Past participle agreement of pronominal verbs

Past participle agreement of pronominal verbs means “Agreement of the participle in pronominal verbs”. Pronominal verbs form the passé composé with être, but the participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun only when that pronoun is the direct object: elle s'est lavée (agreement). Formation: sujet + être + participe passé (accord avec le pronom SI complément d'objet direct)

Agreement of the participle in pronominal verbs

B2

Formation

sujet + être + participe passé (accord avec le pronom SI complément d'objet direct)

Explanation

Pronominal verbs form the passé composé with être, but the participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun only when that pronoun is the direct object: elle s'est lavée (agreement). If a direct object follows the verb, the reflexive pronoun is indirect, so there is no agreement: elle s'est lavé les mains.

Examples

Elle s'est lavée avant de sortir.
She washed (herself) before going out.
Elle s'est lavé les mains.
She washed her hands.

FAQ

Past participle agreement of pronominal verbs — what does it mean and how is it used?

Agreement of the participle in pronominal verbs. Pronominal verbs form the passé composé with être, but the participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun only when that pronoun is the direct object: elle s'est lavée (agreement). If a direct object follows the verb, the reflexive pronoun is indirect, so there is no agreement: elle s'est lavé les mains.

Past participle agreement of pronominal verbs — how do you form it?

sujet + être + participe passé (accord avec le pronom SI complément d'objet direct)

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