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Daily routine reflexive verbs

When you talk about your morning routine in English, you might say "I wake up, I shower, and I get dressed". The focus is just on the action. In French, however, everyday grooming and getting-ready actions almost always require a reflexive pronoun. You have to specify that you are waking yourself up, showering yourself, and dressing yourself.

These verbs are called pronominal verbs, and they are a massive part of daily French. Without the reflexive pronoun, the meaning changes completely, or the sentence simply becomes incorrect. Learning to pair these actions with me, te, se, nous, and vous is the key to talking about your day.

Word list
s'habillerA2 to get dressed je m'habille = I get dressed se brosser les dentsA2 to brush one's teeth je me brosse les dents = I brush my teeth se changerA2 to change je me change = I get changed se coucherA2 to go to bed je me couche = I go to bed se doucherA2 to shower je me douche = I shower se laver les dentsA2 to brush one's teeth je me lave les dents = I brush my teeth se laver les mainsA2 to wash one's hands il se lave les mains = he washes his hands se leverA2 to get up je me lève = I get up se raserA2 to shave il se rase = he shaves se reposerA2 to rest nous nous reposons = we rest se réveillerA2 to wake up je me réveille = I wake up s'allongerB1 to lie down je m'allonge = I lie down s'endormirB1 to fall asleep il s'endort = he falls asleep se coifferB1 to comb one's hair elle se coiffe = she does her hair se déshabillerB1 to undress je me déshabille = I get undressed se peignerB1 to comb one's hair elle se peigne = she combs her hair se peigner les cheveuxB1 to comb one's hair il se peigne les cheveux = he combs his hair se préparerB1 to get ready elle se prépare = she gets ready se maquillerB2 to make oneself up je me maquille = I put makeup on se moucherB2 to blow one's nose je me mouche = I blow my nose
Waking up and winding down

The cycle of a normal day starts and ends with reflexive verbs. Verbs like se réveiller, se lever, se coucher, s'endormir, and se reposer all describe actions you perform on yourself. The reflexive pronoun always matches the subject of the sentence.

Je me réveille à sept heures.
(I wake up at seven o'clock.)
Les enfants se couchent tôt.
(The children go to bed early.)
Nous nous reposons le week-end.
(We rest on the weekend.)
Getting ready and grooming

When you move to the bathroom or the bedroom to get ready, the reflexive pronouns follow you. Verbs like se doucher, se raser, se peigner, and se maquiller describe personal grooming. Similarly, putting on or taking off clothes uses s'habiller and se déshabiller. If you are just generally getting ready to go out, you can use se préparer.

Remember that if the verb starts with a vowel or a silent H, the pronouns me, te, and se contract to m', t', and s'.

Tu te douches rapidement.
(You take a shower quickly.)
Elle s'habille pour aller au bureau.
(She gets dressed to go to the office.)
Mon père se rase tous les matins.
(My father shaves every morning.)
Ils se préparent pour le voyage.
(They are getting ready for the trip.)
Body parts and the past tense

When washing or brushing a specific body part, French keeps the reflexive pronoun but uses the definite article (le, la, les) instead of words like "my" or "your". This happens with verbs like se brosser les dents and se laver les mains. Because the reflexive pronoun already shows whose body is involved, saying "my teeth" would be redundant.

Je me brosse les dents.
(I brush my teeth.)
Vous vous lavez les mains avant le repas.
(You wash your hands before the meal.)

Finally, there is a strict rule for the past tense. When you put any reflexive verb into the passé composé, you must use être as the helping verb, never avoir.

Il s'est levé très tard.
(He got up very late.)
Nous nous sommes endormis devant la télévision.
(We fell asleep in front of the television.)
Summary

If an action involves personal grooming, getting dressed, or transitioning between sleep and wakefulness, expect it to be a reflexive verb in French. Always include the matching reflexive pronoun, and remember to use être when talking about your routine in the past tense.