entrer

Entrer is a French verb meaning "to go in" or "to come in." It is mainly intransitive and describes the act of moving from outside to inside. The typical construction uses a location complement, most often with dans: entrer dans la maison, or with par to indicate the path of entry: entrer par la porte. It can also be used metaphorically, as in entrer en scène (to come on stage) or entrer en matière (to begin to deal with a subject).

Conjugation and usage: In the present tense, the forms are j’entre, tu entres, il entre, nous entrons, vous entrez, ils entrent. The passé composé uses the auxiliary être: il est entré, elle est entrée. Other tenses follow regular -er patterns with the stem ent-, for example, imperfect j’entrais, il entrait, nous entrions, vous entriez, ils entraient; future entrerai, conditionnel entrerais. The imperative is Entre!,Entrons!,Entrez!. The past participle is entré, with agreement in gender and number (entrée for feminine singular, entrés/entrées for plurals).

Etymology and cognates: Entrer derives from Latin intrāre, meaning “to go in.” It is cognate with the English verb enter; both ultimately trace to the same Latin root.

Usage notes: Entrer can express physical entry, joining an organization (entrer dans une société), or entering into a state or situation (entrer en vigueur, entrer en conflit). The noun l’entrée covers the entrance or act of entering, and also appears in phrases like l’entrée en vigueur (come into force).