Grammar: Compounds & Homologues

ByFast French

Many irregular French verbs are used in compound form to make new verbs with new meanings. The compound versions follow the same conjugation method as the original verb.

Homologues are verbs that resemble the original verb in spelling and are conjugated in the same basic way.

venirto come
s’abstenirto abstain
advenirto happen
appartenir àto belong
circonvenirto circumvent, get around
contenirto contain
contrevenirto contravene
convenirto suit
détenirto detain
devenirto become
entretenirto maintain, support
intervenirto intervene, take place
maintenirto maintain
obtenirto obtain
parvenir àto reach, to manage to
prévenirto prevent, tell, call, warn, anticipate
provenir deto come from, stem from
redevenirto become … again
revenirto come back
retenirto retain
se souvenir deto remember
soutenirto support
subvenirto meet, provide, subsidise
survenirto occur, arise
tenirto hold, keep
prendreto take
apprendreto learn
comprendreto understand
(se) déprendreto free oneself from
désapprendreto forget, unlearn
entreprendreto start, undertake, embark on
s’éprendre deto become enamoured of
se méprendreto be mistaken about
rapprendreto learn again
réapprendreto learn again
reprendreto take back, to have some more (food)
surprendreto surprise
mettreto put
admettreto admit, accept
compromettreto compromise, endanger, jeopardise
commettreto commit, carry out, appoint
démettreto dismiss, to dislocate
émettreto emit, express, put forward, to issue, to send out
omettreto omit, leave out
permettreto permit, allow
promettreto promise, show promise
remettreto put back, hand over, put straight again
retransmettreto retransmit, broadcast, relay
soumettreto submit
transmettreto transmit
direto say, tell
contredireto contradict
se dédireto retract one’s statement, to back out of
interdireto forbid, prohibit, ban
maudireto curse
médireto speak ill of, to malign
prédireto predict
redireto repeat
partirto leave, depart
desservirto serve, lead to, do a disservice, clear
dormirto sleep
mentirto lie
revêtirto take on, assume, adorn
sentirto smell, feel
servirto serve
sortirto go out, exit
vêtirto dress
voirto see
entrevoirto glimpse, make out, foresee
prévoirto predict, plan, provide for, anticipate
pourvoirto fill, endow, provide for
revoirto see again, review, correct, revise
ouvrirto open
accueillirto welcome
assaillirto assail, attack
couvrirto cover
cueillirto gather, pick
découvrirto discover
défaillirto faint, fail
entrouvrirto open a little
offrirto offer, give, buy
recouvrirto cover up, hide, conceal
recueillirto collect, obtain, gather
redécouvrirto rediscover
rouvrirto reopen
saillirto cover, serve, jut out
souffrirto suffer, put up with
courirto run
accourirto run up
concourirto compete
discourirto hold forth
encourirto incur
parcourirto travel all over, cover
recourirto use, have recourse to, resort to, run again
secourirto help, rescue, give first aid to
recevoirto receive
apercevoirto catch sight of, notice
concevoirto design, conceive, understand, form, see
décevoirto disappoint
entrapercevoirto catch a glimpse of
percevoirto collect, receive, perceive, appreciate
vivreto live
revivreto relive, come alive again
survivreto survive
écrireto write
circonscrireto confine or limit
décrireto describe, depict, or narrate in detail
inscrireto enroll, register, or write something in a record or list
prescrireto prescribe
proscrireto prohibit or ban
récrireto rewrite or transcribe
souscrireto subscribe or endorse
transcrireto transcribe or copy in writing

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