achever

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French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Middle French achever, from Old French achever, from Vulgar Latin *accapāre. Compare English achieve.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

achever

  1. (transitive) to finish, to complete
    • 1837, Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche‎fr.Wikisource, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Chapter II:
      Ayant donc achevé ses préparatifs, il ne voulut pas attendre davantage pour mettre à exécution son projet.
      Having thus completed his preparations, he did not want to wait any longer to put his project into execution.
  2. (transitive) to finish off (someone who is already incapacitated)
    • 1920, Maurice Leblanc, chapter III, in Les Dents du tigre‎fr.Wikisource:
      Avec ça qu’elle mettait des gants, elle, pour vous attaquer ! Allons, patron, achevez-la. Une pareille diablesse !
      She had her gloves on to attack you. Come on, boss, finish her off. Such a devil!
  3. (reflexive, s'achever) to finish

Usage notes[edit]

  • False friend of English achieve (more likely to be rendered atteindre (“to attain”) or réaliser (“realize”) in French).

Conjugation[edit]

This verb is conjugated like parler, except the -e- /ə/ of the second-to-last syllable becomes -è- /ɛ/ when the next vowel is a silent or schwa -e-, as in the third-person singular present indicative il achève and the third-person singular future indicative il achèvera.

Conjugation of achever (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple achever
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple achevant
/aʃ.vɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle achevé
/aʃ.ve/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present achève
/a.ʃɛv/ 		achèves
/a.ʃɛv/ 		achève
/a.ʃɛv/ 		achevons
/aʃ.vɔ̃/ 		achevez
/aʃ.ve/ 		achèvent
/a.ʃɛv/
imperfect achevais
/aʃ.vɛ/ 		achevais
/aʃ.vɛ/ 		achevait
/aʃ.vɛ/ 		achevions
/a.ʃə.vjɔ̃/ 		acheviez
/a.ʃə.vje/ 		achevaient
/aʃ.vɛ/
past historic2 achevai
/aʃ.ve/ 		achevas
/aʃ.va/ 		acheva
/aʃ.va/ 		achevâmes
/aʃ.vam/ 		achevâtes
/aʃ.vat/ 		achevèrent
/aʃ.vɛʁ/
future achèverai
/a.ʃɛ.vʁe/ or /a.ʃe.vʁe/ 		achèveras
/a.ʃɛ.vʁa/ or /a.ʃe.vʁa/ 		achèvera
/a.ʃɛ.vʁa/ or /a.ʃe.vʁa/ 		achèverons
/a.ʃɛ.vʁɔ̃/ or /a.ʃe.vʁɔ̃/ 		achèverez
/a.ʃɛ.vʁe/ or /a.ʃe.vʁe/ 		achèveront
/a.ʃɛ.vʁɔ̃/ or /a.ʃe.vʁɔ̃/
conditional achèverais
/a.ʃɛ.vʁɛ/ or /a.ʃe.vʁɛ/ 		achèverais
/a.ʃɛ.vʁɛ/ or /a.ʃe.vʁɛ/ 		achèverait
/a.ʃɛ.vʁɛ/ or /a.ʃe.vʁɛ/ 		achèverions
/a.ʃɛ.və.ʁjɔ̃/ or /a.ʃe.və.ʁjɔ̃/ 		achèveriez
/a.ʃɛ.və.ʁje/ or /a.ʃe.və.ʁje/ 		achèveraient
/a.ʃɛ.vʁɛ/ or /a.ʃe.vʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present achève
/a.ʃɛv/ 		achèves
/a.ʃɛv/ 		achève
/a.ʃɛv/ 		achevions
/a.ʃə.vjɔ̃/ 		acheviez
/a.ʃə.vje/ 		achèvent
/a.ʃɛv/
imperfect2 achevasse
/aʃ.vas/ 		achevasses
/aʃ.vas/ 		achevât
/aʃ.va/ 		achevassions
/aʃ.va.sjɔ̃/ 		achevassiez
/aʃ.va.sje/ 		achevassent
/aʃ.vas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — achève
/a.ʃɛv/ 		— achevons
/aʃ.vɔ̃/ 		achevez
/aʃ.ve/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Middle French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French achever, from Vulgar Latin *accapāre.

Verb[edit]

achever

  1. to finish; to complete

Conjugation[edit]

  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of achever
infinitive simple achever
compound avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2 simple achevant
compound present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle achevé
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative ie (i’) tu il, elle nous vous ilz, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present acheve acheves acheve achevons achevez achevent
imperfect achevois, achevoys achevois, achevoys achevoit, achevoyt achevions, achevyons acheviez, achevyez achevoient, achevoyent
past historic acheva achevas acheva achevasmes achevastes acheverent
future acheverai, acheveray acheveras achevera acheverons acheverez acheveront
conditional acheverois, acheveroys acheverois, acheveroys acheveroit, acheveroyt acheverions, acheveryons acheveriez, acheveryez acheveroient, acheveroyent
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que ie (i’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present acheve acheves acheve achevons achevez achevent
imperfect achevasse achevasses achevast achevassions achevassiez achevassent
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — acheve — achevons achevez —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

Synonyms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • French: achever
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