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FRENCH VERB

échapper

to escape

  • #404 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: échappé
  • Present participle: échappant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I escape
  2. tu you escape
  3. il, elle, on he/she escapes
  4. nous we escape
  5. vous you escape
  6. ils, elles they escape

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I escaped
  2. tu you escaped
  3. il, elle, on he/she escaped
  4. nous we escaped
  5. vous you escaped
  6. ils, elles they escaped

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to escape
  2. tu you used to escape
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to escape
  4. nous we used to escape
  5. vous you used to escape
  6. ils, elles they used to escape

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will escape
  2. tu you will escape
  3. il, elle, on he/she will escape
  4. nous we will escape
  5. vous you will escape
  6. ils, elles they will escape

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would escape
  2. tu you would escape
  3. il, elle, on he/she would escape
  4. nous we would escape
  5. vous you would escape
  6. ils, elles they would escape

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I escape
  2. tu (that) you escape
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she escape
  4. nous (that) we escape
  5. vous (that) you escape
  6. ils, elles (that) they escape

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu escape!
  2. nous escape! (let’s)
  3. vous escape! (plural, or formal)

How to use échapper

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Ce détail m'échappe, tu peux m'expliquer ?

    That detail escapes me, can you explain?

  2. Past

    On a échappé aux bouchons en partant tôt.

    We avoided the traffic jams by leaving early.

  3. Imperfect

    Son nom m'échappait complètement pendant la réunion.

    His name completely escaped me during the meeting.

  4. Future

    Avec ce bruit, rien n'échappera aux voisins.

    With this noise, nothing will escape the neighbours.

  5. Conditional

    Tu n'échapperais pas à la vaisselle, même en vacances.

    You wouldn't get out of the washing-up, even on holiday.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne veux pas que ce rendez-vous m'échappe encore.

    I don't want this appointment to slip my mind again.

  7. Imperative

    Échappe à la routine, pars un week-end !

    Escape the routine, go away for a weekend!

Good to know

  • Échapper à quelque chose : échapper à une amende. S'échapper is to get out of a place : le chien s'est échappé.
  • Ça m'a échappé means it slipped my mind, or it slipped out before I could stop it.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.