The French verb "paraître" means "to appear/seem" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "paraître" across all 5 tenses. New to French verbs? Start with the French verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "paraître" in the Present Tense
Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | parais |
| tu | you (informal) | parais |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | paraît |
| nous | we | paraissons |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | paraissez |
| ils/elles | they | paraissent |
Il paraît malade.
say it EEL PAH-REH MAH-LAHD
He seems sick.
In other languages
- German Er scheint krank zu sein.
- Spanish Él parece enfermo.
- Dutch Hij lijkt ziek.
Je parais fatigué.
say it ZHUH PAH-REH FAH-TEE-GAY
I seem tired.
In other languages
- German Ich scheine müde zu sein.
- Spanish Parezo cansado.
- Dutch Ik lijk moe.
How to Conjugate "paraître" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passé composé Actions completed in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | ai paru |
| tu | you (informal) | as paru |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | a paru |
| nous | we | avons paru |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | avez paru |
| ils/elles | they | ont paru |
Il a paru content.
say it EEL ah pah-REW kohn-TAHN
He seemed happy.
In other languages
- German Er schien glücklich zu sein.
- Spanish Él parecía feliz.
- Dutch Hij leek gelukkig.
J'ai paru fatigué.
say it ZHAY pah-REW fah-tee-GAY
I seemed tired.
In other languages
- German Ich schien müde zu sein.
- Spanish Parecía cansado.
- Dutch Ik leek moe.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "paraître" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | paraissais |
| tu | you (informal) | paraissais |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | paraissait |
| nous | we | paraissions |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | paraissiez |
| ils/elles | they | paraissaient |
Il paraissait malade.
say it EEL pah-REH-SEH mah-LAD
He seemed sick.
In other languages
- German Er schien krank zu sein.
- Spanish Parecía enfermo.
- Dutch Hij leek ziek.
Je paraissais fatigué.
say it ZHUH pah-REH-SEH fah-tee-GAY
I seemed tired.
In other languages
- German Ich schien müde zu sein.
- Spanish Parecía cansado.
- Dutch Ik leek moe.
How to Conjugate "paraître" in the Future Tense
Futur simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | paraîtrai |
| tu | you (informal) | paraîtras |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | paraîtra |
| nous | we | paraîtrons |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | paraîtrez |
| ils/elles | they | paraîtront |
Il paraîtra calme.
say it eel pah-ray-TRAH kahlm
He will seem calm.
In other languages
- German Er wird ruhig wirken.
- Spanish Parecerá tranquilo.
- Dutch Hij zal kalm lijken.
Je paraîtrai fatigué.
say it zhuh pah-ray-TRAY fah-tee-GAY
I will seem tired.
In other languages
- German Ich werde müde wirken.
- Spanish Pareceré cansado.
- Dutch Ik zal moe lijken.
How to Conjugate "paraître" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | paraîtrais |
| tu | you (informal) | paraîtrais |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | paraîtrait |
| nous | we | paraîtrions |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | paraîtriez |
| ils/elles | they | paraîtraient |
Il paraîtrait content.
say it eel pah-ray-TRAY kohn-TAHN
He would seem happy.
In other languages
- German Er würde glücklich wirken.
- Spanish Parecería feliz.
- Dutch Hij zou gelukkig lijken.
Je paraîtrais fatigué.
say it zhuh pah-ray-TRAY fah-tee-GAY
I would seem tired.
In other languages
- German Ich würde müde wirken.
- Spanish Parecería cansado.
- Dutch Ik zou moe lijken.
Frequently Asked Questions About "paraître"
Is "paraître" regular or irregular in French?
"Paraître" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "paraître" mean in English?
The French verb "paraître" means "to appear/seem" in English.
How do you conjugate "paraître" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → parais, tu → parais, il/elle/on → paraît, nous → paraissons, vous → paraissez, ils/elles → paraissent.
How many tenses does "paraître" have in French?
"Paraître" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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