dépasses

Dépasses is a conjugated form of the French verb dépasser. It functions as the second-person singular present indicative form (tu dépasses) and, in the subjunctive mood, as the second-person singular present subjunctive form (que tu dépasses).

The verb dépasser means to surpass, to overtake, or to exceed. It is used in a wide range of contexts, including speed limits, performance, time, measurements, and quantities. Examples include: Tu dépasses les autres dans la course. Il faut que tu dépasses ton ancien record. In everyday language, it conveys going beyond a boundary or achieving more than a given benchmark.

Morphology and usage notes: dépasses carries the diacritic on the initial e of the prefix dé-, reflecting the etymology from dé- plus passer. The form can appear in affirmative statements (indicative) or in clauses requiring the subjunctive, such as after expressions like Il faut que ou Bien que, where the meaning is “you surpass” or “you may surpass.”

Etymology and history: the verb dépasser comes from Old French despasser or dépasser, formed with the prefix dé- added to passer (to pass). The sense developed to include going beyond a limit or overtaking another, and dépendant forms like dépasses appeared as part of the standard conjugation in Middle French and modern French.

See also: surpass, exceed, overtake, passer. The word dépas­ses is not a noun or a proper name; it is a grammatical form used to express the action of surpassing by the second-person singular.