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French bathroom routine verbs: 24 recall cards

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Practise 24 French getting-ready phrases with je, from washing your face to drying your hair. Flip recall cards and identify four bathroom objects.

In short

Keep the pronoun in routine phrases such as je me lave and je m’habille. With a body part, French commonly uses the definite article: je me lave le visage, je me brosse les dents. Other routine actions use a direct object: je ferme le robinet.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

These twenty-four cards give complete first-person chunks rather than isolated infinitives. Learn the action with its small words, especially me, m’, le and les. The groups follow a possible sequence through the bathroom; choose the actions that belong to your own routine when you practise a longer description.

The whole deck

All 24 cards, with an example each

Start getting ready

  • je me réveilleI wake upJe me réveille avant mon frère.
  • je me lèveI get upJe me lève après cinq minutes.
  • j’allume la lumièreI switch on the lightJ’allume la lumière dans le couloir.
  • je vais à la salle de bainsI go to the bathroomJe vais à la salle de bains avec ma serviette.
  • je me regarde dans le miroirI look at myself in the mirrorJe me regarde dans le miroir avant de sortir.
  • je prends une doucheI have a showerJe prends une douche après le sport.
  • je me lave le visageI wash my faceJe me lave le visage avec de l’eau.
  • je me lave les mainsI wash my handsJe me lave les mains avant le petit déjeuner.

Brush and put things away

  • je prends ma brosse à dentsI pick up my toothbrushJe prends ma brosse à dents dans le gobelet.
  • je mets du dentifriceI put on toothpasteJe mets du dentifrice sur ma brosse.
  • je me brosse les dentsI brush my teethJe me brosse les dents devant le miroir.
  • je me rince la boucheI rinse my mouthJe me rince la bouche avec de l’eau.
  • je rince ma brosse à dentsI rinse my toothbrushJe rince ma brosse à dents après le brossage.
  • je ferme le robinetI turn off the tapJe ferme le robinet quand j’ai fini.
  • j’essuie le lavaboI wipe the washbasinJ’essuie le lavabo avec un chiffon.
  • je range ma brosse à dentsI put away my toothbrushJe range ma brosse à dents dans le gobelet.

Finish the routine

  • je me sècheI dry myselfJe me sèche avec une grande serviette.
  • je me sèche les cheveuxI dry my hairJe me sèche les cheveux avant de sortir.
  • je me coiffeI do my hairJe me coiffe devant le miroir.
  • je me raseI shaveJe me rase le matin.
  • je m’habilleI get dressedJe m’habille après la douche.
  • je mets mes lunettesI put on my glassesJe mets mes lunettes pour lire le message.
  • je range ma servietteI put away my towelJe range ma serviette sur son crochet.
  • je sors de la salle de bainsI leave the bathroomJe sors de la salle de bains à sept heures.

Objects named in the routine

Why les dents rather than mes dents?

In Je me brosse les dents, me already connects the action to the speaker. The body part therefore takes les in this common construction. The same pattern appears in je me lave les mains and je me sèche les cheveux. For a separate object you own, a possessive is natural: je prends ma brosse à dents, je range ma serviette.

Look at the verb phrase you actually need

A bathroom routine is not made entirely of reflexive verbs. Je prends une douche uses prendre plus a direct object. Je ferme le robinet uses fermer. The reflexive phrase je me douche expresses having a shower too, but it has a different structure. Learn each card as written rather than inserting me into every action.

Question 1No account needed
Which phrase uses the common body-part construction?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je me brosse les dents.. Me belongs before the verb, and les dents is the body-part phrase in this routine expression.

Question 2No account needed
Which object can you use in “Je me sèche avec…”?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Une serviette. A serviette is a towel, the object used to dry yourself.

Question 3No account needed
Which phrase correctly keeps the elision in getting dressed?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je m’habille.. Me becomes m’ before the vowel sound beginning habille.

For active recall, turn an English card into a complete French sentence, then add one time or place. Je me coiffe can become Je me coiffe devant le miroir. Je m’habille can become Je m’habille à sept heures. The added detail should fit the action while the pronoun and verb stay together.

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