How to Say "Provoke" in French

In French, the word for "provoke" is "provquer." This verb can be used in various forms, depending on the subject and tense. In this article, we will explore the different forms of the verb "provquer," provide example sentences, and discuss the word's origin.

Explanation of Forms

The verb "provquer" is an irregular verb in French. It is derived from the Latin word "provocare," which means "to summon" or "to call forth." The verb "provquer" can be conjugated in the following tenses:

  • Present tense
  • Past tense (imparfait)
  • Past tense (plus-que-parfait)
  • Present tense (passé simple)
  • Present tense (passé composé)
  • Present tense (passé anterieur)
  • Present tense (plus-que-parfait)
  • Present tense (futur simple)
  • Present tense (futur proche)
  • Present tense (conditionnel)

Examples of Usage

Here are some example sentences using the verb "provquer" in different tenses:

Present Tense

  • "Il provoque les conflits dans son équipe." (He provokes conflicts in his team.)
  • "Nous provquons des réactions négatives." (We provoke negative reactions.)

Past Tense (imparfait)

  • "Il provoquait des disputes chez ses amis." (He used to provoke disputes among his friends.)
  • "Nous provquions des réactions négatives auparavant." (We used to provoke negative reactions before.)

Past Tense (plus-que-parfait)

  • "Il avait provoqué une crise financière." (He had provoked a financial crisis.)
  • "Nous avions provqué des réactions négatives auparavant." (We had provoked negative reactions before.)

Present Tense (passé simple)

  • "Il provoqua un scandale." (He provoked a scandal.)
  • "Nous provqumes des réactions négatives." (We provoked negative reactions.)

Present Tense (passé composé)

  • "Il provoque souvent des problèmes." (He often provokes problems.)
  • "Nous provquons fréquemment des réactions négatives." (We often provoke negative reactions.)

Present Tense (passé anterieur)

  • "Il s'était provoqué un duel." (He had challenged himself to a duel.)
  • "Nous nous étions provqués des réactions négatives." (We had provoked negative reactions.)

Present Tense (plus-que-parfait)

  • "Il se serait provoqué un duel." (He would have challenged himself to a duel.)
  • "Nous nous serions provqués des réactions négatives." (We would have provoked negative reactions.)

Present Tense (futur simple)

  • "Il provoquera une crise politique." (He will provoke a political crisis.)
  • "Nous provqurons des réactions négatives." (We will provoke negative reactions.)

Present Tense (futur proche)

  • "Il va provoquer une réunion d'urgence." (He is going to provoke an emergency meeting.)
  • "Nous allons provquem des réactions négatives." (We are going to provoke negative reactions.)

Present Tense (conditionnel)

  • "Il provoquerait une crise économique." (He would provoke an economic crisis.)
  • "Nous provquérions des réactions négatives." (We would provoke negative reactions.)

Notes on Usage

When using the verb "provquer," it is essential to pay attention to the subject and the object. The subject of the verb determines the form of the verb, while the object determines the gender and number of the verb. Additionally, the verb "provquer" can be reflexive, which means that the subject and the object are the same. In this case, the reflexive pronoun "se" is used.

Word Origin

The verb "provquer" is derived from the Latin word "provocare," which means "to summon" or "to call forth." The Latin word is composed of the prefix "pro-" (forward, forth) and the root "vocare" (to call). The word "provocare" has cognates in other Romance languages, such as Spanish "provocar" and Italian "provocare."

Additional Variations

In addition to the regular forms of the verb "provquer," there are some irregular forms that can be used in informal speech or in certain regional dialects. These forms may vary depending on the region and the speaker's dialect. It is essential to be familiar with these variations when learning the verb "provquer" in French.