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FRENCH VERB

retarder

to delay

  • #354 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: retardé
  • Present participle: retardant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use retarder

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

  1. Present

    Ma montre retarde de dix minutes, je crois.

    My watch is ten minutes slow, I think.

  2. Past

    La grève a retardé tous les trains ce matin.

    The strike delayed all the trains this morning.

  3. Imperfect

    Les travaux retardaient la circulation tous les jours.

    The roadworks held up traffic every day.

  4. Future

    La neige retardera sûrement notre arrivée.

    The snow will surely delay our arrival.

  5. Conditional

    Un détour retarderait trop le camion de livraison.

    A detour would delay the delivery truck too much.

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'ai peur que les embouteillages nous retardent encore.

    I'm afraid the traffic jams will hold us up again.

  7. Imperative

    Ne retardez pas le départ, le bateau n'attend pas.

    Don't delay the departure, the boat doesn't wait.

Good to know

  • Retarder is also to be slow, for a watch : ma montre retarde de cinq minutes.

Verbs like this one

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