What are the three types of pronominal verbs in French?
Pronominal verbs can be reflexive, as in English (e.g. se regarder(dans le miroir) = to watch oneself (in the mirror). They can also be reciprocal or inherently pronominal. An example of a reciprocal verb is s’aider (to help one another). An inherently pronominal verb is one that does not exist without a reflexive pronoun (e.g. se moquer de quelqu’un = to laugh at someone; moquer does not exist on its own) or that has a different meaning when the reflexive pronoun is omitted (e.g. se douter de quelque chose = to be or become aware of something, douter de quelque chose = to have doubts about something). There are no inherently pronominal verbs in English; it is even quite usual for a reflexive pronoun not to be translated when a French verb is either reflexive (e.g. se réveiller = to wake up) or reciprocal (e.g. se rencontrer = to meet).
