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Definition 2024
sembler
sembler
French
Verb
sembler
Conjugation
Conjugation of sembler (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | sembler | avoir semblé | |||||
| gerund | en semblant | en ayant semblé | |||||
| present participle | semblant /sɑ̃.blɑ̃/ |
||||||
| past participle | semblé /sɑ̃.ble/ |
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| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il | nous | vous | ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | semble /sɑ̃bl/ |
sembles /sɑ̃bl/ |
semble /sɑ̃bl/ |
semblons /sɑ̃.blɔ̃/ |
semblez /sɑ̃.ble/ |
semblent /sɑ̃bl/ |
| imperfect | semblais /sɑ̃.blɛ/ |
semblais /sɑ̃.blɛ/ |
semblait /sɑ̃.blɛ/ |
semblions /sɑ̃.bli.jɔ̃/ |
sembliez /sɑ̃.bli.je/ |
semblaient /sɑ̃.blɛ/ |
|
| past historic1 | semblai /sɑ̃.ble/ |
semblas /sɑ̃.bla/ |
sembla /sɑ̃.bla/ |
semblâmes /sɑ̃.blam/ |
semblâtes /sɑ̃.blat/ |
semblèrent /sɑ̃.blɛʁ/ |
|
| future | semblerai /sɑ̃.blə.ʁe/ |
sembleras /sɑ̃.blə.ʁa/ |
semblera /sɑ̃.blə.ʁa/ |
semblerons /sɑ̃.blə.ʁɔ̃/ |
semblerez /sɑ̃.blə.ʁe/ |
sembleront /sɑ̃.blə.ʁɔ̃/ |
|
| conditional | semblerais /sɑ̃.blə.ʁɛ/ |
semblerais /sɑ̃.blə.ʁɛ/ |
semblerait /sɑ̃.blə.ʁɛ/ |
semblerions /sɑ̃.blə.ʁjɔ̃/ |
sembleriez /sɑ̃.blə.ʁje/ |
sembleraient /sɑ̃.blə.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 | semble /sɑ̃bl/ |
sembles /sɑ̃bl/ |
semble /sɑ̃bl/ |
semblions /sɑ̃.bli.jɔ̃/ |
sembliez /sɑ̃.bli.je/ |
semblent /sɑ̃bl/ |
| imperfect1 |
semblasse /sɑ̃.blas/ |
semblasses /sɑ̃.blas/ |
semblât /sɑ̃.bla/ |
semblassions /sɑ̃.bla.sjɔ̃/ |
semblassiez /sɑ̃.bla.sje/ |
semblassent /sɑ̃.blas/ |
|
| 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 | – | |
| — | semble /sɑ̃bl/ |
— | semblons /sɑ̃.blɔ̃/ |
semblez /sɑ̃.ble/ |
— | ||
| 1literary tenses | |||||||
Related terms
Usage notes
- When the verb sembler is followed by the conjunction que, the following verb is in the subjunctive mood:
- Il semble qu'il pleuve
- However this is not the case when sembler is used reflexively:
- Il me semble qu'il pleut
Middle French
Etymology
From Old French sembler.
Verb
sembler
Conjugation
- Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of sembler
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | sembler | avoir semblé | |||||
| gerund | en semblant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | semblant | ||||||
| past participle | semblé | ||||||
| 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 | semble | sembles | semble | semblons | semblez | semblent |
| imperfect | semblois, sembloys | semblois, sembloys | sembloit, sembloyt | semblions, semblyons | sembliez, semblyez | sembloient, sembloyent | |
| past historic | sembla | semblas | sembla | semblasmes | semblastes | semblerent | |
| future | semblerai, sembleray | sembleras | semblera | semblerons | semblerez | sembleront | |
| conditional | semblerois, sembleroys | semblerois, sembleroys | sembleroit, sembleroyt | semblerions, sembleryons | sembleriez, sembleryez | sembleroient, sembleroyent | |
| 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 | semble | sembles | semble | semblons | semblez | semblent |
| imperfect | semblasse | semblasses | semblast | semblassions | semblassiez | semblassent | |
| 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 | – | |
| — | semble | — | semblons | semblez | — | ||
Descendants
- French: sembler
Old French
Verb
sembler
- Alternative form of sambler
Conjugation
This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. In the present tense an extra supporting e is needed in the first-person singular indicative and throughout the singular subjunctive, and the third-person singular subjunctive ending -t is lost. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
Conjugation of sembler (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | sembler | avoir semblé | |||||
| gerund | en semblant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | semblant | ||||||
| past participle | semblé | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | il | nos | vos | il | |
| simple tenses |
present | semble | sembles | semble | semblons | semblez | semblent |
| imperfect | sembloie, sembleie, sembloe, sembleve | sembloies, sembleies, sembloes, sembleves | sembloit, sembleit, semblot, sembleve | sembliiens, sembliens | sembliiez, sembliez | sembloient, sembleient, sembloent, semblevent | |
| preterite | semblai | semblas | sembla | semblames | semblastes | semblerent | |
| future | semblerai | sembleras | semblera | semblerons | sembleroiz, semblereiz, semblerez | sembleront | |
| conditional | sembleroie, semblereie | sembleroies, semblereies | sembleroit, semblereit | sembleriiens, sembleriens | sembleriiez, sembleriez | sembleroient, semblereient | |
| 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 preterite 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 jo | que tu | qu’il | que nos | que vos | qu’il | |
| simple tenses |
present | semble | sembles | semble | semblons | semblez | semblent |
| imperfect | semblasse | semblasses | semblast | semblissons, semblissiens | semblissoiz, semblissez, semblissiez | semblassent | |
| 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 | – | nos | vos | – | |
| — | semble | — | semblons | semblez | — | ||