mènent

Mènent is a French verb form that corresponds to the third-person plural present tense of the verb mener. It appears in the indicative mood with ils/elles as ils mènent, and it also appears in the present subjunctive after que as qu’ils mènent. The meaning of mener includes to lead, to guide, to conduct, or to bring about, and it is used with people, projects, activities, or situations.

Usage and senses

Mener expresses guiding or directing someone or something, and it can describe leading a group, a process, a discussion, or a life. Common constructions include mener une équipe (to lead a team), mener une enquête (to conduct an investigation), and mener sa vie (to lead one’s life). The phrase mener la danse or mener le jeu conveys guiding or controlling a situation. In idiomatic expressions, it can convey influence or initiative, for example, “ils mènent le débat” (they lead the discussion).

Conjugation and orthography

As part of the -er verb family with stem-changing patterns, the present tense forms of mener are: je mène, tu mènes, il/elle mène, nous menons, vous menez, ils/elles mènent. Note that the singular forms have a grave accent on the first e (mène, mènes, Mène), while the plural forms are written without that accent on the base form in menons and menez, though they share the same pronunciation pattern. The third-person plural form mènent is used in both the indicative and, with que, the present subjunctive (qu’ils mènent).

Related terms

The noun meneur (masculine) or meneuse (feminine) denotes a leader or someone who directs others. Related verbs include diriger (to direct) and conduire (to drive or lead). See also phrases such as mener une vie, mener la barque, and mener à bien.