Décrives

Décrives is a French verb form: it is the second-person singular present subjunctive of the verb décrire, meaning "to describe." It occurs in clauses that require the subjunctive mood, typically after expressions of necessity, doubt, wish, or possibility, such as il faut que tu décrives ou Je doute que tu décrives ce qui s’est passé. It is not used as a standalone predicate in ordinary statements.

Conjugation and usage notes: as a present subjunctive form, décrives appears in the sequence que tu décrives. The full present subjunctive paradigm for décrire is: que je décrive, que tu décrives, qu’il décrive, que nous décrivions, que vous décriviez, qu’ils décrivent. The form décrives contrasts with the present indicative tu décris, which is the ordinary present tense.

Etymology and relation to other forms: décrire comes from the French verb with the prefix de- and the Latin scribere “to write.” The present subjunctive forms, including décrives, follow the standard endings for -re verbs in the subjunctive: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent, with the root décriv- plus appropriate endings. In everyday speech, descrives is more likely to be encountered in written or formal contexts, within subordinate clauses.

Examples: “Il faut que tu décrives ta méthode en détail.” “Je ne suis pas sûr que tu décrives exactement ce qui s’est passé.” The form décrives is the second-person singular present subjunctive, while the corresponding forms for other subjects vary (décrive, décrivions, décriviez, décrivent).

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