Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Essayer
Es-say′er
,Noun.
One who essays.
Addison.
Webster 1828 Edition
Essayer
ESSA'YER
,Noun.
Definition 2024
essayer
essayer
French
Etymology
Denominal of essai < Late Latin exagium.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /e.sɛ.je/
Verb
essayer
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 both groups, according to the writer's preference).
Conjugation of essayer (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | essayer | avoir essayé | |||||
| gerund | en essayant | en ayant essayé | |||||
| present participle | essayant /e.sɛ.jɑ̃/ or /e.se.jɑ̃/ |
||||||
| past participle | essayé /e.sɛ.je/ or /e.se.je/ |
||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il | nous | vous | ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | essaye or essaie /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
essayes or essaies /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
essaye or essaie /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
essayons /e.sɛ.jɔ̃/ or /e.se.jɔ̃/ |
essayez /e.sɛ.je/ or /e.se.je/ |
essayent or essaient /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
| imperfect | essayais /e.sɛ.jɛ/ or /e.se.jɛ/ |
essayais /e.sɛ.jɛ/ or /e.se.jɛ/ |
essayait /e.sɛ.jɛ/ or /e.se.jɛ/ |
essayions /e.sɛj.jɔ̃/ or /e.sej.jɔ̃/ |
essayiez /e.sɛj.je/ or /e.sej.je/ |
essayaient /e.sɛ.jɛ/ or /e.se.jɛ/ |
|
| past historic1 | essayai /e.sɛ.je/ or /e.se.je/ |
essayas /e.sɛ.ja/ or /e.se.ja/ |
essaya /e.sɛ.ja/ or /e.se.ja/ |
essayâmes /e.sɛ.jam/ or /e.se.jam/ |
essayâtes /e.sɛ.jat/ or /e.se.jat/ |
essayèrent /e.sɛ.jɛʁ/ or /e.se.jɛʁ/ |
|
| future | essayerai or essaierai /e.sɛj.ʁe/ or /e.sɛ.ʁe/ |
essayeras or essaieras /e.sɛj.ʁa/ or /e.sɛ.ʁa/ |
essayera or essaiera /e.sɛj.ʁa/ or /e.sɛ.ʁa/ |
essayerons or essaierons /e.sɛj.ʁɔ̃/ or /e.sɛ.ʁɔ̃/ |
essayerez or essaierez /e.sɛj.ʁe/ or /e.sɛ.ʁe/ |
essayeront or essaieront /e.sɛj.ʁɔ̃/ or /e.sɛ.ʁɔ̃/ |
|
| conditional | essayerais or essaierais /e.sɛj.ʁɛ/ or /e.sɛ.ʁɛ/ |
essayerais or essaierais /e.sɛj.ʁɛ/ or /e.sɛ.ʁɛ/ |
essayerait or essaierait /e.sɛj.ʁɛ/ or /e.sɛ.ʁɛ/ |
essayerions or essaierions /e.sɛ.jə.ʁjɔ̃/ or /e.sɛ.ʁjɔ̃/ |
essayeriez or essaieriez /e.sɛ.jə.ʁje/ or /e.sɛ.ʁje/ |
essayeraient or essaieraient /e.sɛj.ʁɛ/ or /e.sɛ.ʁɛ/ |
|
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior1 | Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il | que nous | que vous | qu’ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | essaye or essaie /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
essayes or essaies /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
essaye or essaie /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
essayions /e.sɛj.jɔ̃/ or /e.sej.jɔ̃/ |
essayiez /e.sɛj.je/ or /e.sej.je/ |
essayent or essaient /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
| imperfect1 |
essayasse /e.sɛ.jas/ or /e.se.jas/ |
essayasses /e.sɛ.jas/ or /e.se.jas/ |
essayât /e.sɛ.ja/ or /e.se.ja/ |
essayassions /e.sɛ.ja.sjɔ̃/ or /e.se.ja.sjɔ̃/ |
essayassiez /e.sɛ.ja.sje/ or /e.se.ja.sje/ |
essayassent /e.sɛ.jas/ or /e.se.jas/ |
|
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect1 | Use the imperfect subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | essaye or essaie /e.sɛj/ or /e.sɛ/ |
— | essayons /e.sɛ.jɔ̃/ or /e.se.jɔ̃/ |
essayez /e.sɛ.je/ or /e.se.je/ |
— | ||
| 1literary tenses | |||||||
Related terms
Anagrams
Middle French
Verb
essayer
Conjugation
- Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of essayer
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | essayer | avoir essayé | |||||
| gerund | en essayant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | essayant | ||||||
| past participle | essayé | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | ie (may be i' before a vowel) | tu | il | nous | vous | ilz, elles | |
| simple tenses |
present | essaye | essayes | essaye | essayons | essayez | essayent |
| imperfect | essayois, essayoys | essayois, essayoys | essayoit, essayoyt | essayions, essayyons | essayiez, essayyez | essayoient, essayoyent | |
| past historic | essaya | essayas | essaya | essayasmes | essayastes | essayerent | |
| future | essayerai, essayeray | essayeras | essayera | essayerons | essayerez | essayeront | |
| conditional | essayerois, essayeroys | essayerois, essayeroys | essayeroit, essayeroyt | essayerions, essayeryons | essayeriez, essayeryez | essayeroient, essayeroyent | |
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que ie | que tu | qu'il | que nous | que vous | qu'ilz, qu'elles | |
| simple tenses |
present | essaye | essayes | essaye | essayons | essayez | essayent |
| imperfect | essayasse | essayasses | essayast | essayassions | essayassiez | essayassent | |
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | essaye | — | essayons | essayez | — | ||