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Definition 2024

laisser

laisser

French

Verb

laisser

  1. (transitive) to leave, to leave behind
    Laissez le pistolet sur la table
    Leave the gun on the table
  2. (transitive) to forget, to leave alone
  3. (transitive) to leave with, to give
  4. (transitive) to let, to allow
  5. (reflexive, se laisser) to allow oneself, to let oneself

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Anagrams

Middle French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French lesser, lessier, laissier ‎(“to let, let go, leave”), from Latin laxō, laxāre ‎(“to relax, loosen”); partly from or influenced by Old High German lāzzan, lāzan ‎(“to let, let go, leave”) (German lassen), from Proto-Germanic *lētaną ‎(“to let, leave, leave alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *lēy-, *lēi-d- ‎(“to leave, let”).

Verb

laisser

  1. to allow; to permit
  2. to leave (not take)
  3. to leave alone (not interfere)
    • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 74:
      [ie] vous prie que vous me laissiez ceste bataille
      I beg of you to let me go into this battle alone

Synonyms

Conjugation

  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
   Conjugation of laisser
simple compound
infinitive laisser avoir laissé
gerund en laissant Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle laissant
past participle laissé
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative ie (may be i' before a vowel) tu il nous vous ilz, elles
simple
tenses		 present laisse laisses laisse laissons laissez laissent
imperfect laissois, laissoys laissois, laissoys laissoit, laissoyt laissions, laissyons laissiez, laissyez laissoient, laissoyent
past historic laissa laissas laissa laissasmes laissastes laisserent
future laisserai, laisseray laisseras laissera laisserons laisserez laisseront
conditional laisserois, laisseroys laisserois, laisseroys laisseroit, laisseroyt laisserions, laisseryons laisseriez, laisseryez laisseroient, laisseroyent
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que ie que tu qu'il que nous que vous qu'ilz, qu'elles
simple
tenses		 present laisse laisses laisse laissons laissez laissent
imperfect laissasse laissasses laissast laissassions laissassiez laissassent
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
— laisse — laissons laissez —

Etymology

From Middle French laisser, from Old French lesser, lessier, laissier ‎(“to let, let go, leave”), from Latin laxō, laxāre ‎(“to relax, loosen”); partly from or influenced by Old High German lāzzan, lāzan ‎(“to let, let go, leave”) (German lassen), from Proto-Germanic *lētaną ‎(“to let, leave, leave alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *lēy-, *lēi-d- ‎(“to leave, let”). Cognate with Old English lǣtan ‎(“to allow, let go, leave, rent”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 ‎(lētan, “to release, forgive”). Conflated also with Old French laiier ‎(“to leave, abandon, allow”) (compare Old Provençal laihar, laiar, Old Northern Italian lagare), also of Germanic origin, from Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 ‎(lagjan, “to lay, let lie, leave”), from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną ‎(“to lay”). More at let, lay.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɛse/

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