ouïr

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See also: ouir

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French ouyr, from Old French oir, from Latin audīre.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /wiʁ/, /u.iʁ/
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -wiʁ

Verb

ouïr

  1. (archaic) to hear
    Synonym: entendre
  2. (archaic) to listen
    Synonym: écouter
    Oyez, oyez, braves gens ! ― Hear ye, hear ye, brave people!

Usage notes

  • This verb is archaic, but is still found in the literary turn of phrase ouïr dire.

Conjugation

The forms beginning with oi-, oy-, or orr- are archaic.

Conjugation of ouïr (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple ouïr
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple ouïssant or oyant
/wi.sɑ̃/ or /ɔ.jɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle ouï
/wi/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present ouïs or ois
/wi/ or /wa/ 		ouïs or ois
/wi/ or /wa/ 		ouït or oit
/wi/ or /wa/ 		ouïssons or oyons
/wi.sɔ̃/ or /ɔ.jɔ̃/ 		ouïssez or oyez
/wi.se/ or /ɔ.je/ 		ouïssent or oient
/wis/ or /wa/
imperfect ouïssais or oyais
/wi.sɛ/ or /ɔ.jɛ/ 		ouïssais or oyais
/wi.sɛ/ or /ɔ.jɛ/ 		ouïssait or oyait
/wi.sɛ/ or /ɔ.jɛ/ 		ouïssions or oyions
/wi.sjɔ̃/ or /ɔj.jɔ̃/ 		ouïssiez or oyiez
/wi.sje/ or /ɔj.je/ 		ouïssaient or oyaient
/wi.sɛ/ or /ɔ.jɛ/
past historic2 ouïs
/wi/ 		ouïs
/wi/ 		ouït
/wi/ 		ouïmes
/wim/ 		ouïtes
/wit/ 		ouïrent
/wiʁ/
future ouïrai or oirai or orrai
/wi.ʁe/ or /wa.ʁe/ or /ɔ.ʁe/ 		ouïras or oiras or orras
/wi.ʁa/ or /wa.ʁa/ or /ɔ.ʁa/ 		ouïra or oira or orra
/wi.ʁa/ or /wa.ʁa/ or /ɔ.ʁa/ 		ouïrons or oirons or orrons
/wi.ʁɔ̃/ or /wa.ʁɔ̃/ or /ɔ.ʁɔ̃/ 		ouïrez or oirez or orrez
/wi.ʁe/ or /wa.ʁe/ or /ɔ.ʁe/ 		ouïront or oiront or orront
/wi.ʁɔ̃/ or /wa.ʁɔ̃/ or /ɔ.ʁɔ̃/
conditional ouïrais or oirais or orrais
/wi.ʁɛ/ or /wa.ʁɛ/ or /ɔ.ʁɛ/ 		ouïrais or oirais or orrais
/wi.ʁɛ/ or /wa.ʁɛ/ or /ɔ.ʁɛ/ 		ouïrait or oirait or orrait
/wi.ʁɛ/ or /wa.ʁɛ/ or /ɔ.ʁɛ/ 		ouïrions or oirions or orrions
/wi.ʁjɔ̃/ or /wa.ʁjɔ̃/ or /ɔ.ʁjɔ̃/ 		ouïriez or oiriez or orriez
/wi.ʁje/ or /wa.ʁje/ or /ɔ.ʁje/ 		ouïraient or oiraient or orraient
/wi.ʁɛ/ or /wa.ʁɛ/ or /ɔ.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present ouïsse or oie
/wis/ or /wa/ 		ouïsses or oies
/wis/ or /wa/ 		ouïsse or oie
/wis/ or /wa/ 		ouïssions or oyions
/wi.sjɔ̃/ or /ɔj.jɔ̃/ 		ouïssiez or oyiez
/wi.sje/ or /ɔj.je/ 		ouïssent or oient
/wis/ or /wa/
imperfect2 ouïsse
/wis/ 		ouïsses
/wis/ 		ouït
/wi/ 		ouïssions
/wi.sjɔ̃/ 		ouïssiez
/wi.sje/ 		ouïssent
/wis/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — ouïs or ois
/wi/ or /wa/ 		— ouïssons or oyons
/wi.sɔ̃/ or /ɔ.jɔ̃/ 		ouïssez or oyez
/wi.se/ or /ɔ.je/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

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Further reading

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