What is a Pronominal Verb: Definition, Types, and Examples 

Pronominal verbs are the type of verbs that are always used with a reflexive pronoun, and generally reflect action that is being done by the subject to itself or another subject. These verbs are very common in both French and Spanish, and they come in three main types, reflexive, reciprocal, and idiomatic. In this blog, you will learn what pronominal verbs are, what pronominal verbs are in French and Spanish, the three main types and how to use them correctly with easy examples and clear explanations.

What are Pronominal Verbs in English?

Pronominal verbs are used with reflexive pronouns like myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. These verbs show that the subject and the object are the same person. In other words, the person doing the action is also receiving the action.

For Example,

1. I prepared myself for the exam.

2. She blamed herself for the mistake.

In the example above, I prepared myself for the exam, the action of preparing is done by me and also received by me. The word myself shows that I am both doing and receiving the action. This makes the verb prepared a pronominal verb because it comes with a reflexive pronoun.

Similarly, in the second example, She blamed herself for the mistake, She is doing the blaming and also receiving it. The word herself shows this. So, blamed is a pronominal verb here because it uses a reflexive pronoun to show the action comes back to the subject.

Also Read: Verb Cheat Sheet: Types of Verbs Explained in Detail (Download PDF)

What are Pronominal Verbs in French and Spanish?

A pronominal verb in French and Spanish is a verb that shows the subject doing an action to itself. In other words, these verbs always use reflexive pronouns like yourself or themselves. The reflexive pronoun changes depending on who is doing the action, so it always matches the subject.

Examples:

French Pronominal Verb

1. Se laver (to wash oneself)

Example: Je me lave les mains. (I wash my hands.)

Explanation: In French, the verb se laver means to wash oneself. So when you say Je me lave, it means I wash myself. Here, me is the reflexive pronoun that matches Je (I). In French, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the verb.

Spanish Pronominal Verb

2. Vestirse (to get dressed)

Example: Yo me visto antes de desayunar. (I get dressed before having breakfast.)

Explanation: In Spanish, the verb vestirse means to get dressed. So when you say Yo me visto, it means I get dressed myself. Here, me is the reflexive pronoun that matches yo (I). In Spanish, the reflexive pronoun is added to the end of the verb in the infinitive form.

Explore: Types of Verbs: Definition, Examples, Verb Conjugation

Types of Pronominal Verb

Pronominal verbs are divided mainly into three types, based on their meaning and how the reflexive pronoun is used.

1. Reflexive Pronominal Verbs

Reflexive pronominal verbs are used when the person doing the action is also receiving it.

In simple words, the subject does something to themselves.

Example:

1. Elle s’est habillée pour la fête. (French) 

2. Ella se vistió para la fiesta. (Spanish)

(She dressed herself for the party.)

In the above examples, ‘She’ is both the one dressing and the one being dressed.

2. Reciprocal Pronominal Verbs

While reflexive verbs involve just one subject, reciprocal verbs involve two or more people doing the same action to each other. So instead of the action going in one direction, it goes back and forth between the subjects.

Example:

1.Ils se sont embrassés chaleureusement. (French)

2. Ellos se abrazaron con cariño. (Spanish)

(They hugged each other warmly.)

Here, both people are giving and receiving the hug.

3. Idiomatic Pronominal Verbs

Idiomatic pronominal verbs use reflexive pronouns, but their meaning are not what they look like. You cannot always figure them out by translating the parts of the verb word by word. Instead, these verbs often act like expressions or idioms, where the reflexive pronoun doesn’t directly reflect doing something to oneself.

Example: 

In French, the verb se souvenir means to remember. Even though se is a reflexive pronoun (which usually suggests doing something to yourself), so souvenir doesn’t mean to remember yourself. It is an idiomatic expression that simply means to remember.

In Spanish, the verb acordarse also means to remember. It appears reflexive because of the se at the end, but it does not mean to remind yourself. Like the French example, it is idiomatic and means to remember.

Pronominal Verbs List 

Check out the list of commonly used pronominal verbs below.

Conjugating Pronominal Verbs

Conjugating pronominal verbs means changing the form of a verb along with its reflexive pronoun to match the subject of the sentence. The process involves two important steps.

• Use the correct reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) depending on the subject.
• Conjugate the verb as you normally would, based on the subject and tense.

Subject	Reflexive Pronoun	Verb Conjugation	Example
Je	me	lave	Je me lave.
Tu	te	laves	Tu te laves.
Il / Elle / On	se	lave	Il se lave.
Nous	nous	lavons	Nous nous lavons.
Vous	vous	lavez	Vous vous lavez.
Ils / Elles	se	lavent	Ils se lavent.

Explore: Verb Forms v1 v2 v3 v4 v5: Meaning, Examples and 50 Word List

How to Use Pronominal Verbs Correctly in Sentences?

The following are the useful steps that one must follow to use pronominal verbs correctly in a sentence:

1. Identify who is doing the action to use the pronominal verb correctly in sentences. This person or group is called the subject, such as I, you, he, she, we, or they.

2. Next, choose the reflexive pronoun that matches the subject. For example, use me with I (je), te with you (tu), and se with he or she (il, elle).

3. Conjugate the verb so it agrees with the subject and the tense you want to use, like present or past.

4. Do not forget to place the reflexive pronoun just before the verb in French sentences. For example, say Je me lave to mean I wash myself.

5. When making a negative sentence in the pronominal verb, place ne before the reflexive pronoun and pas after the verb. For example, Je ne me lave pas means I do not wash myself.

6. In commands or instructions, place the reflexive pronoun after the verb, connected with a hyphen. For example, Lave-toi! means Wash yourself.

7. Last but not least, always make sure the reflexive pronoun and the verb match the subject in person and number.

10 Examples of Pronominal Verb in Sentences

Let us understand what a Pronominal Verb is with a list of 10 simple examples.

1. She washed herself after playing outside.

2. I taught myself how to play the piano.

3. They helped themselves to some snacks.

4. He hurt himself while climbing the tree.

5. We prepared ourselves for the test.

6. You should behave yourself in class.

7. The cat cleaned itself after eating.

8. She blamed herself for the mistake.

9. They introduced themselves to the new teacher.

10. I reminded myself to finish my homework.

Difference Between Pronominal Verb and Reflexive Verb

Pronominal verbs and reflexive verbs are often seen as similar because both use reflexive pronouns like myself, yourself, and himself. These pronouns show that the subject and the object are linked; however, there is an important difference:

Point of Difference	Pronominal Verb	Reflexive Verb
Definition	Pronominal verbs are a broader group of verbs that include reflexive verbs but also other types of verbs used with pronouns.	Reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject performs an action on itself. This means the subject and the object are the same person or thing.
Use of Pronouns	Pronominal verbs also use reflexive pronouns, but these pronouns can express different ideas, such as actions done to each other or special meanings within the verb itself.	Reflexive verbs use reflexive pronouns like myself, yourself, himself, herself, and so on. These pronouns always reflect back to the subject.
Who performs the Action?	In pronominal verbs, the action may be reflexive, reciprocal, idiomatic, or unique to the verb. Example: I remember.	In reflexive verbs, the action performed by the subject returns directly to the subject. Example: I wash myself.

Now that you understand what pronominal verbs are and how they function differently in French, Spanish, and English, using them will become much easier. Remember to match the correct reflexive pronoun and focus on the meaning behind the action. With regular practice, you will soon use pronominal verbs correctly and confidently in your everyday conversations and writing.

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