The Fascinating World of Pronominal Verbs
Ces verbes qui changent de sens à la forme pronominale
Have you ever said « Je me suis trompé » to apologize and been understood? Perfect. But if you had said « J’ai trompé » thinking it meant “I was mistaken,” you probably received a shocked look… Because that actually means “I cheated (on someone).”
You’ve just experienced the fascinating power of pronominal verbs. That little word me or se isn’t just a particle, it can completely transform a verb’s action and meaning. Mastering these verbs allows you to speak French more naturally and precisely.
Forêt vierge au soleil couchant, Henri Rousseau
Here are 10 useful verbs whose meaning changes in their pronominal form. Learning these will help you avoid common mistakes and speak more fluently:
Rendre (to give back) vs Se rendre (to surrender, to go to)
Je vais rendre ce livre à la bibliothèque.
L’armée s’est rendue sans combattre. / Je me rends au travail à 8h.
Passer (to pass/spend) vs Se passer (to happen)
Je passe une excellente semaine.
Il s’est passé quelque chose d’étrange.
Trouver (to find) vs Se trouver (to be located)
J’ai trouvé mes clés !
La boulangerie se trouve juste à côté.
Servir (to serve) vs Se servir de (to use)
Le garçon sert le café.
Je me sers de mon téléphone pour naviguer.
Plaindre (to pity) vs Se plaindre (to complain)
Je plains les personnes dans cette situation.
Il se plaint toujours du temps.
Tromper (to deceive/cheat on) vs Se tromper (to be mistaken)
Il a trompé sa femme.
Désolé, je me suis trompé de numéro.
Occuper (to occupy/employ) vs S’occuper de (to take care of)
Son travail l’occupe à plein temps.
Peux-tu t’occuper des enfants ?
Mettre (to put) vs Se mettre à (to start doing)
Il met le livre sur la table.
Soudain, il s’est mis à pleuvoir.
Entendre (to hear) vs S’entendre (to get along)
J’entends un bruit étrange.
Ils s’entendent très bien ensemble.
Attendre (to wait for) vs S’attendre à (to expect)
J’attends le bus.
Je m’attends à une réponse de sa part.
Useful Expressions with y
Some pronominal verbs are often used with y in everyday French:
S’y mettre = to get started
Je m’y mets.
I get started!
S’y prendre = to go about doing something
Il ne sait pas comment s’y prendre.
He doesn’t know how to go about it.
S’y attendre = to expect something
Je ne m’y attendais pas !
I didn’t expect it!
S’y retrouver = to make sense of / to find one’s way
On ne s’y retrouve plus avec toutes ces règles.
We can’t make sense of it anymore.
S’y faire = to get used to something
C’est dur au début, mais on finit par s’y faire.
It’s hard at first, but you eventually get used to it.
Useful Expressions with en
These are very common in spoken French and help you sound natural:
S’en faire = to worry / to be anxious
Ne t’en fais pas, tout ira bien.
Don’t worry, everything will be fine.
S’en aller = to leave / to go away
Il s’en va demain matin.
He’s leaving tomorrow morning.
S’en sortir = to manage / to cope
Elle a eu des difficultés, mais elle s’en est sortie.
She had difficulties, but she managed to get through it.
S’en ficher / s’en foutre (⚠️ vulgaire) = not to care (familiar / colloquial)
Je m’en fiche ! / Je m’en fou !
I don’t care !
These expressions with y and en are extremely common in French. Learning them will help you sound more natural and fluent in conversations.
Feeling lost? Don’t worry! I’m currently working on a full guide called “Tout ce que vous devez savoir sur les verbes pronominaux”, which will cover all these verbs, their usage, and provide plenty of practical exercises for learners at every level. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s finished!
If you want access to all the resources, you can subscribe to my premium content.
Or, if you just want to support me in a fun way, you can buy me a croissant! 🥐Every little bit helps me keep creating helpful French content for you!
À bientôt !
Timo.
Bravo, Timo
Très utile, Timo!