LES VERBES
RÉCIPROQUES
• RECIPROCAL VERBS SAY WHAT PEOPLE
DO TO EACH OTHER.
• THEY LOOK AND ARE CONJUGATED LIKE
REFLEXIVE VERBS (WHAT PEOPLE DO TO
THEMSELVES).
• FOR EXAMPLE,
SE VOIR = TO SEE EACH OTHER
SE TÉLÉPHONER = TO PHONE EACH OTHER
TRADUISEZ:
WE FIGHT WITH EACH OTHER. (Se battre)
YOU ALL MEET EACH OTHER. (Se rencontrer)
THE GIRLS HUG EACH OTHER. (S’embrasser)
• SOLUTIONS:
NOUS NOUS BATTONS.
VOUS VOUS RENCONTREZ.
LES FILLES S’EMBRASSENT.
• IN THE PASSÉ COMPOSÉ, A FORM OF
ÊTRE IS USED AS THE HELPING VERB,
AS IS TRUE WITH REFLEXIVE VERBS.
• ILS SE SONT VUS
= THEY SAW EACH OTHER
• YOU HAVE LEARNED THAT PAST
PARTICIPLES WITH ÊTRE AGREE
(LIKE VUS AGREES WITH ILS BY
PUTTING –S ON THE END).
WELL, WITH RECIPROCAL VERBS, THIS
GETS A LITTLE TRICKY.
• IF THE RECIPROCAL PRONOUN OPERATES
AS A DIRECT OBJECT, THERE WILL STILL
BE AGREEMENT.
• ILS SE SONT VUS
= THEY SAW EACH OTHER.
SINCE “EACH OTHER” REPLIES DIRECTLY TO
THE QUESTION “Who did they see?”, THE
SE IS A DIRECT OBJECT AND THERE IS
AGREEMENT (VUS HAS AN –S).
• BUT, IF THE RECIPROCAL PRONOUN IS AN
INDIRECT OBJECT, THERE WILL NOT BE
AGREEMENT WITH THE PARTICIPLE.
• ELLES SE SONT PARLÉ
= THEY SPOKE TO EACH OTHER.
SINCE THE “SE” DOES NOT DIRECTLY RESPOND
TO “What did they speak?” (which could be
“français”, “smack”, or other things).
IT IS INDIRECT AND THERE IS NO AGREEMENT
(PARLÉ DOES NOT HAVE –ES TO AGREE WITH
ELLES).
• THIS ALSO EXPLAINS WHY YOU HAVE
JE ME SUIS BROSSÉ LES DENTS
WITH NO AGREEMENT, EVEN IF YOU’RE
FEMALE, SINCE YOUR TEETH ARE
WHAT YOU BRUSHED, NOT
YOURSELF.
• RECIPROCAL VERBS THAT HAVE INDIRECT
OBJECTS ARE GENERALLY SIGNALED BY
THE PREPOSITION À.
EVEN THOUGH THIS IS NOT ALWAYS SEEN
IN THE RECIPROCAL VERB, IT IS
UNDERSTOOD TO EXIST.
IL PARLE À SON AMIE.
ELLE PARLE À SON AMI.
 ILS SE PARLENT.
• HERE ARE RECIPROCAL VERBS THAT
TYPICALLY DO NOT HAVE
AGREEMENT IN PASSÉ COMPOSÉ
BECAUSE THE RECIPROCAL
PRONOUN IS INDIRECT (THE USE OF À
IS UNDERSTOOD):
• SE PARLER
S’ÉCRIRE
• SE TÉLÉPHONER
S’ENVOYER
• SE DONNER
• MOST OTHER RECIPROCAL VERBS
ARE NORMAL IN THAT THEIR
PRONOUNS ARE USED AS DIRECT
OBJECTS, AND SO THE PARTICIPLES
AGREE IN THE PASSÉ COMPOSÉ.
• SE VOIR
SE DISPUTER
• SE RENCONTRER
SE RECONCILIER
• S’EMBRASSER
etc.
• TRY THESE OUT:
• THE FRIENDS WROTE LETTERS TO
EACH OTHER.
• WE ARGUED AND MADE UP.
• DID YOU ALL GIVE GIFTS TO EACH
OTHER?
• SOLUTIONS:
• LES AMIS SE SONT ÉCRIT DES LETTRES.
• NOUS NOUS SOMMES DISPUTÉS, ET PUIS
NOUS NOUS SOMMES RECONCILIÉS.
• EST-CE QUE VOUS VOUS ÊTES DONNÉ DES
CADEAUX?
• (or, EST-CE QUE VOUS AVEZ ÉCHANGÉ DES
CADEAUX?)
BON COURAGE!