retourner

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French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French retorner, from re- + torner; morphologically, from re- +‎ tourner.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁə.tuʁ.ne/
  • audio(file)

Verb

retourner

  1. (transitive) to turn over, turn upside-down; (in cooking) to turn
    J’ai retourné le livre pour en voir le prix.
    I turned the book over to see the price of it.
  2. (transitive) to toss (salad), turn over (earth, soil)
    Retournez la salade avant de la servir.
    Toss the salad before serving it.
  3. (transitive) to return, send back (an object)
    Il faut que vous retourniez le document.
    You need to return the document.
  4. (intransitive) to return, go back (to/from a place)
    Quand y êtes-vous retourné(e)(s) ?
    When did you go back there?
  5. (intransitive) to return, revert (à to) (a state etc)
  6. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to turn over; to overturn, capsize
  7. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to turn round (turn one's head)
  8. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to be reversed, be turned round (of a situation etc.)
  9. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to get organised

Usage notes

  • This verb uses the auxiliary verb avoir when used transitively (or with a transitive sense, even when the complement is omitted); otherwise (when it is intransitive), it uses être.
    elle est retournée chez elle ― she went back to her house
    elle a retourné sa chaise ― she turned her chair over

Conjugation

Conjugation of retourner (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple retourner
compound avoir or être + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple retournant
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɑ̃/
compound ayant or étant + past participle
past participle retourné
/ʁə.tuʁ.ne/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present retourne
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		retournes
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		retourne
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		retournons
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɔ̃/ 		retournez
/ʁə.tuʁ.ne/ 		retournent
/ʁə.tuʁn/
imperfect retournais
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɛ/ 		retournais
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɛ/ 		retournait
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɛ/ 		retournions
/ʁə.tuʁ.njɔ̃/ 		retourniez
/ʁə.tuʁ.nje/ 		retournaient
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɛ/
past historic2 retournai
/ʁə.tuʁ.ne/ 		retournas
/ʁə.tuʁ.na/ 		retourna
/ʁə.tuʁ.na/ 		retournâmes
/ʁə.tuʁ.nam/ 		retournâtes
/ʁə.tuʁ.nat/ 		retournèrent
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɛʁ/
future retournerai
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁe/ 		retourneras
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁa/ 		retournera
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁa/ 		retournerons
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁɔ̃/ 		retournerez
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁe/ 		retourneront
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁɔ̃/
conditional retournerais
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁɛ/ 		retournerais
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁɛ/ 		retournerait
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁɛ/ 		retournerions
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁjɔ̃/ 		retourneriez
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁje/ 		retourneraient
/ʁə.tuʁ.nə.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir or être + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir or être + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir or être + past participle
future perfect future of avoir or être + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir or être + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present retourne
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		retournes
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		retourne
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		retournions
/ʁə.tuʁ.njɔ̃/ 		retourniez
/ʁə.tuʁ.nje/ 		retournent
/ʁə.tuʁn/
imperfect2 retournasse
/ʁə.tuʁ.nas/ 		retournasses
/ʁə.tuʁ.nas/ 		retournât
/ʁə.tuʁ.na/ 		retournassions
/ʁə.tuʁ.na.sjɔ̃/ 		retournassiez
/ʁə.tuʁ.na.sje/ 		retournassent
/ʁə.tuʁ.nas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — retourne
/ʁə.tuʁn/ 		— retournons
/ʁə.tuʁ.nɔ̃/ 		retournez
/ʁə.tuʁ.ne/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir or être + past participle — simple imperative of avoir or être + past participle simple imperative of avoir or être + 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).

Derived terms

Further reading

Middle French

Verb

retourner

  1. to return; to come back

Conjugation

  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of retourner
infinitive simple retourner
compound estre + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2 simple retournant
compound present participle or gerund of estre + past participle
past participle retourné
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative ie (i’) tu il, elle nous vous ilz, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present retourne retournes retourne retournons retournez retournent
imperfect retournois, retournoys retournois, retournoys retournoit, retournoyt retournions, retournyons retourniez, retournyez retournoient, retournoyent
past historic retourna retournas retourna retournasmes retournastes retournerent
future retournerai, retourneray retourneras retournera retournerons retournerez retourneront
conditional retournerois, retourneroys retournerois, retourneroys retourneroit, retourneroyt retournerions, retourneryons retourneriez, retourneryez retourneroient, retourneroyent
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of estre + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of estre + past participle
past anterior past historic of estre + past participle
future perfect future of estre + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of estre + past participle
subjunctive que ie (i’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present retourne retournes retourne retournons retournez retournent
imperfect retournasse retournasses retournast retournassions retournassiez retournassent
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of estre + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of estre + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — retourne — retournons retournez —
compound — simple imperative of estre + past participle — simple imperative of estre + past participle simple imperative of estre + past participle —
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château , Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château , op. cit., p. 180).

Old French

Verb

retourner

  1. Alternative form of retorner

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-rns, *-rnt are modified to rz, rt. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of retourner (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive retourner avoir retourné
gerund en retournant gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle retournant
past participle retourné
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu il nos vos il
simple
tenses 		present retourn retournes retourne retournons retournez retournent
imperfect retournoie, retourneie, retournoe, retourneve retournoies, retourneies, retournoes, retourneves retournoit, retourneit, retournot, retourneve retourniiens, retourniens retourniiez, retourniez retournoient, retourneient, retournoent, retournevent
preterite retournai retournas retourna retournames retournastes retournerent
future retournerai retourneras retournera retournerons retourneroiz, retournereiz, retournerez retourneront
conditional retourneroie, retournereie retourneroies, retournereies retourneroit, retournereit retourneriiens, retourneriens retourneriiez, retourneriez retourneroient, retournereient
compound
tenses 		present perfect present tense of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
past anterior preterite tense of avoir + past participle
future perfect future tense of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que jo que tu qu’il que nos que vos qu’il
simple
tenses 		present retourn retourz retourt retournons retournez retournent
imperfect retournasse retournasses retournast retournissons, retournissiens retournissoiz, retournissez, retournissiez retournassent
compound
tenses 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nos vos –
— retourne — retournons retournez —
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