réalise

Réalise is a French verb form derived from réaliser. In everyday use, it conveys several related notions: to realize in the sense of becoming aware of a fact, to realize a plan or project (to carry out, to accomplish), and to realize something as a production or creation. The form also appears as part of various conjugations of the verb.

Conjugation notes: réaliser is a regular -er verb. In the present indicative, the forms are je réalise, tu réalises, il réalise, nous réalisons, vous réalisez, ils réalisent. The form réalise also appears as the affirmative imperative for the tu form (Réalise !), while réalisons and réalisez are the imperative forms for nous and vous, respectively. The past tense is réalisé, as in j’ai réalisé.

Etymology: réaliser comes from Old French realiser, influenced by Latin realis meaning real or actual. The sense developed from making something real or bringing it into existence to include achieving goals and recognizing truths.

Usage and nuance: réaliser is used with concrete activities (réaliser un projet, réaliser un film), with cognitive insight (réaliser que [to realize that]), and with personal or financial outcomes (réaliser un bénéfice). The noun réalisation corresponds to the act or result of realization, such as the realization of a plan or the making of a film; related nouns include réalisateur (director) and réalisable (feasible).

See also: realize (in English contexts, where it shares semantic field), réalisable, réalisation.