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/pɔ.se.de/

Line drawing of posséder
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Translation

to own, to possess

Word origin

From Latin possidere ('to possess, to occupy'), formed from potis ('able, having power') and sedere ('to sit'), so literally to sit as master of something. English 'possess' and 'possession' come from the same verb.

Origin
Latin
Root
possidere
English cognates
possess, possession, sedentary

Grammar

Verb type-er regular with é/è stem change (1st group, like céder)

Conjugation

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

Indicative

Person PresentImperfectPast historicFutureConditional
jepossèdepossédaispossédaiposséderaiposséderais
tupossèdespossédaispossédasposséderasposséderais
il/ellepossèdepossédaitpossédaposséderaposséderait
nouspossédonspossédionspossédâmesposséderonsposséderions
vouspossédezpossédiezpossédâtesposséderezposséderiez
ils/ellespossèdentpossédaientpossédèrentposséderontposséderaient

Subjunctive

Person PresentImperfect
jepossèdepossédasse
tupossèdespossédasses
il/ellepossèdepossédât
nouspossédionspossédassions
vouspossédiezpossédassiez
ils/ellespossèdentpossédassent

Imperative

Person Affirmative
tupossède
nouspossédons
vouspossédez

Non-finite

Gerund / present participle
possédant
Past participle
possédé · possédée · possédés · possédées

Examples

Normandie.

His family owns a small farm in Normandy.

l' l'.

She has a perfect command of English and Italian.

peintre.

The museum owns three paintings by that painter.

.

They owned almost nothing when they arrived here.

, informatique.

For this job, you need a solid grounding in computing.

Where this fits

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French · Free printables

posséder: worksheet, infographic and listicle

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This word is part of lesson 35.