Is it necessary to keep reflexive pronouns?

Murat B.C1Kwiziq community member

Is it necessary to keep reflexive pronouns?

Hi!

This kind of structure seemed a bit strange to me. When we say "Je me lave", it is like "I wash myself" and it's easy to compherend the existence of reflexive pronoun(me) there. But in this case; it's not easy.

So, my first question: Why do we double the pronouns?

Second question:

"Je les lave tous les jours." "Tu les brosses tous les soirs"

Are these sentences unacceptible or grammatically false?

Asked 4 years ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Murat, 

It is indeed a strange construction for English speakers -

se laver + partie du corps to wash (yourself) + part of the body 

for instance, you will say:

Q: Tu te laves les pieds tous les soirs avant de te coucher?   ---->

A: Oui, Je me les lave tous les soirs...

( Do you wash your feet every night before going to bed? ----> Yes, I wash them every night ...)

But if you are talking about washing your socks, for instance, you will say -

Q: Tu laves tes chaussettes tous les soirs avant de te coucher?   ---->

A: Oui, je les lave tous les soirs ...

So to answer your question you will have to add the reflexive pronouns for your answers to be correct.

Hope this helps!

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

You double the pronouns when it is reflexive:

Je me brosse les dents. -- I brush my teeth.
Tu te brosses les dents. -- You brush your teeth.
Il/elle/on se brosse les dents.
Nous nous brossons les dents.

(and so on)

Note that in English the verb "to brush" is not reflexive. Otherwise you'd be saying "I brush myself the teeth".

Je me brosse les dents. Je les brosse tous les matins. -- I brush my teeth. I brush them every morning.
Tu les brosses tous les soirs. -- You brush them every evening.

Yes, these sentences are also correct. Note that they are not reflexive.

Murat B.C1Kwiziq community member

Merci beaucoup!  I got the nuance :)

Is it necessary to keep reflexive pronouns?

Hi!

This kind of structure seemed a bit strange to me. When we say "Je me lave", it is like "I wash myself" and it's easy to compherend the existence of reflexive pronoun(me) there. But in this case; it's not easy.

So, my first question: Why do we double the pronouns?

Second question:

"Je les lave tous les jours." "Tu les brosses tous les soirs"

Are these sentences unacceptible or grammatically false?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Let me take a look at that...