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FRENCH VERB

se cacher

to hide (oneself)

  • #217 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: caché
  • Present participle: se cachant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use se cacher

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

  1. Present

    Le chat se cache sous le lit quand il a peur.

    The cat hides under the bed when he's scared.

  2. Past

    Les enfants se sont cachés derrière le canapé.

    The kids hid behind the sofa.

  3. Imperfect

    Il se cachait toujours au même endroit.

    He always hid in the same place.

  4. Future

    Tu te cacheras là, et je compte jusqu'à dix.

    You hide there, and I'll count to ten.

  5. Conditional

    Je me cacherais bien pour éviter cette réunion.

    I'd happily hide to avoid this meeting.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut qu'on se cache avant qu'elle arrive.

    We have to hide before she gets here.

  7. Imperative

    Cachez-vous vite, c'est une surprise !

    Hide quickly, it's a surprise!

Good to know

  • Jouer à cache-cache is to play hide-and-seek.

Verbs like this one

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