/ʁətuʁne/
Translation
to return, to go back, to turn over
Word origin
From Vulgar Latin retornare ('to turn back'), from re- ('back') and Latin tornare ('to turn on a lathe'), from tornus ('lathe'), from Greek tornos.
- Origin
- Vulgar Latin
- Root
- retornare
- English cognates
- return, turn
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | retourne | retournais | retournai | retournerai | retournerais |
| tu | retournes | retournais | retournas | retourneras | retournerais |
| il/elle | retourne | retournait | retourna | retournera | retournerait |
| nous | retournons | retournions | retournâmes | retournerons | retournerions |
| vous | retournez | retourniez | retournâtes | retournerez | retourneriez |
| ils/elles | retournent | retournaient | retournèrent | retourneront | retourneraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | retourne | retournasse |
| tu | retournes | retournasses |
| il/elle | retourne | retournât |
| nous | retournions | retournassions |
| vous | retourniez | retournassiez |
| ils/elles | retournent | retournassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | retourne |
| nous | retournons |
| vous | retournez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- retournant
- Past participle
- retourné · retournée · retournés · retournées
Examples
.
I must go back to Paris next week for a meeting.
poêle .
She turned the fish in the pan without breaking it.
' l'.
He turned around to see who was calling him.
au .
I have to go back to the office to fetch my phone.
' .
She flipped the steak with a quick movement.
est un verbe regulier du premier groupe avec deux sens principaux : retourner quelque part (to go back to a place) et retourner quelque chose (to turn something over). Se retourner (to turn around) est la forme pronominale.
Retourner a l'envoyeur (to return to sender) et retourner la situation (to turn the situation around) sont des expressions frequentes. Conjugue avec etre quand il exprime le deplacement intransitif : il est retourne chez lui (he went back home).
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(1)Grammar articles
(6)avoir or être: Choosing the French Auxiliary in the Passé Composé
French Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Conjugating French -er Verbs in the Present Tense
French Verb Conjugation: The Complete Rules with Examples
French Intermediate Grammar (B1-B2): The Things That Stop You at the Plateau
French Passé Composé: avoir or être + Past Participle and the MRS VANDERTRAMP Set
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 8.