Translation
to astonish, to amaze
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Word origin
From Old French estoner, from Vulgar Latin extonare, formed from ex- and Latin tonare ('to thunder'). The original sense was to stun someone as a thunderclap would. English 'astonish', 'astound' and 'stun' all descend from the same word.
- Origin
- Vulgar Latin
- Root
- extonare
- English cognates
- astonish, astound, stun, detonate
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | étonne | étonnais | étonnai | étonnerai | étonnerais |
| tu | étonnes | étonnais | étonnas | étonneras | étonnerais |
| il/elle | étonne | étonnait | étonna | étonnera | étonnerait |
| nous | étonnons | étonnions | étonnâmes | étonnerons | étonnerions |
| vous | étonnez | étonniez | étonnâtes | étonnerez | étonneriez |
| ils/elles | étonnent | étonnaient | étonnèrent | étonneront | étonneraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | étonne | étonnasse |
| tu | étonnes | étonnasses |
| il/elle | étonne | étonnât |
| nous | étonnions | étonnassions |
| vous | étonniez | étonnassiez |
| ils/elles | étonnent | étonnassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | étonne |
| nous | étonnons |
| vous | étonnez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- étonnant
- Past participle
- étonné · étonnée · étonnés · étonnées
Examples
.
His answer astonished me a great deal.
.
That does not surprise me in the least, coming from him.
.
She is always amazed to see me arrive on time.
.
That little boy amazes his teachers.
.
Do not be surprised if the train is late.
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French · Free printables
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Free printable study downloads for the French word "étonner" (to astonish, to amaze): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free week (no card)This word is taught in chapter 19, lesson 7: étonner, singe, pizza and 7 more words.