/tɛʁ/
Translation
to say nothing about; (se taire) to be quiet, to shut up
Word origin
From Latin tacere ('to be silent'), which also gives English tacit and taciturn.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- tacere
- English cognates
- tacit, taciturn, reticent
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular french-irregular conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | tais | taisais | tus | tairai | tairais |
| tu | tais | taisais | tus | tairas | tairais |
| il/elle | tait | taisait | tut | taira | tairait |
| nous | taisons | taisions | tûmes | tairons | tairions |
| vous | taisez | taisiez | tûtes | tairez | tairiez |
| ils/elles | taisent | taisaient | turent | tairont | tairaient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | taise | tusse |
| tu | taises | tusses |
| il/elle | taise | tût |
| nous | taisions | tussions |
| vous | taisiez | tussiez |
| ils/elles | taisent | tussent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | tais |
| nous | taisons |
| vous | taisez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- taisant
- Past participle
- tu · tue · tus · tues
Examples
Tais- , j'essaie ' .
Be quiet for a minute, I am trying to listen to the radio.
.
He preferred to keep the truth quiet so as not to worry them.
, ' .
When she came in, everybody fell silent.
trajet.
We stayed silent for the whole journey.
.
The witness chose to stay silent before the judge.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(1)Grammar articles
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taire: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "taire" (to say nothing about; (se taire) to be quiet, to shut 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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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 14.