concevoir

Concevoir is a French verb that has several related meanings. It can denote the act of forming an idea, plan, or hypothesis in the mind; it can also refer to the design or creation of a object, system, or product; and it can mean to become pregnant. In a broader sense, concevoir can also express understanding or apprehension of something, as in conceiving a concept or a theory.

Etymology and related forms: concevoir comes from Latin concipere, from con- “together” and capere “to take.” In French, it developed into the verb concevoir and its related nouns such as conception and concept. The term is used across technical, scientific, literary, and everyday language.

Usage and nuances: In its most common sense, concevoir is transitive: one conceives a project, a plan, a theory, or a product by imagining and organizing it. It can also describe creative design work, as in concevoir un système ou un produit. Another important sense is biological: concevoir un enfant means to become pregnant. The verb can also express understanding or appreciation of something, for example concevoir une théorie ou concevoir que quelque chose est possible.

Conjugation and forms: Concevoir is an irregular verb in the -oir family. Key forms include je conçois, tu conçois, il conçoit; nous concevons; vous concevez; ils conçoivent. The past participle is conçu, used with auxiliary avoir to form the passé composé: j’ai conçu. Other tense forms include concevais (imparfait), concevrai (futur), et conçoive/concevions (subjonctif).