No Agenda Just Life: French Verb of Day.5 of Blogging A to Z Challenge

Salut mes amis!

The verb of the day is Écrire. I am writing this post in the same format as the first post of this challenge. Again, if you find any correction, please do not hesitate to point out. I am a French language learner, not a teacher. I'd appreciate the courteous and constructive feedback." I have divided the post into these main sections:

Pronunciation Link
Meaning of this Verb
Conjugation of the verb in different tenses and moods
Let's write a little French with this verb
Commonly used phrases with this verb
Proverb with this verb
Appearance of this verb in any song or textbook

Now, let's write as much as we can about the verb "Écrire."

Pronunciation Link

To know the correct pronunciation of this verb, click here.

Meaning of the Verb

The meaning of the verb "écrire" is "write."As I am taking this challenge named "Blogging A to Z," it is rather clear that I love to write; therefore, this is my verb of choice.

Conjugation of this verb in various tenses and moods

1. Indicatif – Generally, Indicatif is used to state facts.

Présent – It is similar to Present tense of English. We use this form to express facts, conditions, habits, and routine.

The sample sentences, as per my knowledge, could be:

I write whenever I can.

You don't like drama.

We love reading books.

They have money, but they do not have a heart.

J'écris	(Subject) write(s) or is/are/am writing
Tu écris
Il écrit
Nous écrivons
Vous écrivez
Ils écrivent

Passé Composé – It resonates with Present Perfect and Past forms of English language. This form is utilized to a talk about the actions that were completed in the past, and we wish to draw the attention towards its results.

I went to get a manicure in the morning.

He did not go to the office today.

I did not have the courage at that moment.

J’ai écrit	(Subject) wrote(once), I have written
Tu as écrit
Il a écrit
Nous avons écrit
Vous avez écrit
Ils ont écrit

Imparfait – Imparfait form is used to write about description, habit, and actions that occurred simultaneously in the past.

It was a beautiful day.

He was having a rough day.

I used to ride a bicycle in the rain.

J'écrivais	(Subject) was writing/ used to write
Tu écrivais
Il écrivait
Nous écrivions
Vous écriviez
Ils écrivaient

Plus-que-parfait – This is the French version of “Past perfect” of English language. If you are narrating an incident that occurred in the past, and I you wish to include a detail that happened even before the time of that incident, you use plus-que-parfait form.

I had studied a lot before I could get a job.

He had practiced his speech in front of the mirror before he went in front of a huge audience.

J’avais écrit	(Subject) had written
Tu avais écrit
Il avait écrit
Nous avions écrit
Vous aviez écrit
Ils avaient écrit

Passé simple – Similar to Passé Composé, Passé simple is used to describe completed actions in the past and the actions that were interrupted in the past. Being same as Passé Composé, its examples are similar to Passé Composé.

Last year, I went to Bali.

While I was in Bali, I admired nature for hours.

J'écrivis	(Subject) wrote
Tu écrivis
Il écrivit
Nous écrivîmes
Vous écrivîtes
Ils écrivirent

Passé antérieur – This is same as Past Perfect of English language. This form is mostly used in literature.

As soon as I was in the library, I decided to issue the book “Pride and Prejudice.”

After my grandfather had worked for sixty years, he started gardening.

J’eus écrit	(Subject) had written
Tu eus écrit
Il eut écrit
Nous eûmes écrit
Vous eûtes écrit
Ils eurent écrit

Futur – Futur is same as Future tense of English language. This form comes into picture when we are either expressing an intended action in the future or making an assumption in both present and future. Also, it may be used to make a polite request.

Tomorrow, I will write a song.

You will never write a song.

Would Irine help me with the song?

If you ask her, you will know.

J'écrirai	(Subject) will write
Tu écriras
Il écrira
Nous écrirons
Vous écrirez
Ils écriront

Futur antérieur – Remember future perfect tense? Futur antérieur is its brother :) When you are imagining or considering something to happen in the future or something that might have happened in the past, you use this form.

He'll probably have had three boxes of cereal or he had drank three cartons of milk. (I know it's a stupid sentence, but I couldn't think of something else.)

By the time we'll reach, they will have hidden the evidence. (Crime investigation drama kicking in!)

J’aurai écrit	(Subject) will have written
Tu auras écrit
Il aura écrit
Nous aurons écrit
Vous aurez écrit
Ils auront écrit

Future proche – Future Proche form is used to describe an event or action that is either definite to occur in a short while or planned to happen in the future.

I am going to get a laptop in two minutes. (I'm not :( )

My sister is getting ready in a minute.

Je vais écrire	(Subject) is/are/am writing/about to write
Tu vas écrire
Il va écrire
Nous allons écrire
Vous allez écrire
Ils vont écrire

Conditionnel – This mood is used to express statements of possibility and condition.
1. Présent – If we wish to express a possibility about present or future from a past point of view, then this would be my choice of sentence form.

I would like to be an author, someday.

Drashti thought that she might go on a vacation to Paris.

If she went to Paris, she could become a model.

Arun, could you stop teasing me?

J'écrirais	(Subject) would write
Tu écrirais
Il écrirait
Nous écririons
Vous écririez
Ils écriraient

Passé – Imagine that you are telling about an incident that happened in the past, where you expressed a possibility, then this is the form you need to be using. Of course, it is confusing, but don't worry. Hopefully, sample sentences will help in making it understandable.

If I had gone with you, I would have scolded him.

My grandfather would have sorted our problems if we had asked him.

*Tip – Use Conditionnel Passé in that part of the sentence that indicates a result of the action.

J’aurais écrit	(Subject) would have written
Tu aurais écrit
Il aurait écrit
Nous aurions écrit
Vous auriez écrit
Ils auraient écrit

Passé - forme alternative – This form is used in literary formats of writing. Not my cup of tea! The same thought can be expressed by using above form.

J’eusse écrit	(Subject) would have written
Tu eusses écrit
Il eût écrit
Nous eussions écrit
Vous eussiez écrit
Ils eussent écrit

Subjonctif – This mood of expressions focuses on various emotions, such as doubt, a fear, subjectivity, hope.
1. Présent the – If the main part of the sentence is in present form, then the part after que, expressing emotions, will be in subjonctif présent form. Confused? Well, hopefully, sample sentences will clear the air.

It is important to me that my family eats dinner together.

I am happy that my readers like my blog.

que j'écrive	that (Subject) write(s) or is/are/am writing
que tu écrives
qu’il écrive
que nous écrivions
que vous écriviez
qu’ils écrivent

Imparfait –If the main part of the sentence is in past form, then the part after que, expressing emotions, will be in subjonctif imparfait form. However, this form is used in literary docs. For ordinary usage, subjonctif passé is our guy.

que j'écrivisse	that (Subject) wrote or that (Subject) was/were writing
que tu écrivisses
qu’il écrivît
que nous écrivissions
que vous écrivissiez
qu’ils écrivissent

Plus-que-parfait – Again, this form is also used in literary documents.

que j’ eusse écrit	(Subject) would write/ wrote
que tu eusses écrit
qu’il eût écrit
que nous eussions écrit
que vous eussiez écrit
qu’ils eussent écrit

Passé – If the main part of the sentence is in past form, then the part after que, expressing emotions, will be in subjonctif passé form. Other than this, if we are expressing emotions about somebody's past, then too, we use this form.

I had wished that he would succeed in his hunt for a decent job.

He is afraid that he received love from everybody only for his money.

que j’aie écrit	that (Subject) wrote or that (Subject) was writing
que tu aies écrit
qu’il ait écrit
que nous ayons écrit
que vous ayez écrit
qu’ils aient écrit

Impératif – This mood is utilized to give orders.
1. Présent – There is nothing to explain here. This form is utilized in giving orders.

Take me to the mall!

Drive me to the airport!

Sit with me!

Don't talk to me!

écris	Write!
écrivons	Let's write!
écrivez	Write!

Let's Write a little French with this Verb

I write whenever I get a chance.
I did not always write this way.
I used to write in my school days.
In fact, I had always written articles before I started working.
I will be writing forever.
I am going to write an article about my team right now.
If I could make writing a habit, I would write a book one day. If I had not been a software engineer, I would have written a book already. It is important to me that I write well. Let’s write, then!

J’écris quand je reçois une chance. (Présent Indicatif)
Je n’ai écrit pas toujours comme ça. (Passé Composé Indicatif)
J’écrivais pendant mes jours d’école. (Imparfait Indicatif)
En fait, J’avais toujours écrit des articles avant que j’ai commençé à travailer. (Plus-que-parfait Indicatif)
J’écrirai tojours. (Futur Indicatif)
Je vais écrire une article sur mon équipe en ce moment. (Futur Proche)
Si je pouvais faire de l'écriture une habitude, j’écrirais un livre, un jour. (Présent Conditionnel)
Si je n’avais pas été un ingénieur logiciel, j’aurais écrit déjà un livre. (Passé Conditionnel)
Il est important pour moi que j’écrive bien. (Subjonctif Présent)
Écrivons, alors! (Impératif)

Commonly used phrases with this verb

Some of the examples with this verb are:

écrire en vitesse -dash off
fait de savoir lire et écrire - literacy

Proverbs using this verb

I did not find a proverb featuring the verb écrire, but I found a quote using it on http://french.lovetoknow.com/

En amour, écrire est dangereux, sans compter que c'est inutile.

This means that in love, writing is dangerous, not to mention pointless.

Appearance of this verb in any song or famous textbook

A song named "Le Temps Des Cathédrales" uses this verb. The lyrics of this song can be found here.

C'est une histoire qui a pour lieu

Paris la belle en l'an de Dieu
Mille-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux
Histoire d'amour et de desir
Nous les artistes anonymes
De la sculpture ou de la rime
Tenterons de vous la transcrire
Pour les siecles venir

Il est venu le temps des cathedrales
Le monde est entre
Dans un nouveau millnaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les toiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre

Pierre aprs pierre, jour aprs jour
De sicle en sicle avec amour
Il a vu s'lever les tours
Qu'il avait bties de ses mains
Les potes et les troubadours
Ont chant des chansons d'amour
Qui promettaient au genre humain
De meilleurs lendemains

Il est venu le temps des cathdrales
Le monde est entr
Dans un nouveau millnaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les toiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre

Il est foutu le temps des cathdrales
La foule des barbares
Est aux portes de la ville
Laissez entrer ces paens, ces vandales
La fin de ce monde
Est prvue pour l'an deux mille
Est prvue pour l'an deux mile