perçue

Perçue is the feminine singular past participle of the French verb percevoir, meaning to perceive, notice, or become aware of. In modern usage, perçue functions as an adjective or as a participle and describes something that has been observed or understood. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, for example: une information perçue, des informations perçues, une réalité perçue.

Etymology and grammar: percevoir comes from the Latin percipere, with meaning related to grasping or taking in through senses or cognition. As a past participle, perçue can appear in compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. When the direct object precedes the verb, the participle agrees in gender and number, for instance: les informations qu’elle a perçues. If the object follows the verb, no agreement is required, as in: elle a perçu une information importante.

Usage: Perçue is common in psychology, sociology, marketing, and everyday language to refer to what is observed by people or systems. Examples include: le risque perçu par les consommateurs, les sensations perçues par l’utilisateur, etc. It can also describe abstract notions, such as une réalité perçue, an impression or understanding that exists in someone’s mind rather than in objective fact.

See also: related forms include perçu (masculine singular) and perçus (masculine plural). The noun perception is translated as perception in French; the term perçue emphasizes the subjective or observed nature of what is described.