Verbes pronominaux à sens passif

You know reflexive verbs like se laver. Usually, a person does an action to themselves. I wash myself. But here, the subject is a thing. Can a cake eat itself? No, that would be a scary movie. But in French, we say Le gâteau se mange. This means "The cake is eaten." The object of the action becomes the subject. The person doing the action disappears. It is like the action happens automatically. Think of it like a self-service machine. No one is helping. The machine just does its job. This pattern is perfect for general truths. It works for rules and habits too. It is simpler than the standard passive voice. You don't need the verb être all the time.

1. 1Start with your subject. This is usually a thing or an idea.
2. 2Add the reflexive pronoun se. Use s' before a vowel or a silent h.
3. 3Add your verb in the correct tense. The present tense is most common for A1.
4. 4Make sure the verb matches the subject. Use the third person singular or plural.
5. 5If you use the past tense, use être as the helper.
6. 6For the past tense, agree the participle with the subject. Add an e for feminine. Add an s for plural.
7. 7Example: Cette robe (subject) + se (pronoun) + porte (verb).
8. 8Result: Cette robe se porte avec des bottes.

Use this when the "who" doesn't matter.

• Use it for recipes. Le poulet se prépare avec du citron.
• Use it for shopping. Ces chaussures se vendent très bien.
• Use it for languages. Comment ça se dit en français ?
• Use it for general rules. Le vin rouge se boit à température ambiante.
• Use it for signs or directions. L'entrée se trouve derrière le bâtiment.

Think of it as the "Automatic Mode" of French. If something is a fact, use this pattern. It sounds less formal than the standard passive. It feels more like real conversation with friends. Yes, even native speakers use this constantly. It saves time and breath.

Don't use this if you want to name the person. If you say Le livre se lit par Marie, it sounds weird. Marie is not an automatic force! Just say Marie lit le livre.

• Avoid it for specific one-time actions with a known agent.
• Don't use it if the reflexive verb has a different meaning.
• Se trouver can mean "to be located." This is fine.
• But se demander means "to wonder." That is not passive.

Don't use it for people as the subject if it's confusing. L'homme se voit means "The man sees himself." It does not mean "The man is seen" in most cases. Keep it for objects and ideas. This avoids weird grammar traffic jams. Your brain will thank you later.

Many learners forget the se. They say Le vin boit frais. This sounds like the wine is at a party. It is drinking! Always add the se.

• Another mistake is the plural. If you have two cakes, use se mangent.
• Watch out for the past tense. Use s'est or se sont.
• Don't forget the agreement. La porte s'est ouverte. Need that extra e!
• Some people try to use me or te. Je me vends means "I sell myself." Avoid that at the market!
• Stick to se for things. It is safer and more common.
• Don't worry if you forget at first. Grammar is like a sport. You need practice to get it right.

You might know the on pronoun. On vend des fleurs ici. This is very similar. Both hide the person. But se feels more like a quality of the object. Ces fleurs se vendent ici. This means the flowers have the quality of being sold.

• The standard passive uses être. La porte est fermée. This is a state.
• La porte se ferme is the action. It is happening now.
• Think of être + adjective as a photo.
• Think of the passive pronominal as a video.

It shows the movement or the process. One describes how things are. The other describes how things work. Use se when you explain a process. It makes your French flow better.