Recevoir

Recevoir is a French verb meaning to receive, to obtain, to host, or to welcome someone. It is a common and versatile verb used in many contexts, from everyday exchanges to formal situations. Grammatically, it is irregular in several tenses and has a range of idiomatic uses built on the core sense of obtaining or taking something.

Conjugation overview: in the present indicative it forms as je reçois, tu reçois, il reçoit, nous recevons, vous recevez, ils reçoivent. The passé composé is built with avoir: j'ai reçu, tu as reçu, il a reçu, nous avons reçu, vous avez reçu, ils ont reçu. The imperfect is je recevais, tu recevais, il recevait, nous recevions, vous receviez, ils recevaient. The future simple is je recevrai, tu recevras, il recevra, nous recevrons, vous recevrez, ils recevront. The conditional present is je recevrais, tu recevrais, il recevrait, nous recevrions, vous recevriez, ils recevraient. The subjunctive present is que je reçoive, que tu reçoives, qu'il reçoive, que nous recevions, que vous receviez, qu'ils reçoivent. Infinitive: recevoir; participe passé: reçu; participe présent: recevant.

Origin and related forms: recevoir derives from Latin recipere, via Old French receivre. Related nouns include réception (the act of receiving), and the past participle reçu appears in compound tenses and in adjectival form meaning “received.” The verb also yields common expressions such as recevoir quelqu’un (to receive someone), recevoir un colis or recevoir des invités (to host guests), and bien reçu (noted or acknowledged).

Usage notes: recevoir is transitive and takes a direct object, which can be a person, a gift, news, or an opportunity. In passé composé, the past participle agrees with a preceding direct object (la lettre que j'ai reçue). It covers a wide range of meanings from physical reception to figurative acceptance or achievement.