saccompagner

S'accompagner is a French pronominal verb built from accompagner (to accompany). It is used to express accompaniment in several senses: the subject both performs and provides the accompaniment, or something else goes with or accompanies the subject. It can also describe being accompanied by someone or by additional elements.

In music, s'accompagner means to provide one’s own accompaniment on an instrument, such as singing while playing another instrument. For example: Elle s'accompagne au piano. In this sense the reflexive form emphasizes that the performer supplies the accompaniment themselves.

With de, s'accompagner de indicates that something is accompanied by or comes with something else. For instance, Le plat s'accompagne de légumes or La soupe s'accompagne de pain. This construction is common in culinary or descriptive contexts and can also describe broader combinations, such as a project that is accompanied by documents or a plan accompanied by a budget.

In general, the phrase can extend metaphorically to describe any pairing or co-occurrence, as in descriptive writing: le récit s'accompagne d'annexes.

Grammar notes: s'accompagner is a pronominal verb and conjugates with être in compound tenses. Present tense: je m'accompagne, tu t'accompagnes, il s'accompagne, nous nous accompagnons, vous vous accompagnez, ils s'accompagnent. Past tenses use the reflexive pronoun and agreement rules (e.g., Elle s'est accompagnée au piano).

Related terms include accompagnement (the act or result of accompaniment) and accompagné (accompanied).