sapprocher

S’approcher is a French pronominal verb that means to come closer or to approach. It describes both physical movement toward a person or object and figurative proximity to a goal, truth, or idea. The common construction is s’approcher de + noun, e.g., s’approcher de quelqu’un, s’approcher de la porte, s’approcher de la vérité. In contrast, approcher is a transitive verb meaning to bring near something or to approach something or someone.

Conjugation: s’approcher is conjugated with être in compound tenses. Present: je m’approche, tu t’approches, il s’approche, nous nous approchons, vous vous approchez, ils s’approchent. Passé composé: je me suis approché(e), etc. Imparfait: je m’approchais; futur: je m’approcherai; conditionnel: je m’approcherais. Subjonctif: que je m’approche; que nous nous approchions; impératif: approche-toi, approchez-vous. Participle and agreement: with être, the past participle typically agrees with the subject (elle s’est approchée). The reflexive pronoun functions as part of the verb rather than a direct object in typical use.

Usage notes: s’approcher can be used metaphorically: s’approcher de la vérité, s’approcher d’un objectif. It also appears in numerical or quantitative sense: Les chiffres s’approchent de 100.

Etymology: derived from Old French aprocher, with relation to proche; ultimately from Latin proximus. See also: approcher (to bring near), rapprochement (the act of coming closer or reconciliation).