Look at these reflexive verbs in Imparfait:

Je me levais à 6 heures tous les matins.
I got up at 6 every morning.

Tu te lavais?
Were you having a wash?

Elle s'amusait avec lui.
She used to have fun with him.

Nous nous habillions à 6 heures et demie.
We dressed up at half past 6.

Ils se couchaient avant 10 heures.
They used to go to bed before 10.

Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures?
Did you use to wake up at 5?

To form Imparfait with reflexive verbs, it is exactly as in Présent indicatif but with the verb endings of Imparfait : (-ais/-ais/-ait/-ions/-iez/-aient)

Note: For verbs beginning with a vowel (amuser) or a silent 'h' (habiller), me/te/se become m'/t'/s'

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures?
Did you use to wake up at 5?

Ils se couchaient avant 10 heures.
They used to go to bed before 10.

Nous nous habillions à 6 heures et demie.
We dressed up at half past 6.

Elle s'amusait avec lui.
She used to have fun with him.

Je me levais à 6 heures tous les matins.
I got up at 6 every morning.

Tu te lavais?
Were you having a wash?

Q&A Forum 4 questions, 10 answers

FionaB2

Hello Cécile, with this lesson on imparfait, I still do not understand. I am still struggling with this little phrase 'se'

Asked 7 months ago

Like0Answer2

CécileKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

Hi Fiona,

If I have understood your question correctly the part you are struggling with is the extra pronoun 'se' which are pertinent to reflexive verbs ...

Take a look at the following lesson on reflexive verbs in the present tense -

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/conjugate-reflexive-verb-se-lever-in-le-present-present-tense

This should show you how the additional 'se' figures with the following pronouns, il/elle/on/ils/elles .

Then you should be able to tackle reflexive verbs using the imperfect.

Hope this helps!

Like07 months ago

FionaB2

Merci Cécile.

Like07 months ago

fiona asked:View original

Hello Cécile, with this lesson on imparfait, I still do not understand. I am still struggling with this little phrase 'se'

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NigelA2

Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures? Did you use to wake up at 5?

Is "Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures?" more conversational (given that it relies on inflection and punctuation) than "Vous reveilliez vous a 5 heures?" Is the latter still correct, if so, when would you use it rather than the former?

Asked 5 years ago

Like0Answer4

ChrisC1

French adhers to a pretty strict word order. That said, I don't believe you can say, "Vous réveilliez vous...". It is always "Vous vous réveilliez..." -- Chris (not a native speaker).

Like05 years ago

CécileKwiziq language super star

Both are correct Nigel but in general the French find the inversion more formal and don't use it as much in spoken French...hope this helps .

Like05 years ago

NigelA2

Cecile, OK, many thanks!! Does your response apply to simpler verb constructions as well, or primarily only the reflexive constructions? For example, is "Allez vous au cinema ce soir?" less likely to be heard than "Vous allez au cinema ce soir?" When might you choose to use/write the inversion rather than the direct form? Is there a lesson on the topic? Many thanks !!

Like05 years ago

ChrisC1

Question to Cécile? Would the inverted form need a hyphen between the werb and the personal pronoun? As in: Vous réveillez-vous à 6 heures. Or is the hyphen only used in commands and questions? -- Chris.

Like05 years ago

Nigel asked:View original

Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures? Did you use to wake up at 5?

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NigelA2

Nous nous habillions

Nous nous habillions à 6 heures et demie. We dressed up at half past 6. In English "dressing up" is closer to se costumer or se deguiser, I think. S'habiller is closer to "dressing"

Asked 5 years ago

Like0Answer2

CécileKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

Hi Nigel,

I would have translated,

Nous nous habillions à...

We got dressed at...

and indeed to dress up is se déguiser.

Will let Kwiziq know.

Like02 years ago

JimC1

As I understand it habiller means "to dress in" or "to dress up". S'habiller means to get dressed in the sense of putting one's clothes on. So to take your text "Nous nous habillions ......" this means to dress one's self not to dress up. Have I understood your query correctly? Hope this helps Alan

Like04 years ago

Nigel asked:View original

Nous nous habillions

Nous nous habillions à 6 heures et demie. We dressed up at half past 6. In English "dressing up" is closer to se costumer or se deguiser, I think. S'habiller is closer to "dressing"

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DaveB1

Tu te lavais ?

Tu te lavais ?.....can this also be read as "you used to wash yourself?"? Thanks in advance for any help.

Asked 6 years ago

Like0Answer2

ChrisC1Correct answer

Depending on context, yes. It could also mean "you were washing yourself". Using the imparfait in French can be a bit tricky because the temporal structure in the English language is somewhat different. I found the corresponding lessons quite helpful.

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Like06 years ago

AurélieKwiziq language super star

Here are the (useful!) corresponding lessons on how to use L'Imparfait :

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/l-imparfait-usage-expressing-continuing-action-in-the-past-imperfect-tense

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/l-imparfait-usage-expressing-habits-or-repeated-actions-in-the-past-imperfect-tense

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/l-imparfait-usage-describing-and-expressing-opinions-in-the-past-imperfect-tense

Bonne journée !

Like06 years ago

dave asked:View original

Tu te lavais ?

Tu te lavais ?.....can this also be read as "you used to wash yourself?"? Thanks in advance for any help.

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Conjugate reflexive verbs in L'Imparfait (imperfect tense)

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Imparfait

Pronom réfléchi

Reflexive verbs

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Q&A Forum 4 questions, 10 answers

Hello Cécile, with this lesson on imparfait, I still do not understand. I am still struggling with this little phrase 'se'

Hello Cécile, with this lesson on imparfait, I still do not understand. I am still struggling with this little phrase 'se'

Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures? Did you use to wake up at 5?

Vous vous réveilliez à 5 heures? Did you use to wake up at 5?

Nous nous habillions

Nous nous habillions

Tu te lavais ?

Tu te lavais ?

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