Reflexive verbs in the passé composé
When talking about routines and getting ready in the past tense, you will often use reflexive verbs (verbs where the subject acts upon itself, like se préparer).
The most important rule to remember: all reflexive verbs use être as their auxiliary verb in the passé composé.
To form the past tense, use: Subject + Reflexive Pronoun + être + Past Participle
| First, I got ready for an interview. | D'abord, je me suis préparé pour un entretien. |
| Did you get ready carefully this morning? | Tu t'es préparé soigneusement ce matin ? |
| Next, he did his hair carefully. | Ensuite, il s'est coiffé soigneusement. |
Agreement with the subject
Because these verbs use être, the past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number. You add an -e for feminine subjects, an -s for plural subjects, or -es for feminine plural.
| We introduced ourselves to the team. | Nous nous sommes présentés à l'équipe. |
| They prepared well to make a good impression. | Elles se sont bien préparées pour faire bonne impression. |
Making reflexive verbs negative
To make a reflexive verb negative in the passé composé, place ne (or n') and pas around the reflexive pronoun and the auxiliary verb together.
Structure: Subject + ne + Reflexive Pronoun + être + pas + Past Participle
| He did not dress carefully. | Il ne s'est pas habillé soigneusement. |
