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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 PenséesBlaise 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.