Une journée ordinaire
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be beginning to:
- Use a small set of regular pronominal (reflexive) verbs to describe routine actions.
- Match the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nous, and vous to supplied subjects.
- Recognize and reuse selected supported formulas with se lever and se réveiller.
- Ask and tell the time using supplied models.
- Sequence three or four routine actions using d'abord, ensuite, puis, and enfin.
- Form basic ne...pas sentences around a reflexive pronoun and its verb.
- Complete a short, supported daily routine card with reference tables available.
Communication Scenario
Amina and Léa are texting each other about their mornings before class. Amina wants to know when Léa wakes up, gets ready, and leaves for school, and Léa asks the same about Amina. This chapter continues Unit II by moving from describing a home to describing what happens inside it every day.
- This chapter introduces regular pronominal verbs in the present tense, a small number of supported routine formulas, telling time, sequencing expressions, and basic negation with ne...pas. It does not introduce the near future, the past tense, or any negative structure beyond ne...pas.
- Vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1–6, including il y a, the contractions, and the household vocabulary, remain active and should be recycled wherever natural.
Core Vocabulary: Daily Routines and the Clock
The vocabulary below is divided into productive verbs, which you are expected to conjugate and use independently, and supported formulas, which you may reuse in fixed form without yet analyzing their internal changes.
| Infinitive | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| se laver | to wash (oneself) | regular -er pattern |
| se doucher | to shower | regular -er pattern |
| s'habiller | to get dressed | elided s' before a vowel sound |
| se préparer | to get ready | regular -er pattern |
| se coucher | to go to bed | regular -er pattern |
| French | English | Status |
|---|---|---|
| je me réveille | I wake up | supported singular formula |
| tu te réveilles | you wake up | supported singular formula |
| il / elle se réveille | he / she wakes up | supported singular formula |
| je me lève | I get up | supported singular formula |
| tu te lèves | you get up | supported singular formula |
| il / elle se lève | he / she gets up | supported singular formula |
| je prends le petit-déjeuner | I have breakfast | fixed supported expression |
| tu prends le petit-déjeuner | you have breakfast | fixed supported expression |
| il / elle prend le petit-déjeuner | he / she has breakfast | fixed supported expression |
| se brosser les dents | to brush one's teeth | supported / receptive |
| se reposer | to rest | supported |
You are not asked to build the complete nous, vous, or ils/elles forms of se lever or se réveiller in this chapter. Their full spelling-change patterns are developed later.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| quitter la maison | to leave the house |
| arriver à l'école / au travail | to arrive at school / at work |
| rentrer | to go home / come back |
| dîner | to have dinner |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il est une heure. | It is one o'clock. |
| Il est deux heures. | It is two o'clock. |
| Il est sept heures et demie. | It is seven thirty. |
| Il est huit heures et quart. | It is eight fifteen. |
| Il est neuf heures moins le quart. | It is a quarter to nine. |
| à ... heure(s) | at ... o'clock |
| le matin / l'après-midi / le soir | in the morning / afternoon / evening |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| d'abord | first |
| ensuite | next, then |
| puis | then |
| enfin | finally |
| tous les jours | every day |
Receptive only at this stage: au travail and avant, both supplied in the listening passage. The 24-hour clock convention used on official schedules (for example, 14h30) is also receptive and will become productive when you read transportation schedules in a later chapter.
Pronunciation: Reflexive Pronouns
The reflexive pronouns me, te, and se elide to m', t', and s' before a verb beginning with a vowel sound, as in je m'habille, tu t'habilles, and elle s'habille. The elision belongs to the reflexive pronoun, not to any other word in the sentence.
In nous nous lavons and vous vous lavez, pronounce the two pronouns clearly as separate words. There is no liaison between them, because the second pronoun begins with a consonant sound (/n/ and /v/).
Practice clear rhythm in short groups such as je me lave, tu te couches, nous nous lavons, and vous vous préparez, keeping each pronoun distinct.
You have already learned genuine liaison in vowel-initial expressions such as vous êtes, vous avez, and nous avons. There is no liaison between the subject pronoun and the reflexive pronoun in nous nous lavons or vous vous lavez, because the reflexive pronoun begins with a consonant sound.
Language Focus: Pronominal Verbs, Time, and Negation
Purpose: narrate a sequence of daily actions with a small set of regular pronominal verbs, state when they happen, and say what does not happen.
7.1 Pronominal verbs in the present tense
A pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject. Some pronominal verbs describe an action directed toward the subject, such as se laver ("to wash oneself"). Others are conventional pronominal expressions used for routines or changes of state, such as se lever and se réveiller. In both cases, the reflexive pronoun is a required part of the verb and is placed immediately before the conjugated form.
| Subject | Reflexive pronoun | Complete form |
|---|---|---|
| je | me | je me lave |
| tu | te | tu te laves |
| il / elle / on | se | il / elle / on se lave |
| nous | nous | nous nous lavons |
| vous | vous | vous vous lavez |
| ils / elles | se | ils / elles se lavent |
Other productive verbs in this chapter — se doucher, s'habiller, se préparer, and se coucher — follow this same regular pattern: the reflexive pronoun plus the ordinary -er ending you already know.
- Je me lave le matin. I wash up in the morning.
- Nous nous préparons vite. We get ready quickly.
- Elle s'habille. She gets dressed. (elision: se → s')
Some common routine verbs have changes inside the verb form itself. For now, learn je me lève, tu te lèves, je me réveille, and tu te réveilles as supported routine formulas. Their full spelling-change patterns will be developed later in the course.
7.2 Telling time
7.3 Sequencing a routine
Use d'abord, ensuite, puis, and enfin at the beginning of a sentence or clause to organize a narrated routine into a clear order, the same way "first," "next," and "finally" work in English.
- D'abord, je me lave. Ensuite, je m'habille. First, I wash up. Next, I get dressed.
7.4 Negation with pronominal verbs
By contrast, before a vowel-initial non-pronominal verb, ne elides directly: Je n'habite pas ici. ("I don't live here.") Do not produce forms such as je n'm'habille pas, tu n't'habilles pas, or elle n's'habille pas; ne never elides before a reflexive pronoun.
This chapter uses only ne...pas. Other negative expressions are introduced later in the course and are not required here.
Model Dialogue: Ma journée
Context: Amina and Léa text each other about their morning routines before class.
Je me réveille, tu te réveilles, je me lève, and tu te lèves are supported routine formulas in this dialogue, not evidence of a fully taught spelling-change paradigm.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly.
Supported vocabulary in this script: au travail (at work) and avant (before).
- At what time does Karim wake up?
- What three actions does he do next?
- At what time does he arrive at work?
- What does he do in the evening?
- What negative statement does Karim make?
Speaking Practice
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice: conjugate the regular verb
Complete each sentence with the correct present-tense form, using the regular productive paradigm:
- Je ______ à sept heures. (se laver)
- Nous ______ le matin. (se préparer)
- Vous ______ à dix heures. (se coucher)
Then answer these fixed questions using the supported formulas: Tu te réveilles à quelle heure ? and Tu te lèves tôt ?
Tâche communicative — Communicative task: compare your mornings
With a partner, describe two or three routine actions, one time, two sequencing words, and one simple ne...pas sentence about your own morning. Reference tables may be consulted throughout.
Pratique individuelle — Solo alternative
Using the frame below, fill in each line about your own day.
- Le matin, je me réveille à...
- D'abord, je...
- Ensuite, je...
- Je ne... pas...
- Enfin, je me couche à...
Reading Practice
La journée de Fatou — Fatou's day
Fatou habite dans un appartement à Dakar. Le matin, elle se réveille à six heures et quart. D'abord, elle se lève. Ensuite, elle se lave. Puis, elle s'habille. Elle prend le petit-déjeuner à sept heures avec sa famille. Elle quitte la maison à sept heures et demie. Elle arrive à l'école à huit heures. Le soir, elle rentre à cinq heures. Elle dîne et elle se repose. Enfin, elle se couche à dix heures et demie. Elle ne se couche pas très tard pendant la semaine.
Tâche de lecture — Reading task:
- What time does Fatou wake up?
- What three actions does she do next?
- What time does she leave the house and what time does she arrive at school?
- What does she do in the evening?
- What negative statement appears at the end of the passage?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.
Tâche 1 — Conjugate the regular pronominal verb: Complete each sentence with the correct present-tense form of the verb in parentheses.
Tâche 2 — Daily Routine Card: Complete the following frame with your own routine, substituting from the productive vocabulary list. Keep each sentence short and supported.
- Le matin, je me réveille à...
- D'abord, je me lave.
- Ensuite, je m'habille.
- Puis, je quitte la maison à...
- Je ne me couche pas tôt.
- Enfin, je me couche à...
You may substitute other productive verbs or supported formulas from this chapter's vocabulary lists. Other accurate versions are acceptable.
Liste de révision — Editing checklist:
- My reflexive pronoun matches the subject.
- My regular -er ending matches the subject.
- I used only supplied se lever or se réveiller formulas.
- I included heure or heures with the clock time.
- I used at least two sequencing words.
- My ne...pas surrounds the reflexive pronoun and the conjugated verb.
- I used only basic ne...pas.
- I kept each sentence short and supported.
Culture and Communication
Daily schedules and mealtimes vary widely across Francophone communities, households, professions, regions, and individuals. Learners may encounter different expectations about lunch length, dinner time, school schedules, and working hours, and should not assume that one pattern represents every household or region.
The time expressions in this chapter are used productively across France and much of the Francophone world. Twenty-four-hour time is common in many written and official settings, including transportation schedules in France, Belgium, and Quebec. Both twelve-hour and twenty-four-hour forms may occur in speech, depending on region, speaker, and context; neither system is more correct than the other.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing Je lave le matin when the intended meaning is "I wash myself in the morning."
Correction: Je me lave le matin. The reflexive pronoun is a required part of the verb; je lève does not mean "I get up" in French — the reflexive pronoun is what carries that meaning.
Error: Writing Je me ne lave pas.
Correction: Ne comes before the reflexive pronoun, and pas comes after the conjugated verb: je ne me lave pas.
Error: Writing je n'm'habille pas.
Correction: Je ne m'habille pas. Ne never elides before a reflexive pronoun; only the reflexive pronoun itself elides before the vowel-initial verb.
Error: Writing il est un heure instead of using the feminine form.
Correction: Heure is feminine, so "one o'clock" is il est une heure, not un heure.
In this chapter, reuse the supplied singular forms je me lève, tu te lèves, il/elle se lève, je me réveille, tu te réveilles, and il/elle se réveille. Forms such as nous nous levons, vous vous levez, ils se lèvent, nous nous réveillons, and ils se réveillent are correct French, but their complete spelling-change patterns are not production targets in this chapter.
Chapter Review
Partie A — Compréhension (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- What time does Léa wake up, and what does she do first?
- What time does Amina wake up, and what does she do after that?
Partie B — Écriture (Writing)
1. Conjugate se coucher for tu, nous, and ils.
2. Write one negative sentence about your own routine, using ne...pas.
Partie C — Lecture (Reading)
1. Return to "La journée de Fatou," and list her morning routine in order.
Partie D — Oral (Speaking)
1. With a partner, describe your morning routine using at least two sequencing words and one negative sentence.
Guided Performance Practice
Chapter 7 Guided Practice
Ma journée : A Supported Daily Routine
This activity is formative, not pass/fail. Learners may consult the vocabulary, conjugation, time, sequencing, and negation tables throughout.
- Answer the model-dialogue questions. Review the vocabulary tables as needed.
- Answer the listening questions. Replay or reread the script as many times as helpful.
- Complete the regular pronominal-verb exercise. Confirm each form against the conjugation table.
- Complete the Daily Routine Card. Substitute from the productive vocabulary list.
- Read your card aloud. Focus on clear rhythm and correct elision before vowel-initial verbs.
| Practice area | What the learner is beginning to demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Reflexive pronouns | Matches a pronoun to a supplied subject. |
| Regular pronominal verbs | Uses a regular -er form with support. |
| Supported formulas | Reuses selected se lever or se réveiller forms. |
| Time | States one or two routine times. |
| Sequencing | Uses two sequencing expressions. |
| Negation | Places ne...pas around the pronoun and verb. |
| Task completion | Completes a short supported routine card. |
These systems are still developing. Use the reference tables while completing the activities.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Léa wakes up at six thirty; she gets up first, then showers, then gets dressed.
- Amina wakes up at seven thirty; after that, she gets ready.
Listening
- Karim wakes up at six o'clock.
- He gets up, showers, and gets dressed.
- He arrives at work at eight thirty.
- He comes home at six o'clock, has dinner, and goes to bed at eleven o'clock.
- He says he does not go to bed before eleven o'clock (Je ne me couche pas avant onze heures.)
Speaking — Controlled Practice
- me lave — Je me lave à sept heures.
- nous préparons — Nous nous préparons le matin.
- vous couchez — Vous vous couchez à dix heures.
Writing — Conjugation Exercise
- me lave (Je me lave à sept heures.)
- nous préparons (Nous nous préparons le matin.)
- s'habille (Elle s'habille rapidement.)
- vous couchez (Vous vous couchez à quelle heure ?)
- se douchent (Ils se douchent le soir.)
Writing — Chapter Review
- tu te couches, nous nous couchons, ils se couchent
- Sample answer: Je ne me lève pas à cinq heures.
Reading — Reading Practice
- Fatou wakes up at 6:15.
- She gets up, washes, and gets dressed.
- She leaves the house at 7:30 and arrives at school at 8:00.
- In the evening, she comes home at 5:00, has dinner, rests, and goes to bed at 10:30.
- She does not go to bed very late during the week (Elle ne se couche pas très tard pendant la semaine.)
Reading — Chapter Review
- Fatou wakes up at 6:15, gets up, washes, gets dressed, has breakfast at 7:00, leaves the house at 7:30, and arrives at school at 8:00.
Daily Routine Card — Model
Le matin, je me réveille à sept heures. D'abord, je me lave. Ensuite, je m'habille. Puis, je quitte la maison à huit heures. Je ne me couche pas tôt. Enfin, je me couche à dix heures.
Other accurate versions using the productive vocabulary and supplied formulas are acceptable.
Looking Ahead
Ce que vous commencez à faire — What you are beginning to do
You are beginning to describe a routine with regular pronominal verbs, reuse selected supported routine formulas, tell basic clock times, sequence a few actions, and form simple ne...pas sentences with support. This continues Unit II: La vie quotidienne.