conduire

Conduire is a French verb with several related senses, the most common being “to drive” a vehicle and more generally “to lead, to conduct.” It can also mean to guide or manage a person, a group, or a process. The noun la conduite covers driving as activity or behavior (e.g., la conduite prudente) as well as the act of conducting in a broader sense.

Etymology and related terms: Conduire comes from Latin conducere, meaning “to bring together, to lead.” It is cognate with English conduct, Spanish conducir, and Italian condurre. Related nouns include le conducteur (driver), la conductrice (female driver), and la conduite (driving or conduct). The adjective conductif is uncommon; more frequently conductif and conductrice are used in specialized senses.

Conjugation: Conduire is an irregular verb of the -uire group. In the present tense: je conduis, tu conduis, il conduit; nous conduisons, vous conduisez, ils conduisent. The passé composé uses avoir: j’ai conduit. Other tenses include imparfait: je conduisais; futur simple: je conduirai; passé simple: je conduisis; conditionnel: je conduirais. The subjunctive present is que je conduise. The imperative forms are conduis, conduisons, conduisez. The past participle is conduit; the present participle is conduisant; the gerund is en conduisant.

Usage notes: In everyday French, conduire refers to operating a vehicle but also to directing activities or leading people or projects (conduire un projet, conduire une équipe, conduire des expériences). It can also express deductive or causal outcomes, as in Cette étude conduit à des résultats inattendus (This study leads to unexpected results).