← All verbs
Verb conjugation

divertir

to amuse; to entertain; to distract

Usage

"To entertain" or "to amuse" (ce spectacle divertit toute la famille), and reflexively se divertir for having fun or being entertained — a word carrying real philosophical weight in French thanks to Pascal's concept of divertissement.

Examples
  • Ce spectacle divertit petits et grands. — This show entertains young and old alike.
  • Elle cherche juste à se divertir un peu. — She's just looking to unwind a little.
  • Le clown divertissait les enfants dans la salle d'attente. — The clown was entertaining the children in the waiting room.
Common mistake

In philosophy classes, divertissement (from this verb) means something much heavier than "entertainment" — Pascal used it for humanity's whole strategy of avoiding confrontation with mortality through distraction.

In real life
  • book Pensées — Blaise Pascal's posthumously published Pensées develops "le divertissement" — humans fleeing awareness of their mortal condition through constant activity and distraction — into one of French philosophy's most cited concepts.

Simple tenses

Present

jedivertis
tudivertis
il/elledivertit
nousdivertissons
vousdivertissez
ils/ellesdivertissent

Imperfect

jedivertissais
tudivertissais
il/elledivertissait
nousdivertissions
vousdivertissiez
ils/ellesdivertissaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jedivertis
tudivertis
il/elledivertit
nousdivertîmes
vousdivertîtes
ils/ellesdivertirent

Future

jedivertirai
tudivertiras
il/elledivertira
nousdivertirons
vousdivertirez
ils/ellesdivertiront

Conditional

jedivertirais
tudivertirais
il/elledivertirait
nousdivertirions
vousdivertiriez
ils/ellesdivertiraient

Subjunctive

jedivertisse
tudivertisses
il/elledivertisse
nousdivertissions
vousdivertissiez
ils/ellesdivertissent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jedivertisse
tudivertisses
il/elledivertît
nousdivertissions
vousdivertissiez
ils/ellesdivertissent

Imperative

tudivertis
nousdivertissons
vousdivertissez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie diverti
nousayons diverti
vousayez diverti

Other

Present participle

divertissant

Past participle

diverti

Infinitive

divertir

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "divertir" mean?

"divertir" means "to amuse; to entertain; to distract".

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

The present of "divertir" is: je divertis, tu divertis, il/elle divertit, nous divertissons, vous divertissez, ils/elles divertissent.

What is the Passé composé of "divertir"?

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

What is the Imperative of "divertir"?

The imperative of "divertir" is: tu divertis, nous divertissons, vous divertissez.