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Verb conjugation

abattre

to butcher; to slaughter for meat; to shoot dead

Usage

"To knock down" or "to fell" — used for trees (abattre un arbre), animals (abattre un animal, to slaughter/put down), and figuratively for exhausting or demoralizing someone (cette nouvelle m'a abattu). Conjugates like battre, not as a regular -re verb.

Examples
  • Ils ont abattu le vieux chêne du jardin.They felled the old oak tree in the garden.
  • La nouvelle l'a complètement abattu.The news completely knocked him down (emotionally).
  • Le fermier a dû abattre plusieurs bêtes malades.The farmer had to put down several sick animals.
Common mistake

Learners forget abattre follows battre's irregular pattern (j'abats, il abat, nous abattons) rather than a regular -re conjugation, and mix up the emotional sense (être abattu, to feel down/demoralized) with the literal one (to knock down), which reads very differently in context.

Often confused with battre.

Simple tenses

Present

jeabats
tuabats
il/elleabat
nousabattons
vousabattez
ils/ellesabattent

Imperfect

jeabattais
tuabattais
il/elleabattait
nousabattions
vousabattiez
ils/ellesabattaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jeabattis
tuabattis
il/elleabattit
nousabattîmes
vousabattîtes
ils/ellesabattirent

Future

jeabattrai
tuabattras
il/elleabattra
nousabattrons
vousabattrez
ils/ellesabattront

Conditional

jeabattrais
tuabattrais
il/elleabattrait
nousabattrions
vousabattriez
ils/ellesabattraient

Subjunctive

jeabatte
tuabattes
il/elleabatte
nousabattions
vousabattiez
ils/ellesabattent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jeabattisse
tuabattisses
il/elleabattît
nousabattissions
vousabattissiez
ils/ellesabattissent

Imperative

tuabats
nousabattons
vousabattez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai abattu
tuas abattu
il/ellea abattu
nousavons abattu
vousavez abattu
ils/ellesont abattu

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais abattu
tuavais abattu
il/elleavait abattu
nousavions abattu
vousaviez abattu
ils/ellesavaient abattu

Passé antérieur

jeeus abattu
tueus abattu
il/elleeut abattu
nouseûmes abattu
vouseûtes abattu
ils/elleseurent abattu

Futur antérieur

jeaurai abattu
tuauras abattu
il/elleaura abattu
nousaurons abattu
vousaurez abattu
ils/ellesauront abattu

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais abattu
tuaurais abattu
il/elleaurait abattu
nousaurions abattu
vousauriez abattu
ils/ellesauraient abattu

Subjonctif passé

jeaie abattu
tuaies abattu
il/elleait abattu
nousayons abattu
vousayez abattu
ils/ellesaient abattu

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse abattu
tueusses abattu
il/elleeût abattu
nouseussions abattu
vouseussiez abattu
ils/elleseussent abattu

Impératif passé

tuaie abattu
nousayons abattu
vousayez abattu

Other

Present participle

abattant

Past participle

abattu

Infinitive

abattre

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "abattre" mean?

"abattre" means "to butcher; to slaughter for meat; to shoot dead".

How do you conjugate "abattre" in the present tense?

The present of "abattre" is: je abats, tu abats, il/elle abat, nous abattons, vous abattez, ils/elles abattent.

What is the Passé composé of "abattre"?

The passé composé of "abattre" is: je ai abattu, tu as abattu, il/elle a abattu, nous avons abattu, vous avez abattu, ils/elles ont abattu.

What is the Imperative of "abattre"?

The imperative of "abattre" is: tu abats, nous abattons, vous abattez.