méprendre

French

Etymology

Old French mesprendre

Verb

méprendre

1. (reflexive, ~ sur) to mistake (to confuse someone for another)
2. to make a mistake
3. to misunderstand

Conjugation

• This verb is conjugated on the model of prendre. That means it is quite irregular, with the following patterns:
  • In the infinitive, in the singular forms of the present indicative, and in the future and the conditional, it is conjugated like rendre, perdre, etc. (sometimes called the regular -re verbs).
  • In the plural forms of the present indicative and imperative, in the imperfect indicative, in the present subjunctive, and in the present participle, it is conjugated like appeler or jeter, using the stem méprenn- before mute ‘e’ and the stem mépren- elsewhere.
  • In the past participle, and in the past historic and the imperfect subjunctive, its conjugation resembles that of mettre.

   Conjugation of méprendre (see also Appendix:French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		méprendre			avoir mépris
gerund		en méprenant			en ayant mépris
present participle		méprenant
past participle		mépris
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il	nous	vous	ils
simple tenses	present	méprends	méprends	méprend	méprenons	méprenez	méprennent
	imperfect	méprenais	méprenais	méprenait	méprenions	mépreniez	méprenaient
	past historic1	mépris	mépris	méprit	méprîmes	méprîtes	méprirent
	future	méprendrai	méprendras	méprendra	méprendrons	méprendrez	méprendront
	conditional	méprendrais	méprendrais	méprendrait	méprendrions	méprendriez	méprendraient
compound tenses	present perfect	Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	pluperfect	Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	past anterior1	Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	future perfect	Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	conditional perfect	Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il	que nous	que vous	qu’ils
simple tenses	present	méprenne	méprennes	méprenne	méprenions	mépreniez	méprennent
	imperfect1	méprisse	méprisses	méprît	méprissions	méprissiez	méprissent
compound tenses	past	Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
	pluperfect1	Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
		—	méprends	—	méprenons	méprenez	—
1literary tenses

Synonyms

• se tromper

Related terms

• méprise