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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb esquisser

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The English translation of the French verb esquisser is “to sketch” or “to outline.” It is pronounced “es-kee-say.”

The language origin of esquisser can be traced back to the Old French word “esquisse,” meaning “rough draft” or “sketch.” It entered modern French in the 18th century and has been used in the context of drawing or painting ever since.

In everyday French, esquisser is most commonly used in the L’infinitif Présent tense as a regular -er verb. This tense is used to describe actions that are ongoing or habitual.

Three simple examples of esquisser in this tense are:

  1. Je vais souvent à la plage pour esquisser le paysage. (I often go to the beach to sketch the landscape.)
  2. Elle adore esquisser des portraits de ses amis. (She loves sketching portraits of her friends.)
  3. Nous devons esquisser notre plan avant de commencer la construction. (We need to outline our plan before starting the construction.)

In all of these examples, esquisser is used to describe the action of sketching or outlining, which is ongoing or habitual in nature. It is conjugated with the subject pronouns “je,” “elle,” and “nous” and is followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je esquisse Je esquisse un portrait. I sketch a portrait.
tu esquisses Tu esquisses un croquis. You sketch a sketch.
il esquisse Il esquisse un paysage. He sketches a landscape.
elle esquisse Elle esquisse un dessin. She sketches a drawing.
on esquisse On esquisse une idée. We sketch an idea.
nous esquissons Nous esquissons une esquisse. We sketch a sketch.
vous esquissez Vous esquissez un plan. You sketch a plan.
ils esquissent Ils esquissent un tableau. They sketch a painting.
elles esquissent Elles esquissent une sculpture. They sketch a sculpture.

Other Conjugations for Esquisser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb esquisser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Esquisser – 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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