abaissent

Abaissent is the third-person plural present subjunctive form of the French verb abaisser, meaning to lower, reduce, or diminish. It is the form used in dependent clauses that follow verbs or expressions requiring the subjunctive mood, typically introduced by que.

Morphology and forms: Abaissent comes from the stem abaiss- plus the standard present-subjunctive ending -ent. The full present-subjunctive conjugation is: que j'abaisse, que tu abaisses, qu'il/elle abaisse, que nous abaissions, que vous abaissiez, qu'ils abaissent. The pronunciation is typically close to [abɛs].

Usage and context: In French, abaissent appears in subordinate clauses after expressions that trigger the subjunctive, such as il faut que, afin que, pour que, bien que, and certain expressions of doubt, necessity, or emotion. For example: Il faut que les prix abaissent pour stimuler la demande, ou Qu'ils abaissent le ton dans cette réunion. In informal speech, speakers may substitute a different mood or use the indicative, but abaissent remains standard in formal writing and careful speech.

Etymology: The verb abaisser derives from Old French abaissier, from bas meaning low, with the prefix a-. The present-subjunctive form abaissent reflects the historical stem abaiss- plus the regular subjunctive ending.

See also: abaisser; subjonctif présent; French verb conjugation.