suivre/sɥivʁ/
verb · A2 · Frequency 339
verb
Meanings
to follow (literal sense); to understand what someone is saying (figurative sense)
Can be used to indicate physical following or understanding someone's speech.
to take (a course or a class)
Used to indicate attending a course or studying a subject.
Examples
Le chien aime suivre son maître dans le jardin.
The dog likes to follow its owner around the garden.
Après cette explication, je peux enfin suivre la discussion.
After that explanation, I can finally follow the discussion.
Elle souhaite suivre une formation en gestion de projet.
She wants to take a course in project management.
Collocations
- suivre une conversationto follow a conversation
- suivre un coursto take a course
Common mistakes
Nous suivez un cours
Nous suivons un cours
The present-tense form of suivre must agree with the subject: use suivons after nous, not suivez.
Related words
antonymprécéderto precede, to come before something or someone
Grammar note
The verb suivre forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. Suivre commonly takes a direct noun complement, as in suivre un cours.
verb
Meanings
to follow (literal sense); to understand what someone is saying (figurative sense)
Can be used to indicate physical following or understanding someone's speech.
to take (a course or a class)
Used to indicate attending a course or studying a subject.
Examples
En suivant le guide, nous avons trouvé le sentier sans difficulté.
By following the guide, we found the trail without difficulty.
En suivant ses explications, j'ai enfin compris le problème.
By following his explanations, I finally understood the problem.
En suivant un cours du soir, elle a appris les bases de la comptabilité.
By taking an evening course, she learned the basics of accounting.
Grammar note
The verb suivre forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. Suivre commonly takes a direct noun complement, as in suivre un cours.
verb
Meanings
to follow (literal sense); to understand what someone is saying (figurative sense)
Can be used to indicate physical following or understanding someone's speech.
to take (a course or a class)
Used to indicate attending a course or studying a subject.
Examples
J'ai suivi le sentier jusqu'au refuge.
I followed the trail to the shelter.
J'ai suivi ses explications sans difficulté.
I understood his explanations without difficulty.
J'ai suivi un cours de photographie cette année.
I took a photography course this year.
Grammar note
The verb suivre forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. Suivre commonly takes a direct noun complement, as in suivre un cours.
verb
Meanings
to follow (literal sense); to understand what someone is saying (figurative sense)
Can be used to indicate physical following or understanding someone's speech.
to take (a course or a class)
Used to indicate attending a course or studying a subject.
Examples
Je suis le guide à travers les rues du village.
I follow the guide through the village streets.
Je suis enfin les explications du professeur.
I finally understand the teacher's explanations.
Je suis un cours de photographie le samedi matin.
I take a photography course on Saturday mornings.
Grammar note
The verb suivre forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. Suivre commonly takes a direct noun complement, as in suivre un cours.
verb
Meanings
to follow (literal sense); to understand what someone is saying (figurative sense)
Can be used to indicate physical following or understanding someone's speech.
to take (a course or a class)
Used to indicate attending a course or studying a subject.
Examples
Paul suit son frère jusqu'à la gare.
Paul follows his brother to the train station.
Elle suit attentivement les explications du professeur.
She follows the teacher's explanations attentively.
Marc suit un cours de photographie le mercredi soir.
Marc takes a photography class on Wednesday evenings.
Collocations
- suivre une conversationto follow a conversation
- suivre un coursto take a course
Common mistakes
Nous suivez un cours
Nous suivons un cours
The present-tense form of suivre must agree with the subject: use suivons after nous, not suivez.
Related words
antonymprécéderto precede, to come before something or someone
Grammar note
The verb suivre forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. Suivre commonly takes a direct noun complement, as in suivre un cours.