conduisent

Conduisent is a French verb form that appears as the third-person plural in the present tense of conduire, meaning to drive or to conduct. It serves in two moods: the present indicative (they drive or they lead) and the present subjunctive (that they drive or that they lead). The spelling "conduisent" is identical in both moods; the intended mood is determined by context and, in subordinate clauses, by indicators such as que that typically require the subjunctive.

Etymology and morphology: Conduissent derives from the Latin conducere, meaning to lead together, formed with the prefix con- plus ducere. In modern French, conduire is part of the irregular -uire verb group. Its present-tense paradigm includes: je conduis, tu conduis, il conduit, nous conduisons, vous conduisez, ils conduisent.

Usage examples: "Ils conduisent une voiture" (they drive a car). "Ils conduisent la réunion" (they conduct or lead the meeting). After expressions requiring the subjunctive, one encounters: "Il faut qu'ils conduisent prudemment" (It is necessary that they drive carefully). The sense of conduire—and thus conduisent—can be either literal driving or metaphorical leading or guiding, depending on context.

Related forms: The past participle is conduit, used with auxiliary avoir to form compound tenses (j'ai conduit). The present participle is conduisant, meaning driving, and the noun conduite can refer to driving or to conduct/behavior.