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Verb conjugation

cornaquer

to guide, to serve as a guide

Usage

Cornaquer literally means to lead an elephant as a cornac (mahout) does, and figuratively means to guide, steer, or closely manage someone through a process — often with a hint of control (cornaquer un candidat pendant une campagne).

Examples
  • Son équipe le cornaque pendant toute la campagne électorale.His team steers him through the whole election campaign.
  • Le mahout cornaque l'éléphant à travers la jungle.The mahout guides the elephant through the jungle.
  • Elle a été cornaquée par des conseillers expérimentés.She was closely guided by experienced advisers.
Common mistake

The figurative sense often carries a slightly negative shade of being handled or controlled, not just helped — it's frequently used in political journalism about a candidate being carefully managed.

Simple tenses

Present

jecornaque
tucornaques
il/ellecornaque
nouscornaquons
vouscornaquez
ils/ellescornaquent

Imperfect

jecornaquais
tucornaquais
il/ellecornaquait
nouscornaquions
vouscornaquiez
ils/ellescornaquaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jecornaquai
tucornaquas
il/ellecornaqua
nouscornaquâmes
vouscornaquâtes
ils/ellescornaquèrent

Future

jecornaquerai
tucornaqueras
il/ellecornaquera
nouscornaquerons
vouscornaquerez
ils/ellescornaqueront

Conditional

jecornaquerais
tucornaquerais
il/ellecornaquerait
nouscornaquerions
vouscornaqueriez
ils/ellescornaqueraient

Subjunctive

jecornaque
tucornaques
il/ellecornaque
nouscornaquions
vouscornaquiez
ils/ellescornaquent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jecornaquasse
tucornaquasses
il/ellecornaquât
nouscornaquassions
vouscornaquassiez
ils/ellescornaquassent

Imperative

tucornaque
nouscornaquons
vouscornaquez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie cornaqué
nousayons cornaqué
vousayez cornaqué

Other

Present participle

cornaquant

Past participle

cornaqué

Infinitive

cornaquer

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "cornaquer" mean?

"cornaquer" means "to guide, to serve as a guide".

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

The present of "cornaquer" is: je cornaque, tu cornaques, il/elle cornaque, nous cornaquons, vous cornaquez, ils/elles cornaquent.

What is the Passé composé of "cornaquer"?

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

What is the Imperative of "cornaquer"?

The imperative of "cornaquer" is: tu cornaque, nous cornaquons, vous cornaquez.