Reflexive verbs — se lever, se sentir, se reposer
Regular -er verbs in the present tense · Ne … pas — making a sentence negative · Subject pronouns (je, tu, il...)
Some French verbs carry a pronoun that refers back to the subject. You have been using two since module 3 (se lever, se coucher) without naming them.
| je me lève | nous nous levons |
|---|---|
| tu te lèves | vous vous levez |
| il/elle se lève | ils/elles se lèvent |
The pronoun changes with the subject and sits before the verb. Before a vowel it elides: je m'appelle, il s'appelle.
Health is where these earn their keep: "Je me sens mal." — I feel unwell. "Vous vous sentez mieux ?" — Are you feeling better? "Il faut se reposer." — One must rest. (infinitive keeps se)
With an infinitive the pronoun still matches the subject, which is the part that catches people out: Je dois me reposer. — not se reposer.
To make it negative, ne … pas wraps the pronoun and the verb together: "Je ne me sens pas bien."
What this unlocks
Knowing the rule is not the same as producing it.
This page explains the pattern. The track drills it: the point arrives inside a mini-dialogue, then production marked against a CEFR descriptor, then a module test that returns you to your two weakest sessions if you miss it.