@jt23 thank you for checking wit gpt4, it seems to give a better explanation. I changed in italics the previous gpt3.5 answer for better comprehension.
@BlueBird14
Thanks for checking and adding a more detailed answer. I always prefer the learn by interaction for better comprehension, point of views, and verification.
@LeifGoodwin Thanks for adding that link. You are on point. I thought about that verb as not pronominal, but apparently that usage doesn’t exist anymore in French. Those are the little difficulties with very similar languages.
For future reference, I add ChatGPT3.5 answer on the similarity between pronominal and reflexive verbs.
In many cases, a pronominal verb and a reflexive verb refer to the same type of verb, but they are not exactly the same thing.
A reflexive verb is a type of pronominal verb where the subject and the object of the verb are the same. This means that the action of the verb is performed by the subject on itself. For example, in the sentence “Je me lave” (I wash myself), the subject “Je” (I) is performing the action of washing on itself, indicated by the reflexive pronoun “me.”
A pronominal verb, on the other hand, includes both reflexive verbs and other verbs that use a reflexive pronoun for grammatical reasons but don’t necessarily involve a reflexive action. In addition to reflexive actions, pronominal verbs can express reciprocal actions (actions that two or more subjects do to each other), idiomatic expressions, or simply use reflexive pronouns for grammatical reasons. For example:
- Reflexive action: “Je me lave” (I wash myself).
- Reciprocal action: “Ils se parlent” (They talk to each other).
- Idiomatic expression: “Se souvenir” (To remember).
- Grammatical usage: “Elle se lève” (She gets up).
So, while reflexive verbs are a subset of pronominal verbs, not all pronominal verbs necessarily involve reflexive actions. However, in common usage, the terms “pronominal verb” and “reflexive verb” are often used interchangeably, especially when referring to languages like French where reflexive pronouns are used extensively.