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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb différencier

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The English translation of the French verb différencier is “to differentiate.” It is pronounced as “dee-fay-ron-see-ay” in the infinitive form.

Différencier comes from the Latin word “differentiare,” meaning “to distinguish.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the L’infinitif Présent tense, which is the present tense of the infinitive form.

Here are three simple examples of différencier used in the L’infinitif Présent tense in everyday French:

  1. Je suis en train de différencier les différentes espèces de fleurs dans le jardin. (I am differentiating between the different species of flowers in the garden.)

  2. Il faut différencier les faits de la fiction dans ce livre. (We must differentiate between facts and fiction in this book.)

  3. Les scientifiques continuent à différencier les cellules saines des cellules malades. (Scientists continue to differentiate between healthy cells and sick cells.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je différencie Je différencie les sons. I differentiate sounds.
tu différencies Tu différencies bien les couleurs. You differentiate colors well.
il différencie Il différencie les différentes cultures. He differentiates different cultures.
elle différencie Elle différencie les différents types de plantes. She differentiates different types of plants.
on différencie On différencie les goûts. We differentiate tastes.
nous différencions Nous différencions les saveurs. We differentiate flavors.
vous différenciez Vous différenciez les idées. You differentiate ideas.
ils différencient Ils différencient les mots. They differentiate words.
elles différencient Elles différencient les styles vestimentaires. They differentiate fashion styles.

Other Conjugations for Différencier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb différencier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Différencier – 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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