Kilo Lingo

/de.sə.vwaʁ/

Line drawing of décevoir
Coloured illustration of décevoir
#1709 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

to disappoint (a false friend: it does not mean 'to deceive', which is tromper)

Word origin

From Latin decipere ('to catch, to ensnare, to cheat'), from de- and capere ('to take'). English 'deceive' comes from the same verb, which is why the pair looks identical while the French sense has drifted to disappointment.

Origin
Latin
Root
decipere
English cognates
deceive, deception, capture

Grammar

Verb type-oir irregular (3rd group, conjugated like recevoir)

Conjugation

Regular french-irregular conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.

Indicative

Person PresentImperfectPast historicFutureConditional
jedéçoisdécevaisdéçusdécevraidécevrais
tudéçoisdécevaisdéçusdécevrasdécevrais
il/elledéçoitdécevaitdéçutdécevradécevrait
nousdécevonsdécevionsdéçûmesdécevronsdécevrions
vousdécevezdéceviezdéçûtesdécevrezdécevriez
ils/ellesdéçoiventdécevaientdéçurentdécevrontdécevraient

Subjunctive

Person PresentImperfect
jedéçoivedéçusse
tudéçoivesdéçusses
il/elledéçoivedéçût
nousdécevionsdéçussions
vousdéceviezdéçussiez
ils/ellesdéçoiventdéçussent

Imperative

Person Affirmative
tudéçois
nousdécevons
vousdécevez

Non-finite

Gerund / present participle
décevant
Past participle
déçu · déçue · déçus · déçues

Examples

' déçu.

The film disappointed me a great deal.

.

I do not want to disappoint my parents.

déçoit .

That restaurant never disappoints.

déçu au .

His results disappointed everyone at the office.

, .

Careful, décevoir does not mean to deceive.

Where this fits

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French · Free printables

décevoir: worksheet, infographic and listicle

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This word is part of lesson 35.