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Verb conjugation

escamoter

to conjure away, to make disappear; to snatch, to nick

Usage

To make something vanish or slip away unnoticed — a magician escamote une carte (palms a card) — and just as common figuratively for dodging a question, glossing over a difficulty, or skipping a step that should have been done properly.

Examples
  • Le magicien a escamoté la pièce devant les enfants. — The magician made the coin disappear in front of the children.
  • Le ministre a escamoté la question la plus gênante. — The minister dodged the most awkward question.
  • Il a escamoté plusieurs étapes du calcul. — He skipped over several steps of the calculation.
Common mistake

Escamoter isn't just "to hide" — it specifically implies making something disappear through a quick, sleight-of-hand-like move, or skating past something (a question, a step) rather than openly avoiding it.

Simple tenses

Present

jeescamote
tuescamotes
il/elleescamote
nousescamotons
vousescamotez
ils/ellesescamotent

Imperfect

jeescamotais
tuescamotais
il/elleescamotait
nousescamotions
vousescamotiez
ils/ellesescamotaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jeescamotai
tuescamotas
il/elleescamota
nousescamotâmes
vousescamotâtes
ils/ellesescamotèrent

Future

jeescamoterai
tuescamoteras
il/elleescamotera
nousescamoterons
vousescamoterez
ils/ellesescamoteront

Conditional

jeescamoterais
tuescamoterais
il/elleescamoterait
nousescamoterions
vousescamoteriez
ils/ellesescamoteraient

Subjunctive

jeescamote
tuescamotes
il/elleescamote
nousescamotions
vousescamotiez
ils/ellesescamotent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jeescamotasse
tuescamotasses
il/elleescamotât
nousescamotassions
vousescamotassiez
ils/ellesescamotassent

Imperative

tuescamote
nousescamotons
vousescamotez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie escamoté
nousayons escamoté
vousayez escamoté

Other

Present participle

escamotant

Past participle

escamoté

Infinitive

escamoter

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "escamoter" mean?

"escamoter" means "to conjure away, to make disappear; to snatch, to nick".

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

The present of "escamoter" is: je escamote, tu escamotes, il/elle escamote, nous escamotons, vous escamotez, ils/elles escamotent.

What is the Passé composé of "escamoter"?

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

What is the Imperative of "escamoter"?

The imperative of "escamoter" is: tu escamote, nous escamotons, vous escamotez.