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Learn about reciprocal verbs, which describe actions that people do to each other. Discover how to conjugate and use these verbs correctly in French.
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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?)
