détachons

Détachons is a French verb form that serves two related grammatical purposes. It is the first person plural present indicative of the verb détacher, meaning "we detach" or "we are detaching." It is also the inclusive imperative form for the same verb, used to propose a joint action: "Let us detach." This dual function makes détachons a common construction in written and formal French, as well as in instructional or collaborative contexts.

As a regular -er verb, détacher follows the standard present-tense endings: je détache, tu détaches, il/elle détache, nous détachons, vous détachez, ils détachent. The form détachons therefore corresponds to the nous form in the indicative and the command-like imperative in a collaborative mood. The pronunciation features the acute accent on the first é: [de-ta-ʃɔ̃].

Usage notes and examples help illustrate its role. In the indicative: Nous détachons les étiquettes avant l’emballage. In the imperative sense: Détachons ces pièces et vérifions-les avant l’assemblage. In instruction manuals and procedures, détachons is commonly used to guide a group through a sequence of steps, while in everyday spoken French, speakers may opt for more direct phrases like “Détachez-les” or simply “Détachez.”

Related terms include détache, détachement and détaché, which share the same root and broader semantic field related to separation or removal. Détachons remains a standard par­ticiple-forming verb in contemporary French usage.