soumettre

Soumettre is a French verb meaning to subject something or someone to another thing, to place under consideration, or to submit for approval. It is commonly used in bureaucratic, legal, and administrative contexts, as well as in everyday language. The verb can be used transitively, as in soumettre un formulaire à l’approbation, ou soumettre un projet à un comité, and in reflexive form to indicate yielding or compliance, se soumettre à l’autorité or se soumettre à un examen.

Etymology and nuances: soumettre comes from the Latin submettere, formed from sub- “under” and mittere “to send, to put.” The modern sense of bringing something under scrutiny or under an outer authority reflects this history of placing something under a rule, decision, or control. The passive or reflexive forms emphasize either being subjected to or voluntarily submitting oneself.

Conjugation and forms: soumettre is a irregular -re verb, conjugated around the stem soumet-. Present tense examples: je soumets, tu soumets, il soumet, nous soumettons, vous soumettez, ils soumettent. The past participle is soumis, used with avoir to form the passé composé (j’ai soumis). Other common forms include l’imparfait: je soumettais, tu soumettais, il soumettait, nous soumettions, vous soumettiez, ils soumettaient; subjonctif présent: que je soumette, que tu soumettes, qu’il soumette, que nous soumettions, que vous soumettiez, qu’ils soumettent; impératif: soumets, soumettons, soumettez; present participle: soumettant.

Usage notable: soumettre can denote presenting an item for approval, or imposing a rule or condition. Se soumettre acquires a nuance de concession or self-discipline, often in the sense of obeying or yielding to authority.

See also: soumission, soumettre à l’autorité, se soumettre.