# FR: Wash your hands



## johnL

Hello, folks.
In some situations where an English speaker would use a possessive pronoun (Wash your hands.), French uses an article. (Lave les mains.) But at other times, French uses a possessive pronoun, just like English. (Ta soeur est belle.)

How do we know whether to use an article or pronoun?
Thanks very much.


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## mplsray

Do the French say "Lave les mains"? I would expect "Lave-toi les mains."

The article is used when a reflexive verb is used to describe an action performed on a part of one's body:

Je _me lave *les*_ mains. I _wash_ *my* hands.

Je _me suis brossé_ *les* dents. I _brushed *my*_ teeth.

Il _s'est mordu *la*_ langue. He _bit *his*_ tongue.


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## francois_auffret

I think this has been discussed in other threads....

It is said that French doesn't like to use possessive pronouns with body parts mainly... In this case, French would use a reflexive verb + definite article...

Je me suis brossé les cheveux; Elle s'est lavé les mains, Il s'est cassé la jambe; elle s'est foulé le poignet...

The idea of possession is clearly expressed with the reflexive...

When the action is not done on oneself, not requiring a reflexive verb, we use the preposition à the following way:::

Je lui ai lavé les cheveux.... Il lui a cassé la jambe.... Elle lui a tordu le poignet.... etc....


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## benk

C'est une question assez compliquée, mais je peux vous dire que lorsqu'on parle du corps, on utilise l'article toujours.


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## johnL

Thanks to everyone for the help.



mplsray said:


> Do the French say "Lave les mains"? I would expect "Lave-toi les mains."


I'm not sure whether or not you're sure. I think that, in one of my videos, the mother says, "Lave les mains." to her daughter. Can someone verify this, please?


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## geostan

Despite what your video might say, the correct form is indeed: Lave-toi les mains. The reflexive construction is used when the hands are used. If not, the reflexive is omitted.

Je me lave la figure.
Je bombe la poitrine. (Note the definite article is still normal here.)

If the part of the body is modified by one or more adjectives, the possessive adjective is reinstated.

Elle s'est peigné ses beaux cheveux blonds.

Cheers!


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## Maître Capello

johnL said:


> I think that, in one of my videos, the mother says, "Lave les mains." to her daughter. Can someone verify this, please?


Geostan is totally right. You must have misheard what the mother said because it is definitely not something a native would say.

_Lave tes mains_. 
_Lave les mains_. 
_Lave*-toi les* mains_. 

But: _Lave *les* mains de ta petite sœur_.


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## ascoltate

Maybe you are thinking of "Lève la main" ? (Raise your hand)


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## johnL

[…]
For clarification, would you say:
Il m'a lavé les cheveux. (He washed my hair.)
And it also seems that in some situations, you would have to rely on context, such as when _he_ washes _her_ hair. (Il lui lave les cheveux.) Correct?


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## johnL

"Lève la main" is correct but "Lave les mains" is not? Why wouldn't it be "Lève-toi la main"? They're both imperatives; if one requires "-toi" why doesn't the other one require it?


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## Maître Capello

Well, I'm not too sure, but the reason might be because the verb _se lever_ (to get up) is intransitive. Therefore _Lève-toi la main_ doesn't make sense…

_L*è*ve la main_ = Raise your hand
_L*è*ve-toi la main_

_L*a*ve la main_
_L*a*ve les mains_
_L*a*ve les mains de ton frère_ = Wash your brother's hands
_L*a*ve-toi la main_ = Wash your hand
_L*a*ve-toi les mains_ = Wash your hands


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## johnL

Hmmm...  According to my dictionary, _lever_ is a transitive verb. Also, an intransitive verb cannot have an object, but _main_ is the object of the verb in our sentence. (_Lève la main_.)

I'm getting out of my "familiar zone" here, but could it be that _lever _is transitive, but _se lever_ is intransitive?


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## marget

With a verb such as lever, I think that if you do something_ to_ the body part, the verb should be reflexive.  If you do something _with_ the part of the body, it's non-reflexive.


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## Maître Capello

johnL said:


> could it be that _lever _is transitive, but _se lever_ is intransitive?


That's what I meant…



marget said:


> With a verb such as lever, I think that if you do something_ to_ the body part, the verb should be reflexive.  If you do something _with_ the part of the body, it's non-reflexive.


I can't find a counterexample, so your explanation might be correct…


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## geostan

johnL said:


> Hmmm... According to my dictionary, _lever_ is a transitive verb. Also, an intransitive verb cannot have an object, but _main_ is the object of the verb in our sentence. (_Lève la main_.)
> 
> I'm getting out of my "familiar zone" here, but could it be that _lever _is transitive, but _se lever_ is intransitive?



I go back to my earlier post. If you use your hands to aid in the action, you use the reflexive. Otherwise, no.

Lève la main. The hand goes up on its own.
Lève-toi la main. One hand helps lift the other up.

At least, that's how I see it.


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## geostan

johnL said:


> Il m'a lavé les cheveux. (He washed my hair.)



I suppose you could say: Il m'a lavé les cheveux, but I prefer, il m'a lavé la tête.

Cheers!


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## johnL

marget said:


> With a verb such as lever, I think that if you do something_ to_ the body part, the verb should be reflexive.  If you do something _with_ the part of the body, it's non-reflexive.





geostan said:


> I go back to my earlier post. If you use your hands to aid in the action, you use the reflexive. Otherwise, no.



Don't these two ideas contradict each other?


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## geostan

johnL said:


> Don't these two ideas contradict each other?



If I understand Marget correctly, she means:

to the body part - using the hand(s) to aid in the action
with the body part - allowing the body part to act on its own.

This would not be a contradiction to my statements.


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## Maître Capello

To recap, I'd say:

_Lève la main_ (idiomatic) → The hand *performs* the action ↔ Something is done *with* the body part ↔ The hand goes up on its own

_Lève-toi la main_ (unidiomatic) → The hand *experiences* the action ↔ Something is done *to* the body part ↔ One hand or any other body part or anything else helps lift the other hand up. (Obviously this is most likely a hand that would help the lift, but not necessarily…)

Note that _Lave-toi les mains_ is a special case since each hand helps wash the other one, so each hand both performs and experiences the washing…



geostan said:


> I suppose you could say: Il m'a lavé les cheveux, but I prefer, il m'a lavé la tête.



I'm afraid your suggestion is not idiomatic at all.

_Il m'a lavé les cheveux_. 
_Il m'a lavé la tête_.


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## Maharg

I'm a little confused with this one and need some help please.  I was always taught to only use the definite article with body parts in French, so la main, la tête, etc., but I have seen lots of examples recently of votre/vos (votre corps, vos mains, etc.) being used and I am wondering if this is correct, for example, in a document I have on 'comment se laver les mains' there is the sentence 'Séchez *vos *mains en les tapotant avec une serviette en papier', but the rest of the document uses the definite article.  Can anyone help a confused English person please?


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## Maître Capello

It depends on whether or not the verb is pronominal. If the verb is pronominal, the definite article is usually used for body parts. Otherwise the possessive adjective is used.

_Je *me* lave/sèche *les* mains._ / _Je lave/sèche *mes* mains._ (the latter being less idiomatic than the former)
_Lavez/Séchez-*vous* *les* mains._ / _Lavez/Séchez *vos* mains._ (the latter being less idiomatic than the former)


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## wsclambertville

Salut! Dans l'impératif est-ce qu'on dit "Lavez les mains" ou "Lavez-vous les mains"?

merci!
Wendy


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## joelooc

"Lavez les mains" 
 "Lavez-vous les mains"


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## k@t

Puisque c'est _*se laver*_ les mains > lavez-*vous *les mains.
Si c'est _*laver *_non pronominal > lavez les mains (de votre enfant).


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## jenjenjajen

Hello, I know this is years later, but I'm hoping someone can still answer my question, since it follows this thread nicely.

I'm getting stuck with these reflexive verbs in the imperative because its my inclination to say 'lave tes mains' or 'brosse tes cheveux' or even 'je vais brosser tes cheveux' (to my daughter)
But I get the feeling that these are wrong and they should be 'lave-toi les mains' and 'brosse-toi les cheveux' and 'je vais te brosser les cheveux'.

Thanks in advance!!


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## joelooc

jenjenjajen said:


> they should be 'lave-toi les mains' and 'brosse-toi les cheveux' and 'je vais te brosser les cheveux'.


absolutely


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