Breakdown of Parfois, elle se trompe et répond à une ancienne annonce.
elle
she
et
and
à
to
répondre
to answer, to reply
Questions & Answers about Parfois, elle se trompe et répond à une ancienne annonce.
Why is it se trompe and not just trompe?
Se tromper is a reflexive verb in French and it means “to be mistaken / to make a mistake / to get something wrong.”
- Elle trompe quelqu’un = She is cheating on / deceiving someone. (direct object)
- Elle se trompe = She is wrong / She makes a mistake. (reflexive: she “mistakes herself”)
So if you want the meaning “she makes a mistake,” you must use the reflexive form: se tromper.
What is the function of se in elle se trompe?
Se is the reflexive pronoun for elle (and also for il and on).
It shows that the subject is acting on itself. Grammatically:
- Subject: elle
- Reflexive pronoun: se
- Verb: trompe
Together: elle se trompe = she is mistaken / she makes a mistake.
You must conjugate the verb and keep the reflexive pronoun:
- Je me trompe
- Tu te trompes
- Il / Elle / On se trompe
- Nous nous trompons
- Vous vous trompez
- Ils / Elles se trompent