Breakdown of Dans la panique, elles se sont enfuies avec la cagoule.
être
to be
elles
they (feminine)
dans
in, inside
avec
with
s'enfuir
to flee (run away, escape)
la cagoule
the balaclava
la panique
the panic
Questions & Answers about Dans la panique, elles se sont enfuies avec la cagoule.
Why does enfuies have an -es at the end?
Because s'enfuir (to flee) is an essentially pronominal verb, meaning it only exists in its reflexive form. For these specific verbs, the past participle always agrees with the subject. Since the subject elles is feminine plural, we add -es to make enfuies.
Is there a non-reflexive version of this verb, like enfuir?
No, the verb enfuir does not exist on its own in modern French. That is exactly what makes s'enfuir essentially pronominal. Because it cannot exist without its reflexive pronoun, the agreement rules are simplified: the past participle just agrees with the subject.
Can I use the standard verb fuir instead to mean the same thing?
Yes, fuir also means to flee, but it is not reflexive. If you used it here, it would take the auxiliary avoir with no agreement: elles ont fui. S'enfuir strongly emphasizes the physical act of escaping from a place, whereas fuir can also be used figuratively (to avoid someone) or to describe a leak.
Why do we say dans la panique with the article la when English just says 'in a panic'?
French generally requires a definite article (le, la, les) before abstract nouns in prepositional phrases. While English drops the article for 'in panic' or uses the indefinite 'a' for 'in a panic', French uses la panique to refer to the general concept of panic.
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