Passé Composé with Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs (verbes pronominaux) are verbs that include a reflexive pronoun: se laver (to wash oneself), se lever (to get up), se souvenir (to remember). In the passé composé, all reflexive verbs use être as their auxiliary — never avoir.

This lesson covers how to conjugate reflexive verbs in the passé composé, the tricky agreement rules, and common pitfalls.

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Structure of Reflexive Verbs in the Passé Composé

Subject + reflexive pronoun + conjugated être + past participle

Full Conjugation: Se lever (to get up)

Person	Passé Composé	Translation
je	je me suis levé(e)	I got up
tu	tu t'es levé(e)	you got up
il	il s'est levé	he got up
elle	elle s'est levée	she got up
nous	nous nous sommes levé(e)s	we got up
vous	vous vous êtes levé(e)(s)	you got up
ils	ils se sont levés	they got up (m.)
elles	elles se sont levées	they got up (f.)

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The Reflexive Pronouns

Subject	Reflexive Pronoun
je	me (m')
tu	te (t')
il / elle / on	se (s')
nous	nous
vous	vous
ils / elles	se (s')

Before a vowel, me, te, se become m', t', s': je m'esuis, tu t'es, il s'est.

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Agreement Rules for Reflexive Verbs

This is the tricky part. Unlike regular être verbs (where the past participle always agrees with the subject), reflexive verbs follow a different rule:

The past participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun only when it functions as a direct object.

Case 1: Reflexive Pronoun IS the Direct Object — Agreement

When the subject performs the action on themselves (or each other) and there is no other direct object:

• Elle s'est lavée. — She washed herself. (se = direct object → agreement)
• Ils se sont rencontrés. — They met each other. (se = direct object → agreement)
• Elles se sont regardées. — They looked at each other. (se = direct object → agreement)
• Marie s'est habillée rapidement. — Marie got dressed quickly. (se = direct object → agreement)

Case 2: Reflexive Pronoun Is NOT the Direct Object — No Agreement

When there is another direct object in the sentence, the reflexive pronoun becomes an indirect object:

• Elle s'est lavé les mains. — She washed her hands. (les mains = DO, se = IO → no agreement)
• Ils se sont parlé. — They spoke to each other. (parler à → se = IO → no agreement)
• Elle s'est cassé la jambe. — She broke her leg. (la jambe = DO, se = IO → no agreement)
• Elles se sont écrit des lettres. — They wrote letters to each other. (écrire à → se = IO → no agreement)
• Elle s'est brossé les dents. — She brushed her teeth. (les dents = DO → no agreement)

The Test

Ask: "Whom/what did the subject verb?"

• If the answer is the reflexive pronoun (herself, himself, each other) → it is the direct object → agree.
• If the answer is something else (hands, teeth, letters) → the reflexive pronoun is indirect → no agreement.

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Verbs That Are Always Indirect — Never Agree

Some reflexive verbs inherently take an indirect object (à someone). The past participle never agrees with these: