comportez

Comportez is a French verb form that can refer to two related verbs in different grammatical contexts. It is the second-person plural present indicative of the verb comporter, meaning to carry, involve, or comprise. It also appears as part of the reflexive verb se comporter in its imperative form, specifically the second-person plural version comportez-vous, meaning “you (all) behave yourselves.” Because it is a finite form, comportez does not function as a standalone noun; its meaning depends on the verb it derives from or the verb’s construction in a given sentence.

The verb etymology traces back to the verb porter (to carry) with the prefix com-, used in various compounds to convey a sense of bringing together or involving. In the sense of comporter, it has developed to express what something entails or includes. The reflexive form se comporter comes to mean “to behave,” a semantic shift that is common in Romance languages where physical actions and manners of conduct become behavioral descriptions.

Usage notes and examples illustrate the distinction between the two roots. With comporter, you might say: This plan comporte plusieurs étapes (This plan includes several steps) or Les risques que cela comporte sont élevés (The risks this involves are high). In the reflexive domain, the imperative form appears as Comportez-vous bien, or more commonly Comportez-vous, instructing a group to behave properly. In standard writing, comprehension relies on context to determine whether comportez refers to inclusion (comporter) or behavior (se comporter).