/ɛ̃s.pi.ʁe/
Translation
to inspire
Word origin
From Latin inspirare ('to breathe into'), from in- ('into') plus spirare ('to breathe'). The same root gives English inspire, spirit and respire.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- inspirare
- English cognates
- inspire, spirit, respire
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | inspire | inspirais | inspirai | inspirerai | inspirerais |
| tu | inspires | inspirais | inspiras | inspireras | inspirerais |
| il/elle | inspire | inspirait | inspira | inspirera | inspirerait |
| nous | inspirons | inspirions | inspirâmes | inspirerons | inspirerions |
| vous | inspirez | inspiriez | inspirâtes | inspirerez | inspireriez |
| ils/elles | inspirent | inspiraient | inspirèrent | inspireront | inspireraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | inspire | inspirasse |
| tu | inspires | inspirasses |
| il/elle | inspire | inspirât |
| nous | inspirions | inspirassions |
| vous | inspiriez | inspirassiez |
| ils/elles | inspirent | inspirassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | inspire |
| nous | inspirons |
| vous | inspirez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- inspirant
- Past participle
- inspiré · inspirée · inspirés · inspirées
Examples
' .
This landscape inspires me a great deal for my paintings.
' .
She often draws inspiration from her travels when writing.
l'.
Her courage inspired the whole team.
The reflexive form s'inspirer de ("to draw inspiration from") is at least as common as the plain verb: elle s'inspire de ses voyages, not elle inspire de ses voyages. Keep the two constructions separate - inspirer quelqu'un (to inspire someone) takes a direct object with no preposition, while s'inspirer de quelque chose (to be inspired by something) needs de.
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inspirer: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "inspirer" (to inspire): 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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