Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb surligner

Introduction to the verb surligner

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The English translation of the French verb surligner is to highlight. It is pronounced as “sur-li-nyey”.

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The word surligner comes from the combination of the prefix “sur” which means “above” and the verb “ligner” which means “to line”. Together, surligner means to line or mark something above the rest.

In everyday French, surligner is most commonly used to describe the action of marking or emphasizing certain words or phrases in a text. It is often used in note-taking, studying, and highlighting important information in a document.

Examples:

Je vais surligner les mots clés pour mieux étudier. (I will highlight the key words to study better.)
N’oubliez pas de surligner les informations importantes dans le texte. (Don’t forget to highlight the important information in the text.)
Pour être plus organisé, je surligne mes notes en différentes couleurs. (To be more organized, I highlight my notes in different colors.)

Surligner – About the French Present Tense

The French present tense, also known as “le présent,” is used to describe actions that are happening at the moment of speaking or for actions that are habitual, general truths, or that will occur in the near future. It’s the most basic and common tense in French.

To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns For Le Present

1. Describing Actions in the Present: The present tense is used to describe actions happening right now or at the moment of speaking. For example: “Je parle avec mon ami” (I am talking to my friend).

2. Expressing Habits and Routines: The present tense is used to talk about habitual actions or routines. For example: “Je travaille tous les jours” (I work every day).

3. Stating General Truths: The present tense is used to express general truths or facts. For example: “La Terre tourne autour du soleil” (The Earth orbits around the sun).

4. Talking about Near Future: The present tense can be used to express future actions that are very imminent or part of a planned schedule. For example: “Je pars demain matin” (I am leaving tomorrow morning).

Interactions with Other Tenses

– Present vs. Future Tense: In some cases, the French present tense can be used to express the future when the context makes it clear that the action is imminent. However, for actions further in the future or less certain, the future tense is typically used.

– Present vs. Past Tenses: To describe actions that occurred in the past, you would use the past tenses like the passé composé (compound past) or the imparfait (imperfect). The choice between these past tenses depends on the specific aspect and circumstances of the past action.

– Present vs. Conditional Tense: The conditional tense is used to express actions that are dependent on a condition. If a condition is met, the action may happen. The present tense is used for actions in the present, while the conditional is used for hypothetical or future actions based on conditions.

– Present vs. Imperative: The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. The present tense is used for general statements, and the imperative is used for direct orders or requests.

Understanding the French present tense and its interactions with other tenses is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, you cannot become proficient!

Table of the Present Tense Conjugation of surligner

Pronoun	Conjugation	Short Example	English Translation
Je	Je surligne	Je surligne mon texte.	I highlight my text.
Tu	Tu surlignes	Tu surlignes tes notes.	You highlight your notes.
Il	Il surligne	Il surligne ses erreurs.	He highlights his mistakes.
Elle	Elle surligne	Elle surligne ses idées.	She highlights her ideas.
On	On surligne	On surligne les mots-clés.	One highlights the keywords.
Nous	Nous surlignons	Nous surlignons nos phrases importantes.	We highlight our important sentences.
Vous	Vous surlignez	Vous surlignez vos passages préférés.	You highlight your favorite passages.
Ils	Ils surlignent	Ils surlignent les passages importants.	They highlight the important passages.
Elles	Elles surlignent	Elles surlignent leurs mots-clés.	They highlight their keywords.