Elle se fait sécher les cheveux avec un sèche-cheveux pendant qu’on parle de la réunion.

she

Breakdown of Elle se fait sécher les cheveux avec un sèche-cheveux pendant qu’on parle de la réunion.

• avec: with
• la réunion: the meeting
• on: we

Questions & Answers about Elle se fait sécher les cheveux avec un sèche-cheveux pendant qu’on parle de la réunion.

What does elle se fait sécher les cheveux mean literally, and how should I understand it?

Literally, it is something like she makes herself dry the hair, but that is not the natural English meaning.

The real idea is the causative structure faire + infinitive:

• faire sécher = to have something dried / to make something dry
• se faire sécher les cheveux = to have one’s hair dried / to get one’s hair dried

So the sentence suggests that she is having her hair dried, often by someone else, or at least that the focus is on the hair being dried rather than on her personally doing the action herself.

Why is there a se in elle se fait sécher les cheveux?

Here, se refers back to elle. It shows that the action is being done to her / for her benefit.

In this pattern:

• Elle se fait couper les cheveux = She is having her hair cut
• Il se fait masser = He is getting a massage
• Je me fais livrer un repas = I’m having a meal delivered

So se does not mean she is drying herself. It marks that she is the person affected by the action.

Why does French say les cheveux instead of ?