essayer infinitive

Conjugation verb essayer in French

Model : marcher / balayer

Auxiliary : avoir

Other forms: s'essayer / ne pas essayer / ne pas s'essayer

The regular verbs of the 1st group follow this conjugation model (verbs ending in -er). Verbs ending in -ayer follow at the same time this model (il balaye) and the model of balayer (il balaie)

The verb has several variants of conjugation, which may correspond to different meanings. Please use the menu to select one or all variants.

• il/elle essaye
• nous essayons
• vous essayez
• ils/elles essayent
• il/elle essaie
• ils/elles essaient
• j' essayais
• tu essayais
• il/elle essayait
• nous essayions
• vous essayiez
• ils/elles essayaient
• j' essayerai
• tu essayeras
• il/elle essayera
• nous essayerons
• vous essayerez
• ils/elles essayeront
• j' essaierai
• tu essaieras
• il/elle essaiera
• nous essaierons
• vous essaierez
• ils/elles essaieront

Passé simple

• il/elle essaya
• nous essayâmes
• vous essayâtes
• ils/elles essayèrent

Passé composé

• j' ai essayé
• tu as essayé
• il/elle a essayé
• nous avons essayé
• vous avez essayé
• ils/elles ont essayé

Plus-que-parfait

• j' avais essayé
• tu avais essayé
• il/elle avait essayé
• nous avions essayé
• vous aviez essayé
• ils/elles avaient essayé

Passé antérieur

• j' eus essayé
• tu eus essayé
• il/elle eut essayé
• nous eûmes essayé
• vous eûtes essayé
• ils/elles eurent essayé

Futur antérieur

• j' aurai essayé
• tu auras essayé
• il/elle aura essayé
• nous aurons essayé
• vous aurez essayé
• ils/elles auront essayé
• que j' essaye
• que tu essayes
• qu' il/elle essaye
• que nous essayions
• que vous essayiez
• qu' ils/elles essayent
• que j' essaie
• que tu essaies
• qu' il/elle essaie
• qu' ils/elles essaient
• que j' essayasse
• que tu essayasses
• qu' il/elle essayât
• que nous essayassions
• que vous essayassiez
• qu' ils/elles essayassent
• que j' eusse essayé
• que tu eusses essayé
• qu' il/elle eût essayé
• que nous eussions essayé
• que vous eussiez essayé
• qu' ils/elles eussent essayé
• que j' aie essayé
• que tu aies essayé
• qu' il/elle ait essayé
• que nous ayons essayé
• que vous ayez essayé
• qu' ils/elles aient essayé

Conditionnel

• j' essayerais
• tu essayerais
• il/elle essayerait
• nous essayerions
• vous essayeriez
• ils/elles essayeraient
• j' essaierais
• tu essaierais
• il/elle essaierait
• nous essaierions
• vous essaieriez
• ils/elles essaieraient

Passé première forme

• j' aurais essayé
• tu aurais essayé
• il/elle aurait essayé
• nous aurions essayé
• vous auriez essayé
• ils/elles auraient essayé

Passé deuxième forme

• j' eusse essayé
• tu eusses essayé
• il/elle eût essayé
• nous eussions essayé
• vous eussiez essayé
• ils/elles eussent essayé
• ayant essayé
• masc.sg.: essayé
• masc.pl.: essayés
• fém.sg.: essayée
• fém.pl.: essayées
• ayons essayé
• ayez essayé
• avoir essayé

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Essayer – to try

French verb conjugations.

  Essayer is a stem-changing verb (y to i).

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• Essayer conjugation table
• Essayer conjugation rules
• Essayer synonyms

Essayer french definition

Essayer conjugation in all forms, essayer conjugation in all tenses.

• Essayer : verbs with similar conjugation
• Essayer conjugation in indicative
• Essayer conjugation in present indicative
• Essayer conjugation in present perfect indicative
• Essayer conjugation in imperfect indicative
• Essayer conjugation in pluperfect indicative
• Essayer conjugation in simple past indicative
• Essayer conjugation in past perfect indicative
• Essayer conjugation in simple future indicative
• Essayer conjugation in future perfect indicative
• Essayer conjugation in subjunctive
• Essayer conjugation in present subjunctive
• Essayer conjugation in past subjunctive
• Essayer conjugation in imperfect subjunctive
• Essayer conjugation in pluperfect subjunctive
• Essayer conjugation in conditional
• Essayer conjugation in present conditional
• Essayer conjugation in past conditional
• Essayer conjugation in imperative
• Essayer conjugation in present imperative
• Essayer conjugation in past imperative
• Infinitive of french verb Essayer
• Present infinitive of french verb Essayer
• Past infinitive of french verb Essayer
• Participle of french verb essayer
• Present participle of french verb essayer
• Past participle of french verb essayer
• Gerundive of french verb essayer
• Present gerundive of french verb essayer
• Past gerundive of french verb essayer

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• French Conjugation
• Essayer conjugation

Conjugation of french verb essayer

Present perfect, simple past, past perfect, simple future, future perfect, subjunctive, conditional, essayer french verb, conjugation rules, reflexive form:, negative form:, interrogative form:.

• Essayer french verb conjugation rules

Essayer french synonyms

• Essayer similar verbs conjugation

This is the list of essayer french verb synonyms :

Active voice conjugation

Passive voice conjugation, reflexive form conjugation, similar verbs conjugation.

Here is the full list of verbs sharing the same verb conjugation :

List of verbs used as patterns in french conjugation:

Most common first group verbs

Most common second group verbs, most common third group verbs.

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French verb conjugation for essayer

First group verb Conjugated with avoir English translation: to try essayer for a woman | 2 nd form | passive form | s'essayer | essayer ? | ne pas essayer | Print verb | Export to Word

Subjunctive

Conditional.

Verbs in -ayer have two ways to be conjugated : 1/ either they keep the y eveywhere : je paye... 2/ either they replace the y with a i in front of a silent e so in front of terminations e, es, ent, erai, erais : je paie. Remark the i to the two first plural persons to indicative imperfect and subjonctive present

Fréquent - Transitif - Autorise la forme pronominale

Shape of sentence

Similar verbs.

balayer - bayer - bégayer - brayer - déblayer - défrayer - délayer - effrayer - égayer - essayer - étayer - frayer - payer - rayer - réessayer - relayer

Essayer – To try

By: Author David Issokson

Posted on Published: January 7, 2024  - Last updated: June 16, 2024

In today’s lesson we’ll have a look at the verb essayer , which means “to try”. For example, j’essaie d’apprendre le français (I try to learn French). Let’s jump right into the lesson!

Essayer – To try

Word origin.

The French verb essayer is related to the noun essai (try, attempt), which comes from the Latin verb exigere (to judge, examine, weigh) and noun exagium (weight, balance).

Present tense conjugation

Essayer is a regular ER verb. This means that its endings are the same as all other French regular ER verbs when conjugated in the present tense. Essayer has two accepted spelling patterns in the present tense. The pronunciations are the exact same.

J’essaie I try Tu essaies You try (singular, informal) Il, elle essaie He, she tries Nous essayons We try Vous essayez You try (plural, formal) Ils, elles essaient They try

J’essaye I try Tu essayes You try (singular, informal) Il, elle essaye He, she tries Nous essayons We try Vous essayez You try (plural, formal) Ils, elles essayent They try

Example sentences

In our first example sentence, essayer is simply “to try”. This example uses the word jamais (never), which we cover in our French negations lesson. This sentence is in the futur simple , a commonly used French future tense .

Si tu n’essaies pas , tu ne réussiras jamais .

If you don’ try, you’ll never succeed.

Essayer de + infinitive

In these two example sentences , essayer de + infinitive means “to try to do something”.

J’essaie de chanter la chanson mais c’est très difficile.

I try to sing the song but it’s very difficult.

Je vais essayer de terminer mon projet avant demain .

I’ll try to finish my project before tomorrow

Essayer + noun

In the next two examples, essayer is followed by a noun , meaning “to try something”. Essayer can also translate to “to test”. Hence, “I test the skis ” could also work as a translation for this next sentence.

The les in this example sentence is a direct object pronoun, meaning “them”. This post on our site covers object pronouns in depth.

J’essaie les nouveaux skis avant de les acheter .

I try the new skies before buying them.

Nous allons essayer le nouveau restaurant ce soir.

We are going to try the new restaurant tonight.

In French, the noun essai transaltes to “try” or “attempt” and is the origin of the English word “essay”.

Il a réussi son examen au troisième essai.

He passed the exam after the third try.

Et voilà ! You now know how to use essayer in French! Now check out our other lessons covering the verbs quitter (to leave), bosser (to work hard) and ranger (to tidy, put away).

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language learner and speaks over seven languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private lessons. When not teaching or writing his French Word of the Day lessons, David enjoys his time skiing, hiking and mountain biking in Victor, Idaho.

See all posts by David Issokson

French Verb Conjugation Using "Essayer" (to Try)

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• Pronunciation & Conversation
• Resources For Teachers

The French verb  essayer  means "to try." It's a simple word that can easily be confused with  essuyer  (to wipe) , so be sure to look and listen for that 'A' in  essayer .

In order to place  essayer  into the past, present, or future tense, the verb needs to be conjugated . Just follow along in this lesson and you'll be saying "tried" and "trying" in French before you know it.

Conjugating the French Verb  Essayer ​​

Essayer  is an optional stem-changing verb . Typically with verbs that end in - yer , the 'Y' has to change to an 'I' in certain forms. The rules are a little more casual with  essayer  as you'll see in the table. When there are two forms of the conjugation, you can use either.

The stem of  essayer  is  essay -. To this, a variety of infinitive endings is added that conform with the subject pronoun as well as the tense of the sentence. For instance, "I try" is " j'essaie " or " j'essaye ." Similarly, there are two options for "we will try": " nous essaierons " or " nous essayerons ."

All this leaves you with many words to memorize. The good news is that there are many opportunities to practice it and use  essayer  as you "try" things throughout your day.

The Present Participle of  Essayer

The  present participle  of essayer is  essayant . This is as simple as adding - ant  to the verb stem. Not only does it work as a verb, but it can also become an adjective, gerund, or noun when needed.

The Past Participle and Passé Composé

The  past participle   essayé  is used to form the  passé composé , a common past tense form of "tried" in French. To use this, you'll also need to conjugate the  auxiliary verb   avoir . For example, "I tried" is " j'ai essayé " and "we tried" is " nous avons essayé ."

More Simple  Essayer  Conjugations to Know

When the action of trying is in some way questionable, you can turn to the subjunctive verb mood . Similarly, if it's dependent on something, the conditional verb mood is used.

With less frequency, you will come across the passé simple or the imperfect subjunctive . These are mostly found in formal writing and will help considerably with reading comprehension.

To use  essayer  in commands or direct requests, turn to the imperative verb form . When using this, the subject pronoun is not required: use " essaie " instead of " tu essaie ."

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Conjugation of the French Verb "Essayer"

Mappa concettuale.

Mastering the French verb 'essayer' involves understanding its unique conjugation patterns, such as the optional 'y' to 'i' change in certain forms. This guide covers present, past, imperfect, conditional, and future tenses, as well as the use of the auxiliary verb 'avoir' in compound tenses. It also provides strategies to avoid common errors and enhance memorization of the correct forms, emphasizing the importance of pronunciation in the French language.

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Regular -er Verb with Unique Characteristics

Meaning and usage of "essayer".

"Essayer" is a regular -er verb in French that means 'to try' and has a unique characteristic of changing 'y' to 'i' in certain forms

Optional 'y' to 'i' Change in Certain Tenses

Pronunciation and Spelling Changes

In the singular and third person plural forms of certain tenses, the 'y' in "essayer" may change to an 'i', affecting both pronunciation and spelling

Dual Spelling in First Person Singular Present Tense

The first person singular present tense of "essayer" can be spelled as 'j'essaie' or 'j'essaye', highlighting the intricacies of French orthographic conventions

Conjugation Patterns and Usage in Different Tenses

"Essayer" follows regular -er verb conjugation patterns, with the optional 'y' to 'i' change in some forms, and is used to describe actions or states occurring at the moment of speaking

Essential Tenses for Everyday Communication

Present tense conjugation.

The present tense conjugation of "essayer" is similar to that of other regular -er verbs, but with the optional 'y' to 'i' change in some forms

Passé Composé

The passé composé, formed with the auxiliary verb 'avoir' and the past participle 'essayé', is used to convey completed actions in the past

Imperfect Tense and Other Moods

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense, or imparfait, describes past actions that were ongoing or habitual

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood, expressing doubt, desire, or uncertainty, includes forms like 'que j'essaie' and 'que vous essayiez'

Conditional Mood

The conditional mood, used for hypothetical scenarios, is conjugated as 'j'essayerais' or 'vous essayeriez'

Future and Past Tenses

Future tense.

The future tense of "essayer" is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive and discusses future events

Plus-Que-Parfait

The plus-que-parfait, a form of the perfect tense, is constructed with the imperfect tense of 'avoir' and the past participle 'essayé', used for actions that had been completed before another past action

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In French, the verb 'essayer' translates to '______,' and it belongs to the ______-er verb category.

to try regular

Optional 'y' to 'i' change in 'essayer'

Occurs in singular forms except nous/vous; 'j'essaie' or 'j'essaye'.

Present tense usage in French

Describes actions/states at the moment of speaking; used daily.

Dual spelling in French orthography

Some verbs like 'essayer' have two correct spellings; 'essaie' or 'essaye'.

The ______ tense is used to express completed actions in the past with the verb 'essayer'.

passé composé

Imperfect Tense Usage

Describes ongoing/habitual past actions, sets scene for narratives.

Subjunctive Mood Function

Expresses doubt, desire, uncertainty, used in dependent clauses.

Conditional Mood Application

Used for hypotheticals, polite requests, and future events in the past.

To express future actions in French, 'essayer' changes to 'j'essaierai' for 'I will try', and 'ils/elles essaieront' for 'they will try'.

j'essaierai ils/elles essaieront

Essayer conjugation exception: 'y' to 'i' shift

In certain forms, 'essayer' changes 'y' to 'i' before a silent 'e'.

Essayer 1st person singular present tense: dual spelling

In present tense, 'essayer' can be spelled as 'j'essaie' or 'j'essaye'.

In the present tense 'nous' form of 'essayer', it's important to remember the double '______', and to use the correct auxiliary verb in compound tenses.

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Understanding the Basics of Essayer Conjugation in French

Present Tense Conjugation of Essayer

Past tense mastery with essayer, exploring the imperfect and conditional forms of essayer, future and perfect tenses in essayer conjugation, regular vs. irregular patterns in essayer conjugation, avoiding common mistakes and tips for conjugating essayer.

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Conjugaison du verbe essayer

Participe passé essayer, sans accord.

Avec accord

Passé composé, plus-que-parfait, passé simple, passé antérieur, futur simple, futur antérieur, conditionnel, synonyme du verbe essayer, traduction essayer.

Conjugaison du verbe essayer

• Voix active
• Voix passive
• Temps simples
• Temps composés

j’ essaie / essaye

tu essaies / essayes

il (elle) essaie / essaye

nous essayons

vous essayez

ils (elles) essaient / essayent

j’ essayais

tu essayais

il (elle) essayait

nous essayions

vous essayiez

ils (elles) essayaient

Passé simple

il (elle) essaya

nous essayâmes

vous essayâtes

ils (elles) essayèrent

Futur simple

j’ essaierai / essayerai

tu essaieras / essayeras

il (elle) essaiera / essayera

nous essaierons / essayerons

vous essaierez / essayerez

ils (elles) essaieront / essayeront

CONDITIONNEL

j’ essaierais / essayerais

tu essaierais / essayerais

il (elle) essaierait / essayerait

nous essaierions / essayerions

vous essaieriez / essayeriez

ils (elles) essaieraient / essayeraient

que j’ essaie / essaye

que tu essaies / essayes

qu’il (elle) essaie / essaye

que nous essayions

que vous essayiez

qu’ils (elles) essaient / essayent

que j’ essayasse

que tu essayasses

qu’il (elle) essayât

que nous essayassions

que vous essayassiez

qu’ils (elles) essayassent

essaie / essaye

Passé composé

j’ ai essayé

tu as essayé

il (elle) a essayé

nous avons essayé

vous avez essayé

ils (elles) ont essayé

Plus-que-parfait

j’ avais essayé

tu avais essayé

il (elle) avait essayé

nous avions essayé

vous aviez essayé

ils (elles) avaient essayé

Passé antérieur

j’ eus essayé

tu eus essayé

il (elle) eut essayé

nous eûmes essayé

vous eûtes essayé

ils (elles) eurent essayé

Futur antérieur

j’ aurai essayé

tu auras essayé

il (elle) aura essayé

nous aurons essayé

vous aurez essayé

ils (elles) auront essayé

j’ aurais essayé

tu aurais essayé

il (elle) aurait essayé

nous aurions essayé

vous auriez essayé

ils (elles) auraient essayé

que j’ aie essayé

que tu aies essayé

qu’il (elle) ait essayé

que nous ayons essayé

que vous ayez essayé

qu’ils (elles) aient essayé

que j’ eusse essayé

que tu eusses essayé

qu’il (elle) eût essayé

que nous eussions essayé

que vous eussiez essayé

qu’ils (elles) eussent essayé

ayons essayé

ayez essayé

avoir essayé

ayant essayé essayé (é, ée, és, ées)

je suis essayé(e)

tu es essayé(e)

il (elle) est essayé(e)

nous sommes essayé(e)s

vous êtes essayé(e)s

ils (elles) sont essayé(e)s

j’ étais essayé(e)

tu étais essayé(e)

il (elle) était essayé(e)

nous étions essayé(e)s

vous étiez essayé(e)s

ils (elles) étaient essayé(e)s

je fus essayé(e)

tu fus essayé(e)

il (elle) fut essayé(e)

nous fûmes essayé(e)s

vous fûtes essayé(e)s

ils (elles) furent essayé(e)s

je serai essayé(e)

tu seras essayé(e)

il (elle) sera essayé(e)

nous serons essayé(e)s

vous serez essayé(e)s

ils (elles) seront essayé(e)s

je serais essayé(e)

tu serais essayé(e)

il (elle) serait essayé(e)

nous serions essayé(e)s

vous seriez essayé(e)s

ils (elles) seraient essayé(e)s

que je sois essayé(e)

que tu sois essayé(e)

qu’il (elle) soit essayé(e)

que nous soyons essayé(e)s

que vous soyez essayé(e)s

qu’ils (elles) soient essayé(e)s

que je fusse essayé(e)

que tu fusses essayé(e)

qu’il (elle) fût essayé(e)

que nous fussions essayé(e)s

que vous fussiez essayé(e)s

qu’ils (elles) fussent essayé(e)s

soyons essayé(e)s

soyez essayé(e)s

être essayé(e)(s)

étant essayé(e)(s)

j’ ai été essayé(e)

tu as été essayé(e)

il (elle) a été essayé(e)

nous avons été essayé(e)s

vous avez été essayé(e)s

ils (elles) ont été essayé(e)s

j’ avais été essayé(e)

il (elle) avait été essayé(e)

nous avions été essayé(e)s

ils (elles) avaient été essayé(e)s

j’ eus été essayé(e)

tu eus été essayé(e)

il (elle) eut été essayé(e)

nous eûmes été essayé(e)s

vous eûtes été essayé(e)s

ils (elles) eurent été essayé(e)s

j’ aurai été essayé(e)

tu auras été essayé(e)

il (elle) aura été essayé(e)

nous aurons été essayé(e)s

vous aurez été essayé(e)s

ils (elles) auront été essayé(e)s

j’ aurais été essayé(e)

il (elle) aurait été essayé(e)

nous aurions été essayé(e)s

vous auriez été essayé(e)s

ils (elles) auraient été essayé(e)s

que j’ aie été essayé(e)

que tu aies été essayé(e)

qu’il (elle) ait été essayé(e)

que nous ayons été essayé(e)s

que vous ayez été essayé(e)s

qu’ils (elles) aient été essayé(e)s

que j’ eusse été essayé(e)

que tu eusses été essayé(e)

qu’il (elle) eût été essayé(e)

que nous eussions été essayé(e)s

que vous eussiez été essayé(e)s

qu’ils (elles) eussent été essayé(e)s

aie été essayé(e)

ayons été essayé(e)s

ayez été essayé(e)s

avoir été essayé(e)(s)

ayant été essayé(e)(s)

• 1.1 Etymology
• 2.1 Etymology
• 2.2 Pronunciation
• 2.3.1 Conjugation
• 2.3.2 Related terms
• 2.4 Further reading
• 2.5 Paronyms
• 2.6 Anagrams
• 3.1.1 Conjugation
• 4.1.1 Synonyms

From essay +‎ -er .

essayer ( plural essayers )

• ( obsolete ) One who performs an essay ; an experimenter .

Inherited from Middle French essayer , essaier , from Old French essaiier , essayer , essaier , from essay , essai ( “ attempt; assay; experiment ” ) + -er ( “ infinitive-forming suffix ” ) , from Late Latin exagium ( “ weight; weighing, testing on the balance ” ) , from Latin exigere + -ium , from ex- + agere , from Proto-Italic *agō , from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti .

Pronunciation

• IPA ( key ) : /e.sɛ.je/ ~ /e.se.je/

• ( transitive ) to test , to try on Essayez cette chemise. ― Try this shirt on .
• 2018 , Zaz, Résigne-moi : J ’essaie vraiment d ’ t’aider sans m’oublier. I'm truly trying to help you without forgetting myself.
• ( reflexive ) to try one's hand [ with à ‘at something’ ] s’essayer à quelque chose ― to try one's hand at something

Conjugation

This is a regular -er verb as far as pronunciation is concerned, but as with other verbs in -ayer (such as payer and essayer ), the <y> of its stem may optionally be written as <i> when it precedes a silent <e> (compare verbs in -eyer , which never have this spelling change, and verbs in -oyer and -uyer , which always have it; verbs in -ayer belong to either group, according to the writer's preference).

Related terms

• bien essayé

Further reading

• “ essayer ”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [ Digitized Treasury of the French Language ] , 2012 .
• ressaye , ressayé

Middle French

• ( transitive ) to test
• ( catenative ) to try , to attempt [ with de ( + infinitive ) ‘to do something’ ]
• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Norwegian Bokmål

essayer   n

• indefinite singular of essay

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• Essayer Conjugation

Mastering the conjugation of "essayer," a pivotal verb in French , facilitates a deeper understanding of the language's complexities. It shifts remarkably across tenses, from 'j'essaie' in the present to 'j'essaierai' in the future, highlighting the verb's versatility. This essential guide ensures you deftly navigate through its various forms, enriching your French linguistic prowess.

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Why is the conditional tense important for the verb 'apprendre'?

Which group does the verb 'apprendre' belong to in French?

Which common mistake often occurs when conjugating 'apprendre' in the present tense?

How does the conjugation of 'apprendre' change from singular to plural forms in the present tense?

What does the subjunctive mood express for the verb 'apprendre'?

How does the past participle of 'apprendre' change with different subjects in the passé composé?

How is 'apprendre' conjugated in the passé composé tense?

What is the correct present tense conjugation of 'apprendre' for the pronoun 'nous'?

In the past tense 'passé composé', how is 'apprendre' conjugated for 'je'?

What is required to conjugate 'apprendre' in the passé composé?

Why is 'avoir' used as the auxiliary verb in the passé composé of 'apprendre'?

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Understanding Essayer Conjugation in French

Conjugating the French verb essayer translates to attempting or trying in English. It's an essential verb that you’ll often encounter. Getting familiar with its conjugation can significantly enhance your French learning journey.

The basics of Essayer Verb Conjugation

Essayer is a regular -er verb but with a slight twist. When conjugated, the 'y' changes to an 'i' in the singular and the third person plural forms, although this change doesn’t apply to all tenses. This variation is a key aspect to remember about essayer conjugation.

Remember, the spelling change from 'y' to 'i' before a silent 'e' helps with the pronunciation.

How to Conjugate Essayer in the Present Tense

Conjugating essayer in the present tense involves a straightforward pattern similar to that of other regular -er verbs, with the noted exception of the 'y' to 'i' change in certain forms. Here’s how you conjugate essayer in the present tense:

Note that both 'j'essaie' and 'j'essaye' are acceptable forms of the first person singular in the present tense, reflecting the spelling variation mentioned earlier.

Mastering Essayer Conjugation: The Past Tense

To form the past tense, also known as the passé composé , of essayer , you need the helping verb 'avoir' and the past participle 'essayé'. The structure is similar to many other French verbs. The conjugation in the passé composé depends on the subject pronoun:

The past participle essayé maintains its spelling across all subject pronouns in the passé composé, which simplifies its usage. The auxiliary verb 'avoir' is conjugated according to the subject, making understanding of 'avoir' conjugation equally essential in mastering essayer in the past tense.

Deep Dive into Essayer Conjugation French

Conjugation forms an integral part of mastering French, bringing verbs to life in different contexts and tenses. A detailed look at essayer conjugation across various moods and tenses can broaden your understanding and usage of this versatile verb.

Essayer Conjugation Present: A Closer Look

The present tense of essayer offers the first glimpse into its usage, showing how the verb adapts in current scenarios. The unique 'y' to 'i' switch in certain forms makes it slightly different from other regular -er verbs.Here is the conjugation of essayer in the present tense for quick reference:

The forms 'j'essaie' and 'j'essaye' are both correct, demonstrating a flexible aspect of French spelling and pronunciation norms.

Navigating Essayer Imparfait Conjugation

The imparfait , or imperfect tense, conveys ongoing actions or states of being in the past. It illuminates what was happening at a certain point without focusing on the beginning or end of the action. Conjugating essayer in the imparfait involves a standard set of endings added to the stem: Stem: essay-Here’s a quick guide to its conjugation:

The Subjunctive and Conditional Moods in Essayer Conjugation

The subjunctive and conditional moods of essayer explore possibilities, hypotheses, and situations dependent on conditions.For the subjunctive mood, expressing doubt, wish, or uncertainty, here are the forms:

The conditional mood deals with potential scenarios or actions that would happen under certain conditions. Here’s how to conjugate essayer in the conditional mood:

Understanding these moods requires recognizing the nuances in tone and meaning they bring to conversations or written text. The subjunctive often appears after expressions that start with 'il faut que' (it is necessary that), 'bien que' (although), or 'pour que' (so that), reflecting its use in expressing desires or hypothetical situations. Meanwhile, the conditional mood is frequently used in polite requests or in sentences that begin with 'si' (if), laying down a condition for the action to occur.

Practising Conjugate Essayer Across Tenses

Understanding how to conjugate the French verb essayer across different tenses is integral to mastering its use. This versatility allows you to express actions in the present, past, future, and conditional states, making your French more fluent and nuanced.

The Future and Perfect Tenses of Essayer Verb Conjugation

Conjugating essayer in the future and perfect tenses allows for expressing actions that will occur or have been completed. The future tense speaks about events that will happen, while the perfect tense, using the passé composé, talks about actions that were completed in the past.

The future tense of essayer closely follows the regular -er verb conjugation pattern but with its unique twist in spelling.

For the perfect tense, combining the auxiliary verb avoir with the past participle essayé forms a compound tense that expresses actions completed in the past.

Regular vs Irregular Patterns in Essayer Conjugation French

The verb essayer presents an interesting case of blending regular -er verb conjugation patterns with its own unique irregularities. Understanding these patterns is crucial to effectively using essayer in various contexts.

A regular verb follows a predictable pattern of conjugations across different tenses and moods. In contrast, an irregular verb does not follow these standard conjugation patterns, making memorization necessary.

With its unique 'y' to 'i' shift in certain forms and uses, essayer stands between the realms of regular and irregular verbs. In the present tense, for example, both 'j'essaie' and 'j'essaye' are acceptable, showcasing this flexibility. This mix of predictability and irregularity is what makes studying French both a challenge and a joy. Understanding when each form is appropriate comes with practice and exposure to the language in various scenarios.

The choice between using the 'y' or changing it to 'i' in essayer conjugation often depends on pronunciation ease rather than a hard rule, especially in informal settings.

In summary, mastering the conjugation of essayer requires understanding its regular patterns and the exceptions. Whether you’re expressing what you're trying or what you will try in the future, or what you have tried in the past, essayer is a verb that can add depth to your French repertoire.

Common Mistakes and Tips for Conjugation Essayer

Conjugating essayer , meaning 'to try' in French, can sometimes be tricky for learners. While it follows the general pattern of regular -er verbs, certain nuances can lead to common mistakes. Understanding these can significantly improve your grasp of French verb conjugation.

Avoiding Common Errors with Essayer Conjugation

Conjugating essayer presents unique challenges that often lead to mistakes. Recognizing these can help you avoid them in the future.Here are some frequently encountered pitfalls:

• Mixing up the 'y' to 'i' change: In certain forms, especially in the singular and the third person plural forms of some tenses, 'essayer' changes the 'y' to an 'i'. Not applying this change where necessary is a common error.
• Forgetting the double 's' in the nous form: In the present tense, 'nous essayons' retains the double 's', rather than changing to a single 's', which can be misleading.
• Incorrect auxiliary verb in compound tenses: Using the wrong auxiliary verb (être instead of avoir) for the passé composé and other compound tenses is another typical mistake.

Always double-check the spelling when conjugating essayer , especially for the 'y' to 'i' shift and the use of double 's' in the nous form.

Handy Tips to Remember Conjugation Essayer

To successfully memorise and apply the conjugation of essayer , consider implementing these strategies:Here are beneficial tips to enhance your learning process:

• Create mnemonic devices: Developing unique memory aids can help you recall the specific spelling changes of essayer .
• Practise with sentences: Use essayer in various sentences to get comfortable with its conjugation across different tenses.
• Listen and repeat: Engage with multimedia resources in French to hear the conjugation of essayer in action. Repeating what you hear reinforces learning.

Understanding that the 'y' to 'i' change in essayer conjugation is to facilitate pronunciation can help remember when to apply it. This change occurs before a silent 'e', a common practice in French to make pronunciation smoother. Making such connections between language rules and their practical applications can significantly enhance your language learning.

Essayer Conjugation - Key takeaways

• Essayer Conjugation French: Essayer means 'to try', and its conjugation is essential for proficiency in French.
• Essayer Verb Conjugation Twist: While essayer follows the regular -er verb pattern, it features a 'y' to 'i' change in singular and third person plural forms for certain tenses.
• Conjugation Essayer in the Present: Forms include 'j'essaie/essaye', 'tu essaies', 'il/elle/on essaie', 'nous essayons', 'vous essayez' and 'ils/elles essaient/essayent'.
• Essayer Past Tense and Perfect Tense: Utilizes the auxiliary verb 'avoir' and the past participle 'essayé', yielding forms like 'j'ai essayé', demonstrating consistency across subject pronouns.
• Essayer Imperfect Conjugation (Imparfait): Reflects ongoing or habitual past actions, for example, 'j'essayais', 'tu essayais', indicating actions or states of being continuing in the past.

Flashcards in Essayer Conjugation 12

It's important because it's the only tense used to give commands or instructions.

'Apprendre' is part of the first group of verbs, making it very regular in pattern.

Mixing up the conjugation with -er ending verbs

By changing 'apprend' to 'appront' for plural forms

The subjunctive mood expresses doubts, wishes, or possibilities, essential when expressing desires or uncertainties about learning.

The past participle 'appris' changes based on the subject's number.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Essayer Conjugation

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What Does the French Word "Essayer" Mean in English?

Definition:.

Essayer is a French word that means "to try" or "to attempt" in English. It is a versatile verb used to express the action of trying something or attempting to do something in French.

Understanding how to use "essayer" correctly is important for expressing your intentions and efforts in various situations. In this guide, we'll explore the meaning, usage, and nuances of this essential French verb.

The word "essayer" comes from the Old French word "essai," which means "trial" or "attempt." It is derived from the Latin word "exagium," meaning "weighing" or "balance."

Part of Speech:

Usage and examples:.

Expressing an attempt: When you want to say that you are trying something, you can use "essayer." For example, "J'essaie de comprendre" means "I am trying to understand."

Asking someone to try: You can also use "essayer" to ask someone to try something. For instance, "Essaie ce plat, il est délicieux" translates to "Try this dish, it's delicious."

AI Fun Fact 😅 :

In French, "essayer" is often used in conjunction with the preposition "de" (to) to indicate what is being tried. This construction is known as the infinitive form of the verb.

Expressions avec "Essayer" en anglais

• Essayer de nouveau : Try again
• Essayer une nouvelle recette : Try a new recipe
• Essayer de comprendre : Try to understand
• Essayer quelque chose de nouveau : Try something new
• Essayer sa chance : Try one's luck
• Essayer avant d'acheter : Try before you buy
• Essayer de résoudre un problème : Try to solve a problem
• Essayer de nouvelles expériences : Try new experiences
• Essayer de rester calme : Try to stay calm
• Essayer une approche différente : Try a different approach

Conclusion:

"Essayer" is a fundamental verb in French that allows you to express the act of trying or attempting something. By mastering the usage and conjugation of "essayer," you can effectively communicate your efforts and intentions in various contexts, from everyday conversations to more formal settings.

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French Grammar: Conjugated Verbs + [DE] + Infinitive Verb

Posted by Barbara Kruger on Monday, February 22, 2016 · Leave a Comment  

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French Grammar: Conjugated Verbs + [DE] + Infinitive Verb la grammaire française: les verbes conjugués + [DE] + un verbe à l’infinitif

• The infinitive  form of a verb conveys the basic meaning of that verb.
• Many conjugated French verbs require [DE]  before an infinitive  verb.

The infinitive form of a French verb is the form that ends with [-ER], [-IR], or [-RE]. Each of these infinitive endings is the equivalent of  “ to …”  (i..e. to speak, to read, to take, etc.) in English. Often, an infinitive verb is conjugated when used in a sentence. But French  infinitives are used in a variety of other ways, too.

Certain conjugated verbs must be followed directly by the preposition [DE] before an infinitive verb. There is no formula for why these verbs behave like this; they must simply be memorized. Here are some of those verbs:

accepter de : to accept (doing something)

arrêter de : to stop (doing something)

avoir envie de : to feel like (doing something)

avoir l’intention de : to intend to (do something)

avoir peur de : to be afraid to (do something)

avoir raison de : to be right to ( do something) / to start to ( do something)

avoir tort de : to be wrong to (do something)

choisir de : to choose to (do something)

décider de : to decide to (do something)

essayer de : to try to (do something)

éviter de : to avoid (doing something)

finir de : to finish (doing something)

manquer de : to nearly (do something) / to almost (do something)

oublier de : to forget to ( do something)

refuser de : to refuse to (do something)

regretter de : to regret (doing something)

risquer de : to risk (doing something)

L’enfant refuse de dormir sans son nounours. The child refuses to sleep without his teddy bear.

Oh là! J’ai oublié de fermer la porte! Uh-oh! I forgot to close the door!

Tu as envie de sortir ce soir? Do you (informal) feel like going out tonight?

Oui, mais d’abord je finis de faire la vaisselle. Yes, but first I’ll finish doing the dishes.

Ils ont eu tort de désobéir à l’officier de police. They (masculine) were wrong to disobey the police officer.

Si nous n’étudions pas, nous risquons de rater le cours. If we don’t study, we risk failing the course.

• YouTube/LearnFrenchWithPascal: Prepositional Verbs in French Part II

Category: French Grammar Lessons · Tags: Conjugated , Conjugués , de , francais , french , grammaire , grammar , infinitive , l'infinitif , Leçon , lesson , verbes , verbs

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Present of the French verb essayer

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What's the meaning of "de" in "Je vais essayer de vous montrer"?

Je vais essayer de vous montrer?

I translated into "I'm going to try to show you" but I don't understand why is there a "de" after "essayer"?

• prépositions

• Oops that's what I meant, isn't the "to" already in both of the verbs? –  ArielB Commented Aug 13, 2016 at 10:25
• 1 You need the prepostion de to introduce the verb that follows essayer . Just as in English you need "to" to introduce the verbs that comes after "try". More here . –  None Commented Aug 13, 2016 at 10:34
• All right, I think I understand, thanks! –  ArielB Commented Aug 13, 2016 at 11:05
• ok i still dont understand, is it like what John said - no rules? "i try to go" - i essayer d'aller, "i want to go" - Je veux aller, so apparently the "try" verb needs the "de" - why? –  ArielB Commented Aug 17, 2016 at 7:05

3 Answers 3

(As answered in comments by @Laure) There is a difference between :

I tried this new restaurant. / J'ai essayé ce nouveau restaurant.

I tried to not eat too much. / J'ai essayé de ne pas trop manger.

You added another question in comment between want/vouloir and try/essayer, the answer is different since it is more about "Why want to + [verb] = vouloir + [verbe] ?".

It is about being a modal verb : vouloir is, but not want .

Some other English verbs express modality although they are not modal verbs because they are not auxiliaries, including want[...] - Wikipedia

• i'm not sure i follow the 2 examples, in the first example you don't follow the essayer with a verb. but i saw that in french, you see alot of sentences that have 2 verbs (1 conjugated followed by a non conjugated one), without the "de", so you say that if i follow with a modal verb, i need to add the de? –  ArielB Commented Oct 22, 2016 at 20:18
• essayer is not a modal verb, and has the same form it has in english. You add de/to when you use essayer/try + verb. You have to understand that " try to do " is a two verb sentence ... The rule is more that modal verbs don't need de after them to be before another verb. Je veux dormir (modal verb). J'essaye de dormir (not modal) –  Yohann V. Commented Oct 22, 2016 at 23:26
• ah, ok, so it means that i'll add the "de" after non-modal verbs and modal verb will require the "de"? (verbs that expresses necessity or possibility - can / want / etc...) in that case - "i'm going to sleep" - should be "je vais de dormir"? or the "going to" here indicates a necessity? which means it's "je vais dormir?" (which sounds actually better to me) –  ArielB Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 14:53
• It is a different case. "I'm going to sleep" translates into "Je vais dormir" or "Je vais me coucher". In english you have " to sleep" to express the infinitive form of the verb. –  Yohann V. Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 15:01

Here it means "to" (the "to" that forms part of an infinitive verb, such as to drive), and it functions as a way to link "essayer/try" to "vous montrer/show you", and luckily this is how we do it in English also.

In general, "de" can mean a number of different things ( https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/de ), and much of it is grammatical and so makes sense only when considered with the words around it and its function in the sentence. But on its own, if often translates to "of" or "from". "De" is quite versatile and as a result, unfortunately, confusing. Myself I'm learning French as well and still struggle with when/where to use it.

A few verbs use the preposition " à ", a few others " de " and others nothing. According to me, there aren't specific rules, just various utilisations which some are idiomatic. http://french.about.com/library/prepositions/bl_prep_verbs.htm https://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/pre4.html ...

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L’infinitif: the infinitive of the verb in French

What is l’infinitif in french.

L’infinitif (the infinitive) is the base form of the verb: it is a non-conjugated form that, like the participles , does not express a tense, person or number. The French infinitives can be grouped by their endings: -er (parler), -ir (finir), -re (prendre) or -oir (voir) . In French there are several phrases, words and structures that are followed by the infinitive.

Learn when to use the infinitive with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to the test in the free exercises.

When to use the infinitive in French

Verbs of perception, other verbs, reflexive verbs, adjectives and past participles used as adjectives, noun phrases, prepositions, verbs that take a direct object, verbs that take an indirect object, impersonal sentences.

• Exercises – Infinitif

– J’ai l’intention d’ apprendre à jouer au tennis. Je suis venue pour m’acheter une bonne raquette de tennis.

– Je suis ici pour vous aider . Je vous conseille d’ acheter une raquette pour débutant.

– Mais j’espère bientôt jouer comme une joueuse professionnelle. J’ai vu hier des professionnels jouer , c’était impressionnant.

– Vous devez tout d’abord apprendre à taper dans la balle. Jouer comme un pro demande du temps. Pour devenir si bons, les professionnels se sont entraînés pendant des années.

L’infinitif is an impersonal verb form (like the gerund and the past participle ) that is used after certain words and phrases. In addition to following a verb , the infinitive often follows the prepositions à and de .

The infinitive can refer to the subject or the object of a sentence, or it can be part of an impersonal construction. The following lists include the most important words and phrases that are followed by an infinitive.

Verbs related to the senses and perception are followed by an infinitive:

apercevoir to perceive , contempler to contemplate , deviner to guess , discerner to discern , distinguer to distinguish , écouter to listen , éprouver to feel , entendre to understand , observer to observe , regarder to look/watch , ressentir to feel , sentir to feel , voir to see

Other common verbs that take the infinitive in French are:

affirmer to claim , apprendre à to learn to , croire to believe , décider de to decide to , devoir must/have to , espérer to hope , essayer de to try to , hésiter à to hesitate to , menacer de to threaten to , oser to dare , oublier de to forget to , pouvoir to be able to , préférer to prefer , projeter de to plan to , promettre de to promise to , proposer à qn de to suggest something to someone , savoir to know , tendre à to tend to , vouloir to want

In French, reflexive verbs are followed by an infinitive:

s’appliquer à to do your best , s’apprêter à to get ready for , s’attendre à to expect to , se déclarer prêt à to declare yourself ready for , se décider à to resolve to , s’efforcer de to make an effort to , se permettre de to allow yourself to , se préparer à to prepare yourself to , se souvenir de to remember , se réjouir de to be delighted about

Adjectives and past participles that act as adjectives are also followed by the infinitive in French.

appliqué à hard-working , content de happy , décidé à determined , deçu de disappointed , étonné de surprised , réjoui de delighted , soulagé de relieved , triste de sad

The following noun phrases are followed by the infinitive:

avoir l’espoir de to have a hope of , avoir l’intention de to have the intention of , avoir tendance à to have a tendency to , faire la promesse de to make a promise to , prendre la décision de to make the decision to , voir la nécessité de to see the need to

The following prepositions are followed by the infinitive:

afin de/pour in order to/in front of , au lieu de instead of , avant de before , sans without

Certain verbs that take a direct object are followed by the infinitive in French:

aider qn à to help someone , amener qn à to bring someone , convaincre qn de to convince someone , dissuader qn à to dissuade someone , encourager qn à to encourage someone , forcer qn à to force someone , inciter qn à to encourage/persuade someone , inviter qn à to invite someone , persuader qn de to persuade someone , prier qn de

Likewise, some verbs that take an indirect object are also followed by the infinitive:

apprendre à qn à to teach someone (a skill) , conseiller à qn de to advise someone , enseigner à qn à to teach (in a school) , interdire à qn de to forbid someone to do something , permettre à qn de to allow someone to do something , ordonner à qn de to order someone to do something , rappeller à qn de to remind someone of something , recommender à qn de to recommend something to someone

The following adjectives are generally used in impersonal sentences with ce, cela, and il + adjective + preposition + infinitive.

absurde de absurd , compilqué de/à complicated , courageux de brave , désagréable de unpleasant , difficile de/à difficult , égoïste de selfish , équitable de fair , facile de/à easy , impossible de/à impossible , intelligent de intelligent , malpoli de rude , triste de/à sad

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• French-English Vocabulary / Vocabulaire Français-Anglais

Try to + infinitive (attempt to)

• Thread starter Daiguts
• Start date Jun 23, 2012
• Jun 23, 2012

Is "try to + infinitive" = essaye de + verb? eg I try to speak in French = j'essaye de parle en français?  

Senior Member

essayer de + infinitif J'essaie de parler en français.  

The infinitive of the verb is always "essa y er" and the 1st and 2nd person in the plural forms always take a "y" , but for the other forms you can spell the verb with an "i" or a "y" . Both are correct.