concourir

Concourir is a French verb meaning to take part in a competition or to contribute to a result. It is commonly used to express participation in a contest or race, as well as to indicate that something contributes to an outcome.

Etymology and meaning nuances: concourir comes from con- (together) and courir (to run), ultimately from Latin currere. The primary sense is to participate in a contest or event. The verb is also used in the sense of contributing toward a result, often with the preposition à or pour, as in concourir à une victoire or concourir pour un prix.

Usage and constructions: In everyday usage, concourir is used to indicate participation in a competition or selection process. Examples include: “Plusieurs équipes concourent pour le titre,” meaning several teams are competing for the title. It can also mean to contribute to a broader outcome, as in “ces facteurs concourent à expliquer le phénomène.” The phrase “à” is common when describing participation in a competition, while “pour” can be used to express competing for an award or position.

Conjugation overview: Concourir is a regular -ir verb with standard endings, though it is irregular in some forms. Present: je concours, tu concours, il concourt, nous concourons, vous concourez, ils concourent. Passé composé: j’ai concouru; imparfait: je concourais; futur simple: je concourrai. Subjonctif présent: que je concoure, que tu concourues, qu’il concoure, que nous concourions, que vous concouriez, qu’ils concourent. Participe présent: concourant; participe passé: concouru. In usage, the verb is typically used without a direct object, or with a preposition such as à or pour to link to the competition or outcome.

See also: concours, concours d’entrée, concurrent, concurrence.