déclarer

Déclarer is a French verb meaning to declare, announce, or state. It is an irregular verb of the first group, conjugated with the auxiliary verb avoir in compound tenses. In the present indicative, the forms are: je déclare, tu declares, il/elle déclare, nous déclarons, vous déclarez, ils/elles déclarent. The past participle is déclaré. The verb is also used in legal contexts, such as “déclarer un sinistre” (to report a claim), “déclarer une perte” (to report a loss), and “déclarer l’incapacité” (to declare disability). In everyday usage, it can denote making a statement to an authority: “le citoyen a déclaré son identité” (the citizen declared his identity).

Déclarer is frequently paired with prepositions like à, de, pour, and à. For instance, “déclarer à la police”, “déclarer de malheur”, “déclarer pour la République.” The verb also appears in idiomatic expressions. “Déclarer son amour” (to confess love), “déclarer son opinion” (to state one’s opinion), and “déclarer passion” are common. In legal texts, a “déclaration officielle” refers to an official statement submitted to a public body.

The noun form, déclaration, denotes an official or formal statement, an act of proclamation, or an assertion. Common derivative words include déclaratif (concerning a declaration) and déclarer (the act of bringing forth). The verb carries a formal connotation and is chosen when the speaker wishes to emphasize the legal or official weight of the statement.