dépendre

Dépendre is a French verb meaning "to depend" in English. It is a regular -re verb that follows standard conjugation patterns in French grammar. The verb is used to express reliance, dependence, or conditional relationships between entities, situations, or concepts.

The etymology of dépendre traces back to Latin "dependere," which combines the prefix "de-" meaning "down from" and "pendere" meaning "to hang." This reflects the original physical sense of hanging down from something, which evolved into the metaphorical meaning of relying on or being contingent upon something else.

In terms of conjugation, dépendre follows the typical pattern for -re verbs in French. In the present tense, it conjugates as: je dépends, tu dépends, il/elle dépend, nous dépendons, vous dépendez, ils/elles dépendent. The verb maintains regular forms across other tenses including the imperfect, future, and conditional.

The verb is commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts. Literally, it can describe physical dependence or attachment. Figuratively, it expresses emotional, financial, or situational dependence. The phrase "cela dépend" meaning "it depends" is frequently used in everyday French conversation to indicate that an answer or outcome is conditional upon specific circumstances.

Dépendre is often followed by the preposition "de" when indicating what something depends on. For example, "dépendre de quelqu'un" means "to depend on someone." The reflexive form "se dépendre" is less common but can be used to express self-dependence or independence.

The verb appears frequently in legal, medical, and psychological contexts where dependency relationships need to be described. It is also prevalent in economic discussions regarding financial dependence or market dependencies. Understanding dépendre is essential for French learners as it appears in numerous common expressions and is fundamental to discussing relationships of reliance or conditionality.