L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défiler

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The English translation of défiler is “to parade” or “to march.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-fee-lay.”

Défiler comes from the French term “defile,” which means “to file away” or “to pass through.” It is most often used in everyday French in the l’infinitif présent tense to describe the action of people or things moving in an organized manner, often in a line or procession.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous allons défiler dans les rues de la ville pour la fête nationale. (We will parade through the streets of the city for the national holiday.)

  2. Les soldats ont défilé devant les autorités lors de la cérémonie militaire. (The soldiers marched past the authorities during the military ceremony.)

  3. Les danseurs ont défilé sur scène avec élégance et grâce. (The dancers paraded on stage with elegance and grace.)

Table of the L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of défiler

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je défile Je défile sur la scène. I am marching on the stage.
tu défiles Tu défiles en tête du cortège. You are marching at the head of the procession.
il défile Il défile avec grâce. He is marching gracefully.
elle défiler Elle défilerait pour une bonne cause. She would march for a good cause.
on défiler On défilerait si on avait le temps. We would march if we had time.
nous défilons Nous défilons chaque année pour la fête nationale. We march every year for the national holiday.
vous défilez Vous défilez au pas cadencé. You march in a steady rhythm.
ils défilent Ils défilent en uniforme. They are marching in uniform.
elles défilent Elles défilent avec fierté. They are marching proudly.

Other Conjugations for Défiler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler 

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler 

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler 

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler 

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler 

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler 

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler  (this article)

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Défiler – About the French L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense

BEFORE you continue…. why not take a deep dive into all the French tenses with my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.
The French “l’infinitif présent” (Infinitive Present) tense is not a true verb tense in the same way that the present, past, or future tenses are. Instead, it’s the base form of a verb, and it has several important uses and interactions with other tenses.

Forming the Infinitive Present

To form the infinitive present of a verb, you typically take the unconjugated form of the verb (the form you’d find in a French dictionary) and remove the ending. For regular verbs, you remove the -er, -ir, or -re ending, and you’re left with the infinitive. For example:
   – Parler (to speak)
   – Finir (to finish)
   – Vendre (to sell)

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

As a Verb’s Dictionary Form

The most common use of the infinitive present is to represent a verb in its base form. It’s the form you would find in a dictionary or verb conjugation table.

After Modal Verbs

When you use modal verbs like “pouvoir” (can), “vouloir” (want), or “devoir” (must), the verb that follows is in its infinitive form. For example:
     – Je veux manger. (I want to eat.)
     – Il peut parler français. (He can speak French.)

As an Imperative

In informal commands, the infinitive is often used. For example:
     – Ferme la porte. (Close the door.)

In Infinitive Clauses

In complex sentences, especially after certain conjunctions, the infinitive is used to express actions that are separate from the main verb. For example:
     – J’ai besoin de manger avant de partir. (I need to eat before leaving.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Tense

The infinitive present can be used with the present tense to express ongoing actions or habitual actions. For example:
     – J’aime manger des croissants. (I like eating croissants.)

Future Tense

When combined with the future tense of “aller,” the infinitive present can express future actions. For example:
     – Je vais manger au restaurant demain. (I am going to eat at the restaurant tomorrow.)

Conditional Tense

The infinitive present is often used with the conditional to express actions that would happen in a hypothetical situation. For example:

     – Il mangerait s’il avait faim. (He would eat if he were hungry.)

Passé Composé

When forming compound tenses like “passé composé,” the auxiliary verb (être or avoir) is conjugated, and the main verb remains in its infinitive form. For example:
     – J’ai mangé une pomme. (I ate an apple.)
     – Elle est partie. (She left.)

Imperfect Tense

The infinitive present can be combined with the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. For example:
     – Quand j’étais enfant, j’aimais jouer. (When I was a child, I liked to play.)

Subjunctive and Conditional Moods

In some complex sentences, the infinitive can be used with the subjunctive and conditional moods, especially when expressing uncertainty, possibility, or doubt.

Summary

The infinitive present in French serves as the base form of a verb and is used in various contexts, including after modal verbs, in imperative commands, in infinitive clauses, and in combination with other tenses to convey a wide range of meanings and actions. Its flexibility makes it a fundamental part of French grammar.

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