distingues

Distingues is a form of the French verb distinguer. Specifically, it is the second-person singular present indicative and present subjunctive form, meaning you distinguish in the indicative mood or that you distinguish in the subjunctive mood. The base verb distinguer means to distinguish, differentiate, or discern.

Etymology and related forms: Distinguer derives from Latin distinguere, with the prefix dis- and a root related to separating. In French, distinguer belongs to the first conjugation of -er verbs, with regular patterns in the present tense. The present tense forms include je distingue, tu distingues, il distingue, nous distinguons, vous distinguez, ils distinguent. In the present subjunctive, the forms are que je distingue, que tu distingues, qu’il distingue, que nous distinguions, que vous distinguiez, qu’ils distinguent.

Usage: Distingues is used when the subject is you and the action is to distinguish something from something else, or to perceive differences and nuances. It is common in both everyday speech and formal writing. The verb often appears with direct objects such as “les faits” or “les opinions,” e.g., “Tu distingues les faits des opinions.” It can also be linked with phrases like “distinguer par” or used in subordinate clauses requiring the subjunctive, e.g., “Il faut que tu distingues les détails importants.”

Notes: Distinguer is sometimes confused with the adjective distingué (distinguished) or with the noun distinction; they share a common etymology but function differently in sentences. See also distinguer, distinction, distingué.