couvrir

Couvrir is a French verb with several related senses centered on placing a cover over something, surrounding or enveloping an area, or addressing a topic in a text or discourse. It is transitive, often used with de or sur to indicate what is placed over a surface, and it can be used reflexively as se couvrir to mean covering oneself or protecting oneself.

Etymology: The verb descends from Old French covrir, covrir, itself from Latin cooperire, formed with the prefix co- and a root meaning to cover. Over time the spelling and pronunciation evolved into the modern couvrir.

Usage and meanings: Physically, couvrir means to put a cover on or to coat a surface, as in Le toit couvre la maison or La table est couverte d’un drap. It can also mean to cover a topic or event in journalism or writing, as in L’article couvre plusieurs aspects de la question or Le journaliste couvre l’événement. In logistics or finance, it can mean to provide coverage or pay for costs, as in Cette assurance couvre les frais. The reflexive se couvrir denotes protecting oneself or shielding from cold, and être couvert de can describe a surface being covered, as in Le ciel est couvert de nuages.

Conjugation overview: Couvrir is irregular. Present: je couvre, tu couvres, il couvre, nous couvrons, vous couvrez, ils couvrent. Past participle: couvert. Composite tenses use the auxiliary avoir: j’ai couvert. Imparfait: je couvrais, tu couvrais, il couvrait, nous couvrions, vous couvriez, ils couvraient. Futur simple: je couvrirai, tu couvriras, il couvrira, nous couvrirons, vous couvrirez, ils couvriront. Subjonctif présent: que je couvre, que tu couvres, qu’il couvre, que nous couvrions, que vous couvriez, qu’ils couvrent; passé du subjonctif: que j’aie couvert, etc. Passé simple: je couvris, tu couvris, il couvrit, nous couvrîmes, vous couvrîtes, ils couvrirent.