French Daily Routine

What Are Reflexive Verbs?

A reflexive verb is used when the subject does the action to itself, like washing or getting dressed. In French, these verbs need an extra little pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) right before the verb, matching the subject.

Conjugating SE LEVER (to get up)

The reflexive pronoun changes with each subject, and the verb lever also changes its middle vowel (e → è) for je, tu, il/elle and ils/elles.

Reflexive Verbs for Your Morning

Most of your morning routine uses reflexive verbs in French, even where English does not use "myself" at all.

• •se réveiller = to wake up
• •se doucher = to shower
• •se laver = to wash oneself
• •se brosser les dents = to brush one's teeth
• •s'habiller = to get dressed

Reflexive Verbs for Later in the Day

Two more reflexive verbs come in handy when you are rushing around or heading to bed.

• •se dépêcher = to hurry
• •se coucher = to go to bed

Telling Time of Day

Use le matin, l'après-midi, le soir and la nuit to say when something happens, and tôt / tard to say how early or late.

Frequency Words: Always to Never

These words tell you how often something happens, from 100% of the time down to 0%.

• •toujours = always (100%)
• •souvent = often
• •parfois = sometimes
• •rarement = rarely
• •jamais = never (0%)
• •tous les jours / chaque matin = every day / every morning

Where Frequency Words Go in a Sentence

Short frequency words like toujours, souvent, parfois and rarement usually go right after the conjugated verb, not at the start of the sentence like in English.

• •jamais needs ne before the verb: Je ne suis jamais fatiguée. = I am never tired.
• •tous les jours and chaque matin usually go at the start or end of the sentence instead.

Daily Activities That Are Not Reflexive

Not every part of your day uses a reflexive verb. These common activities are conjugated normally, with no extra pronoun.

• •prendre le petit-déjeuner = to have breakfast
• •aller à l'école = to go to school
• •faire mes devoirs = to do my homework
• •dîner = to have dinner
• •regarder la télévision = to watch TV

Building a Full Routine Sentence

A strong routine sentence combines a reflexive verb, a time, and often a frequency word, in that order.

• •Reflexive verb + time: Je me lève à sept heures.
• •Reflexive verb + frequency: Je me douche rapidement.
• •Full combination: Je me couche toujours vers neuf heures.

Common Mistakes

Reflexive verbs trip learners up in two main ways: forgetting the pronoun entirely, or using the wrong one for the subject.

• •✗ Je lève à sept heures. / ✓ Je me lève à sept heures. (never drop the pronoun)
• •✗ Je se lève. / ✓ Je me lève. (the pronoun must match je, not stay as se)
• •✗ Il se leve. / ✓ Il se lève. (don't forget the accent that changes the sound)
• •✗ Toujours je me couche tôt. / ✓ Je me couche toujours tôt. (toujours goes after the verb)