tolérez

Tolérez is a form of the French verb tolérer, meaning to tolerate or endure. It is used in present tense with the pronoun vous, or as a formal imperative when addressing one or more people. The word can thus appear in general statements about tolerance or as a command to tolerate something.

Tolérer is of Latin origin, tolerare, and is conjugated as a regular -er verb in modern French. The standard present tense forms for tolérer are: je tolère, tu tolères, il tolère, nous tolérons, vous tolérez, ils tolèrent. The form tolérez specifically corresponds to vous in the present indicative, and also serves as the affirmative imperative for vous in instructions or exhortations.

In usage, tolérer and its forms convey accepting or enduring something that might be bothersome or undesirable, without necessarily approving it. Common contexts include social behavior, rules, or conditions that one is asked to accept. For example, one might say, Vous tolérez des retards, ce qui peut être disputé or Tolérez ces délais, si possible, depending on tone. The nuance differs from words meaning to approve or approve actively; tolérer implies a capacity to withstand or permit rather than endorsement.

Orthography notes: tolérez carries an acute on the é in the stem, reflecting French spelling conventions for the verb tolérer. Pronunciation places the stress on the last syllable of the word in normal speech. The form is distinct from its other persons and tenses, though homographs may occur in imperative or indicative contexts with vous pronouns.

See also: tolérer, tolérance, tolérant.