Se - French Pronoun
Se is one of the most often misused French pronouns. It is the third person singular and plural reflexive pronoun, and can only be used in two kinds of constructions:
| 1. | With a pronominal verb | ||
| Elle se lave. | She's washing up (washing herself). | ||
| Ils se sont habillés. | They got dressed (dressed themselves). | ||
| Elles se parlent. | They're talking to each other. | ||
| 2. | In a passive impersonal construction | ||
| Cela ne se dit pas. | That isn't said. | ||
| L'alcool ne se vend pas ici. | Alcohol isn't sold here. | ||
| For some reason, many French learners get confused between se and the direct object le. They are not interchangeable: | |||
| Il se lave. | He's washing (himself). | Se is the reflexive pronoun | |
| Il le lave. | He's washing it (the dog, the knife, etc.) | Le is the direct object | |
| S'est-il lavé le visage ? | Il se le lave maintenant. - He's washing it now. | Se and le work together | |
| Note that se may be the direct or indirect object of a French sentence. | |||
| Ils se voient. | They see each other. | Se means each other = direct object. | |
| Il se lave le visage. | He's washing his face. (Literally: He's washing the face of himself). | Se means of himself = indirect object. Visage is the direct object. | |
| French Pronouns Grammar Glossary |
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