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.

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