Adding a reflexive pronoun (like me, te, or se) to a verb usually indicates doing an action to yourself. However, for some verbs, adding a reflexive pronoun completely changes the meaning.
Before we look at these changing verbs, here are some essential terms for surviving in the wild:
Using and Doing Without
The verb servir normally means "to serve." But as the pronominal se servir de, it means "to use."
Similarly, passer means "to pass." However, se passer de shifts entirely to "to do without" something.
Beginning an Action
The verb mettre means "to put." As se mettre à, followed by an infinitive, it means "to begin" or "to start."
Idioms with y and en
Some reflexive verbs lock in the pronouns y or en to create completely new expressions. These pronouns stay right before the verb, immediately following the reflexive pronoun (e.g., m'y, s'en).
The verb prendre means "to take," but s'y prendre means "to go about something" or "to manage."
Finally, tirer means "to pull," but s'en tirer means "to pull through" or "to survive."
