succèdent

Succéder is a French verb meaning to come after in time, to follow in a sequence, or to replace someone in a position or office. The form succèdent is the third-person plural present indicative: ils/elles succèdent. The related noun successeur refers to a person who succeeds another, such as a successor to a throne, a position, or a title. The verb can also be used in a pronominal form se succéder to describe things that follow one another in time or order, as in les jours se succèdent.

Usage and construction

Succéder is commonly used with the preposition à to indicate the predecessor being succeeded: quelqu’un succède à quelqu’un d’autre. Example: Napoléon Ier a succédé à Louis XVI sur le trône. It can describe both people taking over a role (to succeed someone) and events or items following one another in time (to come after). Example: Les années qui succèdent à la crise apportent de nouveaux défis. The pronominal form se succéder expresses a succession without a specific agent: les jours se succèdent.

Conjugation and notes

In present tense, the form corresponds to the subject: je succède, tu succèdes, il/elle succède, nous succédons, vous succédez, ils/elles succèdent. The past participle is succédé and is used with auxiliary avoir when forming passé composé: Il a succédé à son père. The verb etymology traces to Latin succedere, from sub- and cedere, meaning to go after or follow.

See also

Related terms include successeur (successor) and la succession (succession). The concept is used in history, politics, and literature to describe the act or process of following one entity by another.