Kilo Lingo

/sut.niʁ/

Line drawing of soutenir
Coloured illustration of soutenir
#1721 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

to support, to back up

Word origin

From Vulgar Latin sustenire, from Latin sustinere ('to hold up, support'), from sub ('from below') and tenere ('to hold').

Origin
Latin
Root
sustinere
English cognates
sustain, tenable, tenant

Grammar

Verb type-ir irregular (like tenir)

Conjugation

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

Indicative

Person PresentImperfectPast historicFutureConditional
jesoutienssoutenaissoutinssoutiendraisoutiendrais
tusoutienssoutenaissoutinssoutiendrassoutiendrais
il/ellesoutientsoutenaitsoutintsoutiendrasoutiendrait
noussoutenonssoutenionssoutînmessoutiendronssoutiendrions
voussoutenezsouteniezsoutîntessoutiendrezsoutiendriez
ils/ellessoutiennentsoutenaientsoutinrentsoutiendrontsoutiendraient

Subjunctive

Person PresentImperfect
jesoutiennesoutinsse
tusoutiennessoutinsses
il/ellesoutiennesoutînt
noussoutenionssoutinssions
voussouteniezsoutinssiez
ils/ellessoutiennentsoutinssent

Imperative

Person Affirmative
tusoutiens
noussoutenons
voussoutenez

Non-finite

Gerund / present participle
soutenant
Past participle
soutenu · soutenue · soutenus · soutenues

Examples

.

I want to support you in this choice.

soutient .

Her family always supports her.

.

You must support your friends.

cette .

Nobody is going to back him up this time.

cette .

We are going to support this idea.

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French · Free printables

soutenir: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the French word "soutenir" (to support, to back up): 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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This word is part of lesson 35.