Diriger

Diriger is a French verb meaning to direct, to lead, to manage, or to steer. It is used in a variety of contexts, including business (diriger une entreprise), the arts (diriger un film or un orchestre), sports, politics, and everyday navigation (diriger un véhicule or se diriger vers un endroit). The form can be transitive, taking a direct object, or reflexive in phrases such as se diriger vers, meaning to head toward.

Etymology and sense

Diriger comes from Latin dirigere, literally “to set straight or guide,” formed from dis- (apart, in different directions) and regere (to guide). In French, the verb belongs to the first conjugation of -er verbs and has developed a wide range of uses tied to directing influence, governance, or control as well as physical steering.

Usage notes

As a transitive verb, dirigir governs its object directly: diriger une équipe, diriger un projet. It also appears in the passive sense via être dirigé par, and in film or theatre contexts as “to direct” (a film, a production). The reflexive form se diriger is common to express movement toward a destination.

Conjugation (present tense snippets)

- Present: je dirige, tu diriges, il dirige, nous dirigeons, vous dirigez, ils dirigent

- Imperfect: dirigeais, dirigais, dirigeait, dirigions, dirigiez, dirigeaient

- Future: dirigerai, dirigeras, dirigera, dirigerons, dirigerez, dirigeront

- Past: j’ai dirigé, tu as dirigé, il a dirigé, nous avons dirigé, vous avez dirigé, ils ont dirigé

- Subjunctive present: que je dirige, que tu diriges, qu’il dirige, que nous dirigions, que vous dirigiez, qu’ils dirigent

- Imperative: dirige, dirigeons, dirigez

- Participles: dirigeant, dirigé

Related terms include le dirigeant (leader), la direction (management or direction), and le directeur/la directrice (director).