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Verb conjugation

effiler

to thin, taper; to fray

Usage

To thin something out into fine strands — fraying a piece of fabric along its threads (effiler un tissu), or, at the hairdresser's, thinning and layering hair (effiler les cheveux) so it lies less bulkily.

Examples
  • Le tissu commence à s'effiler sur les bords. — The fabric is starting to fray at the edges.
  • La coiffeuse a effilé mes cheveux pour les alléger. — The hairdresser thinned my hair out to make it lighter.
  • On effile les haricots verts avant de les cuire. — Green beans are stringed before cooking.
Common mistake

Covers three distinct everyday contexts — fabric fraying, hairdressing, and trimming the strings off green beans — don't assume it only applies to one of them.

Simple tenses

Present

jeeffile
tueffiles
il/elleeffile
nouseffilons
vouseffilez
ils/elleseffilent

Imperfect

jeeffilais
tueffilais
il/elleeffilait
nouseffilions
vouseffiliez
ils/elleseffilaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jeeffilai
tueffilas
il/elleeffila
nouseffilâmes
vouseffilâtes
ils/elleseffilèrent

Future

jeeffilerai
tueffileras
il/elleeffilera
nouseffilerons
vouseffilerez
ils/elleseffileront

Conditional

jeeffilerais
tueffilerais
il/elleeffilerait
nouseffilerions
vouseffileriez
ils/elleseffileraient

Subjunctive

jeeffile
tueffiles
il/elleeffile
nouseffilions
vouseffiliez
ils/elleseffilent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jeeffilasse
tueffilasses
il/elleeffilât
nouseffilassions
vouseffilassiez
ils/elleseffilassent

Imperative

tueffile
nouseffilons
vouseffilez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie effilé
nousayons effilé
vousayez effilé

Other

Present participle

effilant

Past participle

effilé

Infinitive

effiler

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Frequently asked questions

What does "effiler" mean?

"effiler" means "to thin, taper; to fray".

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

The present of "effiler" is: je effile, tu effiles, il/elle effile, nous effilons, vous effilez, ils/elles effilent.

What is the Passé composé of "effiler"?

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

What is the Imperative of "effiler"?

The imperative of "effiler" is: tu effile, nous effilons, vous effilez.