séchapper

S'échapper is a French pronominal verb meaning to escape, to slip away, or to break free from confinement, danger, or pursuit. The standard infinitive is s'échapper; the spelling séchapper is generally considered incorrect or nonstandard in contemporary French.

Etymology and usage: The verb comes from Old French eschapper, formed with the prefix es- meaning out and a base meaning to slip or slip away. It is used both literally and figuratively: for example, un fugitif s'est échappé (the fugitive escaped), or le temps s'échappe (time slips away). A common figurative idiom is un mot m'a échappé, or ça m'échappe, to indicate something that has slipped out of one's memory or control.

Conjugation: s'échapper is an -er verb and, when used with the reflexive pronoun, follows regular -er conjugation patterns. Examples: je m'échappe, tu t'échappes, il s'échappe; nous nous échappons, vous vous échappez, ils s'échappent. Passé composé: je me suis échappé(e). Imparfait: je m'échappais. Futur: je m'échapperai. Conditionnel: je m'échapperais. Imperative: échappe-toi, échappons-nous, échappez-vous.

Usage notes: The verb covers literal escapes from locations, danger, or captivity, as well as escapes from people or surveillance. It also appears in idiomatic expressions about time, memory, or speech, indicating that something has fled or escaped one’s grasp. While s'échapper is the standard form, the nonstandard séchapper appears in some regional or historical texts but is generally avoided in formal writing.