampes 1 an 2 below) if the pronoun
is the direct object. With verbs that require à before an object, the reciprocal acts as an indirect object and
there would be no agreement (see exampels 3 and 4 below).
Some of these verbs are: aider, dire, parler, téléphoner, demander, écrire, offir and conseiller.

Exampels:
   1. Nous nous sommes aidéss -- We helped each other.
   2. Elles se sont regardées     -- They looked at each other.

However:
    3. Nous nous sommes téléphoné --  We phoned each other.
    4. Elles se sont posé des questions -- They asked each other questions.