mêlent

Mêlent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb mêler, meaning to mix, blend, or mingle. It describes the action of combining different elements, objects, or ideas by a plural subject. In everyday usage, it often appears with concrete nouns, as in Ils mêlent les ingrédients pour obtenir une sauce homogène, or Ils mêlent des couleurs pour obtenir une nouvelle teinte.

Conjugation: The present tense forms are je mêle, tu mêles, il mêle, nous mêlons, vous mêlez, ils mêlent. The verb belongs to a class with a distinctive stem variation and uses a circumflex on the first e in several forms.

Usage notes: Mêler is transitive and typically requires a direct object. The reflexive form se mêler is common and means to get involved or to meddle, as in Se mêler de quelque chose (to meddle in something) or Se mêler à une discussion (to join in a discussion). Mêlent can also appear in figurative senses, referring to the interweaving of ideas, influences, or data.

Etymology and related forms: Mêler derives from Old French mesler, ultimately from Latin miscere, “to mix.” Related nouns include mélange (a mixture) and the verb mélanger (to mix). The form mêlent shares its root with these cognates and reflects the historical development of the word in French.

See also: Mélange; Mélanger; Se mêler.