A1 Past Tense 13 min read Medium

No Agreement: Pronominal Verbs with Objects After

Skip the extra 'e' or 's' when a specific object follows your reflexive verb in the past.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When a pronominal verb is followed by a direct object, the past participle does not agree with the subject.

  • Normally, reflexive verbs agree with the subject: Elle s'est lavée (She washed herself).
  • If a direct object follows the verb, stop the agreement: Elle s'est lavé les mains (She washed her hands).
  • The direct object 'les mains' comes after the verb, so the participle 'lavé' stays masculine singular.
Subject + S' + Être + Participle (no agreement) + Direct Object

Overview

Mastering the passé composé with pronominal verbs is a fundamental step in your French journey. You may have already learned the basic rule: because they use être as an auxiliary verb, their past participles must agree in gender and number with the subject. For instance, elle s'est levée (she got up).

However, French grammar contains a crucial exception that often challenges learners: when a pronominal verb is followed by a direct object, the past participle does not agree.

This guide provides a definitive explanation of this rule. We'll explore why the agreement disappears, how to identify the pattern, and how to use it correctly in real-world situations. Understanding this concept is not just about memorizing an exception; it's about grasping the underlying logic of how French verbs interact with their objects.

The core principle is that the action of the verb is directed at the object, not reflexively back onto the subject. For example, in Elle s'est lavé les mains (She washed her hands), the action of washing is performed on les mains, and this changes everything.

Conjugation Table

Subject Auxiliary & Pronoun Past Participle (Invariable) Direct Object Full Sentence Example Analysis
:--- :--- :--- :--- :--- :---
Je me suis brossé les dents Je me suis brossé les dents. brossé is masculine singular.
Tu t'es brossé les dents Tu t'es brossé les dents. brossé is masculine singular.
Il / On s'est brossé les dents Il s'est brossé les dents. brossé is masculine singular.
Elle s'est brossé les dents Elle s'est brossé les dents. No agreement. brossé does not become brossée.
Nous nous sommes brossé les dents Nous nous sommes brossé les dents. No agreement. brossé does not become brossés.
Vous vous êtes brossé les dents Vous vous êtes brossé les dents. No agreement. brossé does not become brossés or brossées.
Ils se sont brossé les dents Ils se sont brossé les dents. No agreement. brossé does not become brossés.
Elles se sont brossé les dents Elles se sont brossé les dents. No agreement. brossé does not become brossées.

How This Grammar Works

To understand why the agreement vanishes, you need to look at the roles the words play in the sentence. French grammar is very precise about the relationship between a verb, its subject, and its objects.
First, let's review the standard pronominal verb pattern. In a sentence like Elle s'est habillée (She got dressed), the reflexive pronoun s' (representing elle) is the direct object of the verb habiller. Who did she dress?
Herself (s'). The general rule for all compound tenses in French states that the past participle agrees with the direct object if that object comes before the verb. Here, s' comes before habillée, so the participle agrees with s' (which is feminine singular), giving habillée.
Now, let's introduce our exception. Consider the sentence: Elle s'est acheté une robe. (She bought herself a robe). A new noun, une robe, has appeared.
Ask the question to find the direct object: She bought what? une robe. Suddenly, une robe is the direct object (COD).
The action of buying is directed at the robe.
So, what is the job of the reflexive pronoun s' now? It has been demoted to an indirect object (COI). It answers the question "To whom?" or "For whom?" did she buy a robe? For herself (s'). The sentence's underlying structure is equivalent to Elle a acheté une robe à elle-même.
This is the critical insight: the sentence now behaves according to the agreement rules for the auxiliary avoir, not être. The rule for avoir is that the past participle only agrees with a preceding direct object. Since the direct object (une robe) comes after the verb acheté, there is no agreement.
The past participle remains in its default masculine singular form.
Here’s a summary of the logic:
  1. 1Standard Case: Elles se sont lavées. (se = direct object, comes before the verb -> agreement).
  2. 2Exception Case: Elles se sont lavé les mains. (les mains = direct object, comes after the verb -> no agreement). The se here is an indirect object (they washed the hands for themselves).

Formation Pattern

1
To reliably apply this rule, you can use a simple, two-step decision process whenever you encounter a pronominal verb in the passé composé.
2
Step 1: Identify the verb and look for a noun immediately following it.
3
Scan the sentence. Do you see a structure like [Subject] [reflexive pronoun] [être] [past participle] [NOUN]? The key is the noun (or noun phrase) directly after the participle.
4
Elle s'est coupé les cheveux. -> Yes, the noun phrase les cheveux follows the participle coupé.
5
Nous nous sommes promenés dans le parc. -> No, dans le parc is a prepositional phrase indicating location, not a noun receiving the action.
6
Step 2: Test if the following noun is a Direct Object (COD).
7
Ask the question [Subject] [verb] quoi? (what?) or qui? (who?). If the noun you identified in Step 1 answers this question, it is a direct object.
8
Sentence: Ils se sont acheté des livres.
9
Test: Ils ont acheté quoi? -> des livres.
10
Result: des livres is the COD. The rule applies.
11
Applying the Rule:
12
If you find a COD after the participle, the participle does not agree. It stays masculine singular.
13
Elle s'est cassé la jambe. (cassé is invariable because la jambe is the COD).
14
If you do not find a COD after the participle, the participle must agree with the subject (because the reflexive pronoun is the COD).
15
Elle s'est cassée. (Here, she herself broke/collapsed. s' is the COD, so cassée agrees with Elle.)
16
This flowchart can help you decide:
17
| Condition | Action |
18
|:---|:---|
19
| Is there a noun directly after the past participle that answers quoi or qui? | YES -> NO AGREEMENT. The participle remains masculine singular. |
20
| Is there NO noun directly after the past participle? | NO -> AGREEMENT. The participle agrees with the gender and number of the subject. |

When To Use It

This structure is not an obscure corner of grammar; you'll encounter it daily. It most frequently appears in a few key contexts.
  1. 1Actions Involving Body Parts: This is the most common scenario. When talking about doing something to one's own body, French uses a pronominal verb and a definite article (le, la, les), not a possessive adjective (mon, ma, mes). The me, te, se already indicates possession.
  • Je me suis brossé les dents. (I brushed my teeth.)
  • Elle s'est cassé le bras. (She broke her arm.)
  • Ils se sont lavé les mains. (They washed their hands.)
  1. 1Buying or Getting Something for Oneself: Verbs like s'acheter (to buy oneself), s'offrir (to offer oneself, to treat oneself to), and se procurer (to obtain for oneself) follow this pattern.
  • Nous nous sommes acheté une nouvelle télé. (We bought ourselves a new TV.)
  • Pour son anniversaire, elle s'est offert un voyage. (For her birthday, she treated herself to a trip.)
  1. 1Setting Goals or Making Promises: Verbs like se fixer (to set for oneself) and se promettre (to promise oneself) are also common examples.
  • L'équipe s'est fixé un objectif clair. (The team set a clear objective for itself.)
  • Je me suis promis de faire plus de sport. (I promised myself to exercise more.)
  1. 1Reciprocal Actions with an Object: When two or more people do something to each other that involves an object, the same logic applies.
  • Ils se sont donné des cadeaux. (They gave each other gifts.) The COD is des cadeaux, so donné is invariable.
  • Elles se sont écrit des lettres. (They wrote letters to each other.) The COD is des lettres, so écrit is invariable.

Common Mistakes

Being aware of the common pitfalls can help you avoid them. Here are the most frequent errors learners make with this rule.
  • Mistake 1: Forgetting the Exception and Making Agreement Anyway.
This is the #1 error. You see a feminine or plural subject with être, and your brain defaults to agreement.
  • Incorrect: Elle s'est lavée les mains.
  • Why it's wrong: The learner correctly identifies the subject (Elle) and the auxiliary (être) but misses the significance of the direct object (les mains) that follows. The presence of les mains blocks the agreement.
  • Mistake 2: Using Possessive Adjectives with Body Parts.
An English speaker's habit. You're used to saying "my hands," so you translate it literally.
  • Incorrect: Je me suis brossé ~~mes~~ dents.
  • Why it's wrong: In this pronominal structure, the reflexive pronoun me already establishes possession. The correct phrasing is Je me suis brossé les dents. Using both me and mes is redundant.
  • Mistake 3: Confusing Direct Objects (COD) with Indirect Objects (COI).
This rule applies only when a direct object follows. Some verbs naturally take an indirect object using a preposition like à or de, which does not affect agreement.
  • Example verb: se parler (to talk to oneself/each other). We say parler à quelqu'un.
  • Correct agreement: Elles se sont parlé. (They talked to each other.) Here, se is the COI (parler à elles-mêmes). Since there is no COD, some grammarians argue there is nothing for the participle to agree with, so it remains invariable. This specific case of reciprocal verbs can be complex, but for now, remember that se parler, se téléphoner, s'écrire usually have an invariable participle.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

To truly master this rule, you must be able to distinguish it from similar-looking structures. The key is always to find the direct object.
| Pattern | Example | Agreement? | Why? |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Pronominal verb + NO direct object | Elle s'est réveillée. (She woke up.) | Yes (réveillée) | The reflexive pronoun s' is the direct object (She woke whom? Herself) and it comes before the verb. |
| Pronominal verb + direct object AFTER | Elle s'est lavé le visage. (She washed her face.) | No (lavé) | The direct object is le visage, which comes after the verb. The pronoun s' is an indirect object. |
| Standard être verb (non-pronominal) | Elle est tombée. (She fell.) | Yes (tombée) | This is a standard verb of motion using être. The participle always agrees with the subject with these verbs. |
| Pronominal verb + PRECEDING direct object (Advanced) | La tarte qu'ils se sont partagée. (The pie that they shared.) | Yes (partagée) | The direct object La tarte (introduced by que) comes before the verb. This forces agreement, even though se is a COI. You will focus on this in B1/B2 levels.
|
Comparing the first two rows is most important for you right now. Elle s'est réveillée (agreement) vs. Elle s'est lavé le visage (no agreement). The only difference is the presence of the COD le visage.

Real Conversations

Textbook examples are clean, but French in the wild is faster and more fluid. Here’s how you'll see this pattern used in modern, everyday contexts.

- On a group chat:

- Person A: J'ai trop mangé hier soir. (I ate too much last night.)

- Person B: Moi aussi ! On s'est fait une raclette... (Me too! We made ourselves a raclette...)

- Analysis: On s'est fait une raclette. No agreement on fait because the COD is une raclette. The informal on is used for nous.

- Over the phone:

- Tu t'es coupé les cheveux ? C'est sympa ! (You cut your hair? It's nice!)

- Analysis: Tu t'es coupé les cheveux. The COD les cheveux prevents agreement, regardless of who tu refers to (male or female).

- An informal work email:

- Salut l'équipe, on s'est fixé de nouveaux KPIs pour le T3. Voir la pièce jointe. (Hi team, we've set ourselves new KPIs for Q3. See attachment.)

- Analysis: on s'est fixé de nouveaux KPIs. de nouveaux KPIs is the direct object, so fixé is invariable.

Progressive Practice

1

Work through these exercises to build your confidence. The answers are provided below.

2

Part 1: Identify the Direct Object

3

For each sentence, state the direct object (COD) if one follows the verb. If not, write "None."

4

Elle s'est habillée rapidement.

5

Nous nous sommes acheté des billets de concert.

6

Je me suis souvenu de ton adresse.

7

Les enfants se sont brossé les dents.

Part 2: Choose the Correct Form

Select the correct past participle.

8

Ma mère s'est (fait / faite) un café.

9

Les deux sœurs se sont (retrouvé / retrouvées) au parc.

10

Vous vous êtes (lavé / lavés / lavées) les mains, les filles ?

11

Il s'est (cassé / cassée) la jambe en skiant.

Part 3: Complete the Sentence

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the past participle in parentheses.

12

Hier, elles se sont ____________ (donner) des conseils.

13

Je me suis ____________ (réveiller) à 7h ce matin. (Said by a woman)

14

Nous nous sommes ____________ (dire) la vérité.

---

Answers

Part 1: 1. None. 2. des billets de concert. 3. None (de ton adresse is an indirect object phrase). 4. les dents.

Part 2: 5. fait. 6. retrouvées (no COD follows). 7. lavé. 8. cassé.

Part 3: 9. donné. 10. réveillée. 11. dit.

Quick FAQ

  • Q: So should I just stop making pronominal verbs agree?
  • A: Absolutely not. The default rule is still agreement. You only stop the agreement when you can spot a direct object noun phrase immediately following the verb. Think of it as a specific exception, not a new default.
  • Q: Why is this rule so complicated? It seems illogical.
  • A: The logic is actually quite consistent, though different from English. The French past participle is sensitive to the location of its direct object. The rule Elle s'est lavé les mains follows the exact same underlying principle as J'ai mangé la pomme (no agreement because COD is after) and La pomme que j'ai mangée (agreement because COD is before). This pronominal structure is just one application of that universal logic.
  • Q: Does this rule apply to verbs like s'enfuir (to run away) or se méfier de (to be wary of)?
  • A: No. This pattern is for verbs that can take a direct object. Verbs that are inherently pronominal (s'enfuir) or that require a preposition (se méfier de) don't have a separate direct object that can appear after them. Therefore, their participles always agree with the subject as per the basic rule: Elle s'est enfuie, Ils se sont méfiés du chien.
  • Q: Is this rule the same in other compound tenses, like the plus-que-parfait?
  • A: Yes, the logic is identical for all compound tenses. The auxiliary verb changes, but the agreement rule does not. For example: Elle s'était lavé les mains avant de manger. (She had washed her hands before eating.) The participle lavé remains invariable, just as it does in the passé composé.

Passé Composé of Pronominal Verbs (with Direct Object)

Subject Pronoun Auxiliary Participle Object
Je
me suis
lavé
les mains
Tu
t'es
lavé
les mains
Il/Elle
s'est
lavé
les mains
Nous
nous sommes
lavé
les mains
Vous
vous êtes
lavé
les mains
Ils/Elles
se sont
lavé
les mains

Meanings

This rule dictates that when a pronominal verb in the passé composé is followed by a direct object, the past participle remains invariable.

1

Body parts

Used when describing actions done to one's own body parts.

“Elle s'est lavé les mains.”

“Il s'est cassé la jambe.”

2

Possessions

Used when the reflexive action affects an object belonging to the subject.

“Elle s'est acheté une voiture.”

“Ils se sont offert un cadeau.”

Reference Table

Reference table for No Agreement: Pronominal Verbs with Objects After
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
S + Pron + Être + Part + DO
Elle s'est lavé les mains.
Negative
S + ne + Pron + Être + pas + Part + DO
Elle ne s'est pas lavé les mains.
Question
Pron + Être + S + Part + DO
S'est-elle lavé les mains ?
Short Answer
Oui/Non + S + Pron + Être + (pas) + Part + DO
Oui, elle s'est lavé les mains.
Plural
Ils + se sont + Part + DO
Ils se sont lavé les mains.
Invariable
Participle stays masculine singular
lavé (not lavés)

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Elle s'est lavé les mains.

Elle s'est lavé les mains. (Daily routine)

Neutral
Elle s'est lavé les mains.

Elle s'est lavé les mains. (Daily routine)

Informal
Elle s'est lavé les mains.

Elle s'est lavé les mains. (Daily routine)

Slang
Elle s'est lavé les mimines.

Elle s'est lavé les mimines. (Daily routine)

Agreement Decision Tree

Reflexive Verb

Direct Object

  • After verb No agreement

Direct Object

  • None Agree with subject
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Examples by Level

1

Je me suis lavé les mains.

I washed my hands.

2

Elle s'est acheté un livre.

She bought herself a book.

3

Il s'est cassé le bras.

He broke his arm.

4

Nous nous sommes préparé un café.

We made ourselves a coffee.

1

Ils se sont brossé les dents.

They brushed their teeth.

2

Elle s'est coupé les cheveux.

She cut her hair.

3

Tu t'es offert un cadeau ?

Did you treat yourself to a gift?

4

Elle s'est fait une tasse de thé.

She made herself a cup of tea.

1

Elle s'est imaginé une vie meilleure.

She imagined a better life for herself.

2

Ils se sont construit une maison.

They built themselves a house.

3

Elle s'est posé une question difficile.

She asked herself a difficult question.

4

Nous nous sommes promis une récompense.

We promised ourselves a reward.

1

Elle s'est vu refuser l'accès.

She saw herself refused access.

2

Ils se sont laissé convaincre par lui.

They let themselves be convinced by him.

3

Elle s'est rendu compte de son erreur.

She realized her mistake.

4

Ils se sont dit des choses terribles.

They said terrible things to each other.

1

Elle s'est vu offrir un poste.

She was offered a position.

2

Ils se sont laissé emporter par la foule.

They let themselves be carried away by the crowd.

3

Elle s'est fait entendre par le jury.

She made herself heard by the jury.

4

Ils se sont senti pousser des ailes.

They felt wings growing.

1

Elle s'est cru permis de tout dire.

She thought she was allowed to say everything.

2

Ils se sont laissé aller à la mélancolie.

They gave themselves over to melancholy.

3

Elle s'est fait violence pour réussir.

She forced herself to succeed.

4

Ils se sont vu attribuer le prix.

They were awarded the prize.

Easily Confused

No Agreement: Pronominal Verbs with Objects After vs Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive

Learners confuse 'Elle s'est lavée' (no object) with 'Elle s'est lavé les mains' (object).

No Agreement: Pronominal Verbs with Objects After vs Agreement with COD

Learners think all past participles with 'être' agree.

No Agreement: Pronominal Verbs with Objects After vs Reciprocal verbs

Learners treat 'Ils se sont parlé' (indirect) as direct.

Common Mistakes

✗

Elle s'est lavée les mains.

✓

Elle s'est lavé les mains.

Added 'e' to participle when direct object follows.
✗

Ils se sont lavés les mains.

✓

Ils se sont lavé les mains.

Added 's' to participle when direct object follows.
✗

Elle s'est achetée un vélo.

✓

Elle s'est acheté un vélo.

Added 'e' to participle.
✗

Ils se sont cassés le bras.

✓

Ils se sont cassé le bras.

Added 's' to participle.
✗

Elle s'est brossée les dents.

✓

Elle s'est brossé les dents.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Ils se sont offerts des cadeaux.

✓

Ils se sont offert des cadeaux.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Elle s'est coupée le doigt.

✓

Elle s'est coupé le doigt.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Elle s'est imaginée une solution.

✓

Elle s'est imaginé une solution.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Ils se sont construits une cabane.

✓

Ils se sont construit une cabane.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Elle s'est posée une question.

✓

Elle s'est posé une question.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Elle s'est vue offrir un poste.

✓

Elle s'est vu offrir un poste.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Ils se sont laissés emporter.

✓

Ils se sont laissé emporter.

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Elle s'est fait violence.

✓

Elle s'est fait violence.

Incorrect agreement.

Sentence Patterns

Je me suis ___ ___.

Elle s'est ___ ___.

Ils se sont ___ ___.

Nous nous sommes ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Texting very common

Je me suis cassé le pied !

Job Interview common

Je me suis acheté un nouveau costume.

Social Media common

Je me suis fait un nouveau look.

Travel occasional

Je me suis offert un hôtel de luxe.

Food Delivery common

Je me suis commandé une pizza.

Doctor's Visit common

Je me suis coupé le doigt en cuisinant.

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💡

Check for the object

Always look for a noun after the verb. If it's there, no agreement!
⚠️

Don't over-agree

Just because the subject is feminine, don't add an 'e' if there is an object.
🎯

Body parts are key

Most reflexive verbs with objects involve body parts or personal items.
💬

Native usage

Natives sometimes make this mistake, but you should aim for accuracy!

Smart Tips

Check for a noun after the verb.

Elle s'est lavée les mains. → Elle s'est lavé les mains.

Double-check your agreement rules.

Ils se sont achetés des cadeaux. → Ils se sont offert des cadeaux.

Remember the body part is the object.

Il s'est cassée la jambe. → Il s'est cassé la jambe.

No agreement for purchases.

Elle s'est achetée une robe. → Elle s'est acheté une robe.

Pronunciation

lavé /lav-ay/

Invariable Participle

The participle sounds the same regardless of agreement.

Declarative

Elle s'est lavé les mains. ↘

Falling intonation for statements.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Object after? Stop the letter! If a noun follows the verb, the participle stays frozen.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant 'STOP' sign between the verb and the object. The participle is a statue that refuses to move or change.

Rhyme

If the object is in sight, keep the participle light!

Story

Sophie was getting ready. She washed her face (Elle s'est lavé le visage). Because 'le visage' was there, she didn't add an 'e'. She felt proud of her grammar.

Word Web

lavéachetécassébrosséoffertfait

Challenge

Write 5 sentences about your morning routine using reflexive verbs and body parts.

Cultural Notes

This rule is strictly enforced in formal writing and exams.

Similar usage, though informal speech might drop the reflexive pronoun entirely.

Follows standard French rules closely.

The rule stems from the evolution of the Latin reflexive pronoun and the development of the passé composé.

Conversation Starters

“

Qu'est-ce que tu t'es acheté récemment ?

“

T'es-tu déjà cassé quelque chose ?

“

Qu'est-ce que tu t'es préparé pour le dîner ?

“

Te souviens-tu d'une fois où tu t'es fait une frayeur ?

Journal Prompts

Describe your morning routine in 5 sentences.
Write about a time you bought something special for yourself.
Describe a minor accident you had.
Reflect on a goal you set for yourself.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the correct participle form.

Elle s'est ___ (laver) les mains.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lavé
Direct object 'les mains' follows.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est acheté un livre.
No agreement with direct object 'un livre'.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ils se sont cassés le bras.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ils se sont cassé le bras.
No agreement with direct object.
Transform to negative. Sentence Transformation

Elle s'est lavé les mains.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle ne s'est pas lavé les mains.
Standard negative placement.
Match the verb to the object. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: les mains, une voiture, le bras
Logical pairings.
Order the words. Sentence Building

mains / lavé / s'est / elle / les

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est lavé les mains.
Correct word order.
Select the correct form. Multiple Choice

Ils se sont ___ (brosser) les dents.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: brossé
No agreement.
Fill in the blank.

Nous nous sommes ___ (préparer) un café.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: préparé
No agreement.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the correct participle form.

Elle s'est ___ (laver) les mains.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lavé
Direct object 'les mains' follows.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est acheté un livre.
No agreement with direct object 'un livre'.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ils se sont cassés le bras.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ils se sont cassé le bras.
No agreement with direct object.
Transform to negative. Sentence Transformation

Elle s'est lavé les mains.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle ne s'est pas lavé les mains.
Standard negative placement.
Match the verb to the object. Match Pairs

Match: se laver, s'acheter, se casser

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: les mains, une voiture, le bras
Logical pairings.
Order the words. Sentence Building

mains / lavé / s'est / elle / les

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est lavé les mains.
Correct word order.
Select the correct form. Multiple Choice

Ils se sont ___ (brosser) les dents.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: brossé
No agreement.
Fill in the blank.

Nous nous sommes ___ (préparer) un café.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: préparé
No agreement.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank. Fill in the Blank

Marie s'est ___ (brosser) les dents.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: brossé
Correct the mistake. Error Correction

Nous nous sommes brossés les cheveux.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nous nous sommes brossé les cheveux.
Reorder the words to make a correct sentence. Sentence Reorder

est / lavé / s' / Elle / visage / le

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est lavé le visage
Translate to French. Translation

They (fem.) bought themselves some dresses.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elles se sont acheté des robes.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Pick the right one:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est cassé la jambe.
Match the start to the end. Match Pairs

Match the subject/verb to the object:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle s'est lavé | les mains
Fill in the blank. Fill in the Blank

Tu t'es ___ (faire) mal au pied ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fait
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Jeanne et Claire se sont envoyées des messages.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jeanne et Claire se sont envoyé des messages.
Which one is right for 'We washed our faces'? Multiple Choice

Select the correct French translation:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nous nous sommes lavé le visage.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

coupé / Je / me / suis / doigt / le

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je me suis coupé le doigt

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

Because the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object, not a direct one.

Yes, if a direct object follows the verb.

Yes, if they are followed by a direct object.

Then you agree with the subject.

Sometimes, but it's a standard rule in schools.

Yes, it is required.

If the direct object pronoun is before the verb, you agree.

Use the 'Stop' sign mnemonic.

Scaffolded Practice

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Me he lavado las manos.

Spanish participles never agree in this context.

German moderate

Ich habe mir die Hände gewaschen.

German uses dative case for the reflexive pronoun.

Japanese low

手 を 洗った (Te o aratta).

No reflexive pronoun system.

Arabic low

غسلت يدي (Ghasaltu yadayya).

No reflexive pronoun.

Chinese low

我洗了手 (Wǒ xǐle shǒu).

No conjugation.

Italian high

Mi sono lavato le mani.

Italian agreement rules are slightly more flexible.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Matching Reflexive Verbs in the Past (Accord avec sujet)
Next
French Past Participle Agreement with Reflexive Verbs

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