French conjugation explanation

The two dots (ï) in haïr-type verbs

<p>A few French verbs, such as

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/ha%C3%AFr/" title="Click to see conjugations for haïr" target="_blank">haïr</a>

(to hate), <span style="font-style: italic;">s'amuïr</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">ouïr</span>, carry <strong>two dots over the i (ï)</strong>, called a <span style="font-style: italic;">tréma</span>. The dots tell you to pronounce the vowel before it and the <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> as <strong>two separate sounds</strong>: <span style="font-style: italic;">haïssons</span> sounds like "a-i", not like the single sound of <span style="font-style: italic;">aimer</span>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The present singular drops the dots</div>

<p>In the singular forms of the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/25/" target="_blank">Present</a>

, the ending is squeezed into one syllable and the tréma disappears: <span style="font-style: italic;">je <strong>hais</strong>, tu <strong>hais</strong>, il <strong>hait</strong></span>.</p>

<p>In <strong>every other form, of every tense</strong>, the two dots stay: <span style="font-style: italic;">nous ha<strong>ï</strong>ssons, vous ha<strong>ï</strong>ssez, ils ha<strong>ï</strong>ssent, je ha<strong>ï</strong>ssais, je ha<strong>ï</strong>rai</span>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <span class="green_emphasis">hait</span> les lundis. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He hates Mondays.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Present singular &#8594; plain i: <span style="font-style: italic;">hait</span>, not <span style="font-style: italic;">haït</span>.)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nous <span class="green_emphasis">haïssons</span> le mensonge. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We hate lying.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The tréma replaces the circumflex</div>

<p>In the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/35/" target="_blank">Past Historic</a>

and the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/30/" target="_blank">Imperfect Subjunctive</a>

, regular verbs take a <strong>circumflex (î)</strong> in certain forms: <span style="font-style: italic;">nous fin<strong>î</strong>mes, il fin<strong>î</strong>t</span>. Verbs in <span style="font-style: italic;">-ïr</span> keep their <strong>tréma instead</strong>; an i never carries both accents: <span style="font-style: italic;">nous ha<strong>ï</strong>mes, vous ha<strong>ï</strong>tes, il ha<strong>ï</strong>t</span>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <span class="green_emphasis">haït</span> son rival dès leur première rencontre. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He hated his rival from their very first meeting.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Past Historic &#8594; <span style="font-style: italic;">haït</span> with two dots, not <span style="font-style: italic;">haît</span> with a circumflex.)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Quick reference</div>

<ul>

<li>Present singular &#8594; plain i: <span style="font-style: italic;">je hais, tu hais, il hait</span>.</li>

<li>All other forms &#8594; keep the two dots: <span style="font-style: italic;">haïssons, haïssais, haïrai</span>.</li>

<li>Where other verbs take <span style="font-style: italic;">î</span> (Past Historic, Imperfect Subjunctive) &#8594; write <span style="font-style: italic;">ï</span>, never <span style="font-style: italic;">î</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">haïmes, haïtes, haït</span>.</li>

</ul>