percevoir

Percevoir is a French verb meaning to perceive, to sense, or to become aware of something through the senses or through cognitive recognition. It can designate sensory perception (percevoir un bruit, une odeur), intellectual awareness (percevoir une intention), or the reception of money or benefits (percevoir un salaire, percevoir des revenus). It can also mean to realize or understand something, as in percevoir que quelqu’un ment.

Etymology traces percevoir to the Latin percipere, “to seize through,” via Old French perceivre/percevoir. The form and meaning have evolved through centuries to cover both physical perception and mental apprehension, as opposed to voir (more direct sight) and apercevoir (to catch sight of briefly).

Usage notes: Percevoir covers a broad range of awareness, from concrete sensing to abstract understanding. It is often broader than voir and more precise than sentir in certain contexts. In finance, percevoir means to receive or collect, for example percevoir des impôts or percevoir un salaire. In everyday speech, apercevoir is used for a quick glimpse, while percevoir emphasizes a more sustained perception or realization.

Conjugation: Percevoir is irregular. Present tense: je perçois, tu perçois, il perçoit, nous percevons, vous percevez, ils perçoivent. Passé composé: j’ai perçu. Imperfect: je percevais. Future: je percevrai. Conditional: je percevrais. Subjunctive: que je perçoive. Imperative: perçois, percevons, percevez.