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

  • prévenir

    The French verb “prévenir” means “to prevent” or “to warn.” It also means “to let [someone] know,” “to avert,” “to advise,” “to inform,” “to guard against,” “to notify” and “to forewarn.” Examples Etymology The word “prévenir” comes from the Latin verb “praeventire,” composed of “prae” (before) and “eventire” (to come).

  • reciprocal or réciproque

    French uses reflexive pronouns such as me, te, se, nous, vous, se not only for reflexive meaning, but also for reciprocal meaning. In a reciprocal construction, two or more people act on each other. In a reflexive construction, the subject acts on itself. The French word for “reciprocal” is réciproque. The form is the same…

  • 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.”…

  • oser

    The verb “oser” is a French verb meaning “to dare.” It is a regular verb in the -er conjugation group, meaning it is conjugated in the same way as verbs like donner and parler. Usage examples Idiomatic expressions Conjugation Present tense (présent) Passé composé Etymology “Oser” derives from the Latin word “audere,” meaning “to dare,”…

  • to get the better of

    The English phrase “to get the better of” is an idiomatic expression that means to gain an advantage over someone or something, or to overcome a challenge or emotion. Translating this phrase into French requires understanding its context, as there is no direct word-for-word equivalent. 1. “Prendre le dessus” This is the most common translation…