rester

Rester is a French verb meaning to stay, remain, or continue to be in a place or state. It is used to describe physical staying, the persistence of a condition, or the continuation of an action. The form and meaning are common across many contexts, from everyday movement to abstract situations such as remaining calm or unchanged.

Etymology and forms: Rester derives from Latin restāre, related to the notion of standing or staying back. In French it is a regular -er verb in many of its tense forms, with the same endings as other -er verbs but with some stem adjustments in certain tenses. The infinitive is rester; the present participle is restant; the past participle is resté (with gender and number agreement: resté, restée, restés, restées).

Conjugation in key tenses: Present: je reste, tu restes, il/elle reste, nous restons, vous restez, ils/elles restent. Imperfect: je restais, tu restais, il restait, nous restions, vous restiez, ils restaient. Future: je resterai, tu resteras, il restera, nous resterons, vous resterez, ils resteront. Passé composé uses auxiliary être: je suis resté(e), tu es resté(e), il est resté, elle est restée, nous sommes resté(e)s, vous êtes resté(e)s, ils sont restés, elles sont restées.

Usage and examples: Common phrases include retourner, “Il reste deux heures” (There are two hours left) and “Il me reste à faire” (I still have to do it). Other idioms include “rester calme,” “rester sur ses positions,” and “rester sur place.” Rester can describe physical location, temporal duration, or the persistence of a state or condition.

Notes: The verb forms agree with subject and, in compound tenses, with the gender and number of the subject. Rester is widely used in everyday French and appears in many fixed expressions and constructions.