Devenir (Become)
Informations
Usage Frequency: High
Regularity: Irregular (Third group group)
Auxiliary: Ătre
Past Participle: Devenu
Synonyms: Changer, Ăvoluer, Se transformer
Antonyms: Rester, Stagner, Demeurer
Language levels: The verb 'devenir' is used at all levels of language, from beginner to advanced.
Connotations use: 'Devenir' generally has a positive connotation, as it often refers to growth, progress, and positive change.
Contextual use:
Oral
:
High
Formal
:
Medium
Written
:
High
Informal
:
Medium
Culture and Usage
'Devenir' is often used in the phrase 'devenir fou' (to go mad), which is a common expression in French.
Specific Grammatical Constructions
The verb 'devenir' is often used with an adjective or noun to indicate a change of state or transformation. It can also be used with 'Ă ' to indicate a future action.
Phonetic Difficulties
The 'eu' in 'devenir' can be a challenging sound for English speakers to pronounce correctly.
False Friends
'Devenir' is a false friend for English speakers as it does not mean 'to deserve', but rather 'to become'.
Pronunciation
'Devenir' is pronounced /dÉ.vÉ.nir/, with a nasal 'en' sound.
Common Difficulties
The verb 'devenir' can be confusing for English speakers as there is no direct equivalent, and it can mean different things depending on context. It's also an irregular verb, which can make conjugation difficult.
Common Errors
English speakers often confuse 'devenir' with 'deviner' (to guess). They also often forget to use the auxiliary 'ĂȘtre' in compound tenses.
Associated Slangs:
Devenir chĂšvre ( To go nuts )
Usage Frequency: medium
Context: Used when someone is losing his patience or going crazy.
- Examples FR: Avec tout ce bruit, je vais devenir chĂšvre.
- Examples EN: With all this noise, I'm going to go nuts.
Se transformer en ( Turn into )
Usage Frequency: high
Context: Used when someone or something changes into something else, usually in a bad way.
- Examples FR: Si tu continues comme ça, tu vas te transformer en monstre.
- Examples EN: If you keep going like this, you will turn into a monster.
Virer ( To turn )
Usage Frequency: medium
Context: Used when someone changes their behavior or attitude.
- Examples FR: Il a viré écolo.
- Examples EN: He turned eco-friendly.
Se muer en ( To morph into )
Usage Frequency: low
Context: Used when someone or something changes into something else, usually in a drastic way.
- Examples FR: Ce petit village s'est mué en grande ville.
- Examples EN: This small village has morphed into a big city.
Se taper l'incruste ( To gatecrash )
Usage Frequency: medium
Context: Used when someone invites themselves to a place or event where they were not invited.
- Examples FR: Il s'est tapĂ© l'incruste Ă la fĂȘte.
- Examples EN: He gatecrashed the party.
Proverbes
Qui veut devenir berger, qu'il apprenne des brebis.
Whoever wants to become a shepherd, should learn from the sheep.
Il faut souffrir pour devenir beau.
One must suffer to become beautiful.
C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron.
Practice makes perfect.
On ne devient pas vieux pour avoir vécu un certain nombre d'années, on devient vieux parce qu'on a déserté son idéal.
You do not become old by living a certain number of years, you become old because you have deserted your ideal.
On devient ce que l'on mange.
You are what you eat.
On devient ce que l'on pense.
We become what we think.
Citations
"Si tu veux devenir quelqu'un, commence par ĂȘtre toi-mĂȘme."
"Devenir vieux est inévitable, grandir est un choix."
"Celui qui veut devenir lion doit commencer par manger des lionceaux."
"Il n'est jamais trop tard pour devenir ce que nous aurions pu ĂȘtre."
"L'art de devenir sage, c'est l'art de savoir quels sont les plaisirs Ă Ă©viter."
"Nous ne devenons pas vieux parce que nous arrĂȘtons de jouer, nous arrĂȘtons de jouer parce que nous devenons vieux."
Indicatif présent
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Sentence Normal | Sentence Negative | Sentence Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je deviens (I become) |
Je deviens plus patient avec le temps. (I become more patient over time.) |
Je ne deviens pas plus rapide. (I am not becoming faster.) |
Est-ce que je deviens plus sage ? (Am I becoming wiser?) |
| Tu | tu deviens (you become) |
Tu deviens un expert dans ton domaine. (You are becoming an expert in your field.) |
Tu ne deviens pas plus attentif. (You are not becoming more attentive.) |
Deviens-tu plus confiant ? (Are you becoming more confident?) |
| Il | il devient (he becomes) |
Il devient un membre clé de l'équipe. (He is becoming a key member of the team.) |
Il ne devient pas moins intéressé. (He is not becoming less interested.) |
Devient-il plus responsable ? (Is he becoming more responsible?) |
| Elle | elle devient (she becomes) |
Elle devient plus indépendante chaque jour. (She is becoming more independent every day.) |
Elle ne devient pas moins curieuse. (She is not becoming less curious.) |
Devient-elle plus créative ? (Is she becoming more creative?) |
| Nous | nous devenons (we become) |
Nous devenons meilleurs avec la pratique. (We are becoming better with practice.) |
Nous ne devenons pas plus lents. (We are not becoming slower.) |
Devenons-nous plus efficaces ? (Are we becoming more efficient?) |
| Vous | vous devenez (you become) |
Vous devenez plus expérimentés chaque année. (You are becoming more experienced each year.) |
Vous ne devenez pas plus prudents. (You are not becoming more cautious.) |
Devenez-vous plus sages ? (Are you becoming wiser?) |
| Ils | ils deviennent (they become) |
Ils deviennent des leaders dans leur domaine. (They are becoming leaders in their field.) |
Ils ne deviennent pas moins compétents. (They are not becoming less competent.) |
Deviennent-ils plus influents ? (Are they becoming more influential?) |
| Elles | elles deviennent (they become) |
Elles deviennent des références dans l'industrie. (They are becoming references in the industry.) |
Elles ne deviennent pas moins actives. (They are not becoming less active.) |
Deviennent-elles plus reconnues ? (Are they becoming more recognized?) |
Indicatif imparfait
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Sentence Normal | Sentence Negative | Sentence Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je devenais (I was becoming) |
Je devenais un meilleur cuisinier (I was becoming a better cook) |
Je ne devenais pas plus optimiste (I was not becoming more optimistic) |
Est-ce que je devenais plus responsable ? (Was i becoming more responsible?) |
| Tu | tu devenais (you were becoming) |
Tu devenais un excellent joueur de tennis (You were becoming an excellent tennis player) |
Tu ne devenais pas plus patient (You were not becoming more patient) |
Est-ce que tu devenais plus confiant ? (Were you becoming more confident?) |
| Il | il devenait (he was becoming) |
Il devenait un Ă©crivain reconnu (He was becoming a recognized writer) |
Il ne devenait pas plus sociable (He was not becoming more sociable) |
Est-ce qu'il devenait plus organisé ? (Was he becoming more organized?) |
| Elle | elle devenait (she was becoming) |
Elle devenait une actrice célÚbre (She was becoming a famous actress) |
Elle ne devenait pas plus extravertie (She was not becoming more outgoing) |
Est-ce qu'elle devenait plus indépendante ? (Was she becoming more independent?) |
| Nous | nous devenions (we were becoming) |
Nous devenions des experts en technologie (We were becoming technology experts) |
Nous ne devenions pas plus radicaux (We were not becoming more radical) |
Est-ce que nous devenions plus solidaires ? (Were we becoming more supportive?) |
| Vous | vous deveniez (you were becoming) |
Vous deveniez les meilleurs dans votre domaine (You were becoming the best in your field) |
Vous ne deveniez pas plus conservateurs (You were not becoming more conservative) |
Est-ce que vous deveniez plus productifs ? (Were you becoming more productive?) |
| Ils | ils devenaient (they were becoming) |
Ils devenaient des leaders inspirants (They were becoming inspiring leaders) |
Ils ne devenaient pas plus rigides (They were not becoming more rigid) |
Est-ce qu'ils devenaient plus innovants ? (Were they becoming more innovative?) |
| Elles | elles devenaient (they were becoming) |
Elles devenaient des scientifiques de renom (They were becoming renowned scientists) |
Elles ne devenaient pas plus conventionnelles (They were not becoming more conventional) |
Est-ce qu'elles devenaient plus créatives ? (Were they becoming more creative?) |
Futur simple
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Normal | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je deviendrai (I will become) |
Je deviendrai un entrepreneur prospĂšre (I will become a successful entrepreneur) |
Je ne deviendrai pas un mauvais dirigeant (I will not become a bad leader) |
Est-ce que je deviendrai un artiste connu ? (Will I become a known artist?) |
| Tu | tu deviendras (you will become) |
Tu deviendras un grand chef (You will become a great chef) |
Tu ne deviendras pas une personnalité publique polémique (You will not become a controversial public figure) |
Est-ce que tu deviendras une star de cinéma ? (Will you become a movie star?) |
| Il | il deviendra (he will become) |
Il deviendra un scientifique renommé (He will become a renowned scientist) |
Il ne deviendra pas un politicien corrompu (He will not become a corrupt politician) |
Est-ce qu'il deviendra un athlĂšte professionnel ? (Will he become a professional athlete?) |
| Elle | elle deviendra (she will become) |
Elle deviendra une avocate respectée (She will become a respected lawyer) |
Elle ne deviendra pas une célébrité égocentrique (She will not become an egocentric celebrity) |
Est-ce qu'elle deviendra une actrice talentueuse ? (Will she become a talented actress?) |
| Nous | nous deviendrons (we will become) |
Nous deviendrons des acteurs de changement positif (We will become actors of positive change) |
Nous ne deviendrons pas des personnes apathiques (We will not become apathetic people) |
Est-ce que nous deviendrons des leaders inspirants ? (Will we become inspiring leaders?) |
| Vous | vous deviendrez (you will become) |
Vous deviendrez un influenceur important (You will become an important influencer) |
Vous ne deviendrez pas des critiques cyniques (You will not become cynical critics) |
Est-ce que vous deviendrez des philanthropes généreux ? (Will you become generous philanthropists?) |
| Ils | ils deviendront (they will become) |
Ils deviendront des chercheurs dévoués (They will become dedicated researchers) |
Ils ne deviendront pas des consommateurs irresponsables (They will not become irresponsible consumers) |
Est-ce qu'ils deviendront des musiciens célÚbres ? (Will they become famous musicians?) |
| Elles | elles deviendront (they will become) |
Elles deviendront des écrivaines acclamées (They will become acclaimed writers) |
Elles ne deviendront pas des antagonistes destructrices (They will not become destructive antagonists) |
Est-ce qu'elles deviendront des entrepreneures réussies ? (Will they become successful entrepreneurs?) |
Passé composé
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Normal | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je suis devenu (I became) |
Je suis devenu un meilleur cuisinier (I became a better cook) |
Je ne suis pas devenu champion du monde (I did not become world champion) |
Suis-je devenu un meilleur joueur? (Did I become a better player?) |
| Tu | tu es devenu (you became) |
Tu es devenu plus confiant (You became more confident) |
Tu n'es pas devenu manager (You did not become manager) |
Es-tu devenu plus fort? (Did you become stronger?) |
| Il | il est devenu (he became) |
Il est devenu médecin (He became a doctor) |
Il n'est pas devenu président (He did not become president) |
Est-il devenu l'homme le plus riche? (Did he become the richest man?) |
| Elle | elle est devenue (she became) |
Elle est devenue enseignante (She became a teacher) |
Elle n'est pas devenue directrice (She did not become director) |
Est-elle devenue la meilleure danseuse? (Did she become the best dancer?) |
| Nous | nous sommes devenus (we became) |
Nous sommes devenus amis (We became friends) |
Nous ne sommes pas devenus des stars de cinéma (We did not become movie stars) |
Sommes-nous devenus plus sages? (Have we become wiser?) |
| Vous | vous ĂȘtes devenus (you became) |
Vous ĂȘtes devenu un excellent acteur (You became an excellent actor) |
Vous n'ĂȘtes pas devenu sĂ©nateur (You did not become a senator) |
Ătes-vous devenu le meilleurs joueur de l'Ă©quipe? (Did you become the team's best player?) |
| Ils | ils sont devenus (they became) |
Ils sont devenus des experts en technologie (They became technology experts) |
Ils ne sont pas devenus des pilotes de course (They did not become race car drivers) |
Sont-ils devenus des leaders d'opinion? (Did they become opinion leaders?) |
| Elles | elles sont devenues (they became) |
Elles sont devenues des entrepreneuses (They became entrepreneurs) |
Elles ne sont pas devenues des scientifiques (They did not become scientists) |
Sont-elles devenues des architectes célÚbres? (Did they become famous architects?) |
Conditionnel présent
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Normal | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je deviendrais (I would become) |
Je deviendrais végétarien si je vivais dans une ferme (I would become vegetarian if I lived on a farm) |
Je ne deviendrais pas acteur si on me proposait un rĂŽle dans un film d'horreur (I wouldn't become an actor if I were proposed a role in a horror movie) |
Est-ce que je deviendrais médecin si je suivais des études de médecine ? (Would I become a doctor if I studied medicine?) |
| Tu | tu deviendrais (you would become) |
Tu deviendrais champion si tu t'entraĂźnais tous les jours (You would become a champion if you trained every day) |
Tu ne deviendrais pas pilote si tu avais peur des avions (You wouldn't become a pilot if you are scared of planes) |
Est-ce que tu deviendrais artiste si tu suivais des cours de dessin ? (Would you become an artist if you took drawing lessons?) |
| Il | il deviendrait (he would become) |
Il deviendrait président si il était plus charismatique (He would become president if he were more charismatic) |
Il ne deviendrait pas navigateur si il avait le mal de mer (He wouldn't become a sailor if he suffered from sea sickness) |
Est-ce qu'il deviendrait cuisinier si il allait Ă l'Ă©cole de cuisine ? (Would he become a chef if he went to cooking school?) |
| Elle | elle deviendrait (she would become) |
Elle deviendrait astronaute si elle étudiait l'aérospatial (She would become an astronaut if she studied aerospace) |
Elle ne deviendrait pas danseuse si elle n'aimait pas la musique (She wouldnât become a dancer if she didnât like music) |
Est-ce qu'elle deviendrait professeur si elle terminait sa maĂźtrise ? (Would she become a teacher if she finished her masterâs study?) |
| Nous | nous deviendrions (we would become) |
Nous deviendrions amis si nous passions plus de temps ensemble (We would become friends if we spent more time together) |
Nous ne deviendrions pas chanteurs si nous nâavions pas le sens du rythme (We wouldnât become singers if we didnât have a sense of rhythm) |
Est-ce que nous deviendrions écrivains si nous écrivions plus réguliÚrement ? (Would we become writers if we wrote more regularly?) |
| Vous | vous deviendriez (you would become) |
Vous deviendriez musiciens si vous appreniez Ă jouer d'un instrument (You would become musicians if you learned to play an instrument) |
Vous ne deviendriez pas policiers si vous n'aimiez pas les rĂšgles (You wouldnât become police officers if you didnât like rules) |
Est-ce que vous deviendriez comédiens si vous preniez des cours de théùtre ? (Would you become actors if you took theatre classes?) |
| Ils | ils deviendraient (they would become) |
Ils deviendraient riches s'ils travaillaient dans l'informatique (They would become rich if they worked in IT) |
Ils ne deviendraient pas boulangers si ils Ă©taient allergiques Ă la farine (They wouldnât become bakers if they were allergic to flour) |
Est-ce qu'ils deviendraient marins s'ils vivaient prĂšs de la mer ? (Would they become sailors if they lived by the sea?) |
| Elles | elles deviendraient (they would become) |
Elles deviendraient actrices si elles déménageaient à Hollywood (They would become actresses if they moved to Hollywood) |
Elles ne deviendraient pas footballeuses si elles n'aimaient pas le football (They wouldnât become footballers if they didn't like football) |
Est-ce qu'elles deviendraient ingénieures si elles étudiaient l'ingénierie ? (Would they become engineers if they studied engineering?) |
Impératif présent
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Normal | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tu | deviens (become) |
Deviens plus confiant (Become more confident) |
Ne deviens pas arrogant (Do not become arrogant) |
none (none) |
| Nous | devenons (let's become) |
Devenons plus tolérants (Let's become more tolerant) |
Ne devenons pas indifférents (Let's not become indifferent) |
none (none) |
| Vous | devenez (become) |
Devenez plus persévérants (Become more persevering) |
Ne devenez pas paresseux (Do not become lazy) |
none (none) |