étudient

Étudient is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb étudier, meaning “they study.” It is used to describe people who are currently studying or who engage in study as a regular activity. In context, étudient can refer to students, researchers, or any group performing study-related work.

The base verb étudier is a regular -er verb. Its present tense conjugation is: j'étudie, tu étudies, il/elle étudie, nous étudions, vous étudiez, ils/elles étudient. The form étudient thus shares the étud- stem with the other present-tense forms and uses the standard -ent ending for ils/elles in the present.

Usage notes: French does not grammatically mark a continuous or progressive aspect in the same way as English. To emphasize ongoing action, speakers often use être en train de + infinitive, as in ils sont en train d'étudier, rather than relying on a distinct present progressive form of étudier. Étudient appears in written and spoken French in a straightforward present-tense sense, describing what a group is studying at the moment or what they study as a general activity.

Etymology: étudier derives from Old French estudier, from Latin studium “zeal, study,” and from the verb studere “to study, be eager.” The word is closely related to other Romance forms meaning to study or to apply oneself.

In summary, étudient is not a separate lexical entry but the standard present-tense form used with ils/elles to indicate that a group studies. It reflects the regular conjugation pattern of the -er verb étudier.