Vêtir

Vêtir is a French verb meaning to clothe, dress, or cover someone or something with clothing or material. The term is often found in literary or formal contexts; in everyday French, the verb habiller is more common for referring to dressing a person. Vêtir can also describe covering a surface or arming with a layer, though this sense is less frequent.

In addition to its transitive use, the reflexive form se vêtir means to dress oneself. The related noun vêtement refers to a garment or article of clothing, and the adjective vêtu describes someone who is clothed or clad, as in un homme vêtu d’un manteau.

Conjugation and forms: in the present tense, the verb conjugates with the root vê-: je vêts, tu vêts, il vêts, nous vêtons, vous vêtez, ils vêtent. The imperfect uses vêtais, vêtais, vêtait, vêtions, vêtiez, vêtaient. The past participle is vêtu (masc. sing.), with feminine and plural forms vêtue, vêtus, vêtues. The passé composé typically employs avoir: j’ai vêtu. There is also an infinitive passé avoir vêtu. The verb’s past participle is commonly encountered adjectivally in phrases such as un homme vêtu d’un manteau.

Etymology: vêtir derives from Old French vestir and ultimately from Latin vestire, related to vestis meaning garment. The word is cognate with related terms across Romance languages and connects to the noun vêtement and the adjective vêtu.