Translation
to walk; to work, to function
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Word origin
From Old French marchier ('to tread, to march'), of disputed origin. It may go back to Frankish markon ('to mark out, to tread') or to Latin marcus ('hammer').
- Origin
- Old French
- Root
- marchier
- English cognates
- march
Other proposed origins
- Often traced to Frankish markon ('to mark out, to press with the foot'). (markon)
- Some accounts derive it from Latin marcus ('hammer'), via a sense of beating the ground. (marcus)
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | marche | marchais | marchai | marcherai | marcherais |
| tu | marches | marchais | marchas | marcheras | marcherais |
| il/elle | marche | marchait | marcha | marchera | marcherait |
| nous | marchons | marchions | marchâmes | marcherons | marcherions |
| vous | marchez | marchiez | marchâtes | marcherez | marcheriez |
| ils/elles | marchent | marchaient | marchèrent | marcheront | marcheraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | marche | marchasse |
| tu | marches | marchasses |
| il/elle | marche | marchât |
| nous | marchions | marchassions |
| vous | marchiez | marchassiez |
| ils/elles | marchent | marchassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | marche |
| nous | marchons |
| vous | marchez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- marchant
- Past participle
- marché · marchée · marchés · marchées
Examples
.
We walk in the park on Sundays.
.
My car isn't working.
.
It is about a twenty-minute walk from the station to the office.
.
That is not how things work in this company.
.
We walked for three hours in the countryside.
est un verbe régulier du premier groupe avec deux sens principaux : marcher (to walk) et marcher (to work, to function - said of objects or plans). Ça marche ! (It works! / OK!) est une des expressions les plus fréquentes du français oral.
Faire marcher quelqu'un (to make someone look a fool, to pull someone's leg) est une expression de plaisanterie. Marcher sur des œufs (to walk on eggshells) signifie agir avec prudence extrême. Marcher à pied est pléonastique mais parfois utilisé pour insister sur le moyen de transport.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(10)Pour aller à la gare
2 min read · Core 5000
Un portable cassé
2 min read · Core 5000
Une heure par jour
3 min read · Core 1000
Perdu en ville
3 min read · Core 1000
Un après-midi de pluie
3 min read · Core 1000
Au fond, à gauche
3 min read · Core 1000
Le mensonge de Théo
4 min read · Core 5000
En rentrant chez elle
5 min read · Core 5000
J'aime bien ranger
5 min read · Core 5000
Le parcours était mal fait
5 min read · Core 5000
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French · Free printables
marcher: worksheet, infographic and listicleThe padlock and Plus mark show a Kilo Lingo Plus feature. Start your free week to unlock it - no card needed.
Free printable study downloads for the French word "marcher" (to walk; to work, to function): 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 8, lesson 4: marcher, frapper, message and 7 more words.