Translation
to grab, to seize; to grasp (understand)
Test yourself on saisir
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Word origin
From Old French saisir ('to put in possession of'), from Medieval Latin sacire, itself borrowed from a Frankish verb meaning 'to lay claim to'. English 'seize' comes from the same Old French verb.
- Origin
- Frankish
- Root
- sacire
- English cognates
- seize, seizure
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -ir (finir-style) conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | saisis | saisissais | saisis | saisirai | saisirais |
| tu | saisis | saisissais | saisis | saisiras | saisirais |
| il/elle | saisit | saisissait | saisit | saisira | saisirait |
| nous | saisissons | saisissions | saisîmes | saisirons | saisirions |
| vous | saisissez | saisissiez | saisîtes | saisirez | saisiriez |
| ils/elles | saisissent | saisissaient | saisirent | saisiront | saisiraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | saisisse | saisisse |
| tu | saisisses | saisisses |
| il/elle | saisisse | saisît |
| nous | saisissions | saisissions |
| vous | saisissiez | saisissiez |
| ils/elles | saisissent | saisissent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | saisis |
| nous | saisissons |
| vous | saisissez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- saisissant
- Past participle
- saisi · saisie · saisis · saisies
Examples
.
He grabbed my arm before I fell.
.
I did not quite grasp what you meant.
.
You have to seize the chance when it comes along.
.
The police seized the goods at the border.
.
Enter your four-digit code.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
French · Free printables
saisir: 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 "saisir" (to grab, to seize; to grasp (understand)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Part of Kilo Lingo Plus
Printables beyond chapters 1 and 2 are part of Kilo Lingo Plus. Sign up free and start your free week to download as many as you like: no card.
Start your free week (no card)This word is taught in chapter 20, lesson 10: saisir, effacer, esclave and 7 more words.