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.