Paraître


The verb “paraître” means “to appear” or “to seem” in English. It is commonly used to describe how something appears or seems to be.

Conjugation in the Present Tense

  • Je parais (I appear/seem)
  • Tu parais (You appear/seem)
  • Il/Elle/On paraît (He/She/One appears/seems)
  • Nous paraissons (We appear/seem)
  • Vous paraissez (You appear/seem)
  • Ils/Elles paraissent (They appear/seem)

Examples

  1. Elle paraît heureuse.
  • She seems happy.
  1. Cela paraît impossible.
  • That seems impossible.
  1. Il paraît que tu as raison.
  • It appears that you are right.

Usage Tips

  • “Paraître” can be used to describe both physical appearance and how something seems to be in terms of perception.
  • It is an irregular verb, so pay attention to its unique conjugations.

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • verbs of perception

    French often uses different verbs of perception, depending on whether it’s passive or active, or whether it’s literal or figurative. Discover some of the most commonly confused pairs: voir vs regarder, écouter vs entendre, sentir vs se sentir, and sentir vs avoir bon goût. Voir vs Regarder The verbs “voir” and “regarder” both relate to…

  • Tel, Telle, Tels, Telles

    In French, “tel” and its variations (“telle,” “tels,” “telles”) are used to mean “such” or “such a” in English. They are adjectives that agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Here’s a simple guide on how to use each form. 1. Tel (masculine singular) Use “tel” when describing a singular masculine noun….

  • que + subjunctive or indicative

    Many French expressions ending in que are followed by the subjunctive. These include expressions of condition, purpose, doubt, necessity, emotion, concession and events that have not yet happened. Other expressions ending in que take the indicative instead. The word que itself does not determine the mood. Expressions that take the subjunctive Here is an alphabetised…

  • obligation

    French expresses obligation through several common structures. The most frequent tools are devoir, falloir, être obligé de, and impersonal expressions built with être nécessaire de or similar forms. Each conveys the idea that an action is required, but they differ in whether the subject is personal, impersonal, or formal. Devoir Devoir is the most common…

  • verb: écrire

    The French verb “écrire” means “to write.” Conjugation Homologues The French language has several verbs that share the same suffix “-crire,” making them homologues of “écrire.” These verbs are also irregular and conjugated similarly to “écrire.” They often revolve around the concept of writing or describing. Etymology The word “écrire” comes from the Latin word “scribere.”…

  • passer

    The French verb passer appears frequently in everyday speech. It covers a wide range of meanings, from physical movement to time, media, and social interactions. Because it resembles the English verb “to pass,” learners often assume it works the same way. In some cases it does, but in many others it does not. Physical Movement…