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FRENCH VERB

se taire

to be quiet

  • #283 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: tu
  • Present participle: se taisant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use se taire

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

  1. Present

    Quand il est fâché, il se tait pendant des heures.

    When he's angry, he goes quiet for hours.

  2. Past

    Tout le monde s'est tu quand elle est entrée.

    Everyone went quiet when she came in.

  3. Imperfect

    En classe, on se taisait dès que le prof arrivait.

    In class we went quiet as soon as the teacher arrived.

  4. Future

    Je me tairai, promis, je ne dirai rien à personne.

    I'll keep quiet, I promise, I won't tell anyone.

  5. Conditional

    À ta place, je me tairais et j'écouterais.

    In your place, I'd keep quiet and listen.

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'aimerais que vous vous taisiez deux minutes.

    I'd like you to be quiet for two minutes.

  7. Imperative

    Taisez-vous un peu, le film commence !

    Be quiet now, the film is starting!

Good to know

  • Tais-toi ! is be quiet, said to a friend or a child; to a stranger it is rude.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -re verb.