séchappent

Séchappent is the third person plural present indicative form of the French pronominal verb s’échapper, meaning to escape or to slip away. It describes subjects that leave a place, a situation, or confinement of their own accord, and it can be used both literally (escaping from danger or captivity) and figuratively (escaping notice or consequences).

Orthography and usage notes: the standard spelling is s’échapper, with an apostrophe after the s. The present tense form is s’échappent (they escape). The variant séchappent (without the apostrophe) is generally considered a misspelling in formal French, though it may appear in casual writing or older texts. As a reflexive verb, s’échapper uses the reflexive pronoun (je m’échappe, tu t’échappes, il s’échappe, nous nous échappons, vous vous échappez, ils s’échappent).

Conjugation and examples: typical present-tense forms include je m’échappe, tu t’échappes, il s’échappe, nous nous échappons, vous vous échappez, ils s’échappent. Example: Les prisonniers s’échappent par une porte latérale. Passé composé: ils se sont échappés; imperfect: ils s’échappaient. The verb has related nouns and terms such as échappement (mechanism or act of escaping) and échappatoire (means of escape).

Etymology and related terms: s’échapper derives from Old French escaper, linked to the broader family of terms expressing escape or slipping away. Related verbs include échapper (to escape, avoid) and phrases describing evasion or flight.