How to Conjugate "Cacher" (to Hide)

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When you want to say "to hide" in French, use the word cacher. This is a pretty easy one to remember because we use "cache" all the time in English: the cache of your internet browser, geocaching, etc.

Conjugating cacher into, say, the past tense is relatively easy as well. A simple change to the ending and you can say "I hid" or "we are hiding." A quick lesson in French will show you exactly how it's done.

Conjugating the French Verb Cacher

Cacher is a regular -ER verb, which means that it follows a common verb conjugation pattern. The endings for cacher change in the same way they do for brûler (to burn) or blesser (to hurt). This makes it easier for French students to learn others after memorizing the endings for one.

Use the chart to learn the simple conjugations for cacher. Match the subject pronoun to the present, future, or imperfect past tense and you're on the way to completing a sentence. For instance, "I hide" is "je cache" and "we will hide" is "nous cacherons."

The Present Participle of Cacher

Change the -er to -ant and you will form the present participle cachant. This can be used as a verb, yet it also works as an adjective, gerund, or noun when needed.

Another Past Tense of Cacher

There is a lot to remember about the imperfect past tense, so you might find the passé composé a little easier to recall. This is a common way to express the past tense in French.

To form it, conjugate the auxiliary verb avoir to match the subject. Then, add the past participle of caché to the end. For example, "I hid" is "j'ai caché" and "we hid" is "nous avons caché."

More Simple Cacher Conjugations

Beginning French students should concentrate on the present, past, and future tenses at first. As you progress, add these conjugations to your vocabulary as well.

The subjunctive is used when the verb is uncertain. Likewise, the conditional verb form is used when the action may or may not happen, depending on the circumstances. You will primarily find and use the passé simple and imperfect subjunctive in formal writing.

When you want to use cacher in short exclamations, use the imperative verb form. For this conjugation, there's no need to include the subject pronoun: use "cachons" rather than "nous cachons."

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Team, ThoughtCo. "How to Conjugate "Cacher" (to Hide)." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/cacher-to-hide-1369910. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). How to Conjugate "Cacher" (to Hide). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/cacher-to-hide-1369910 Team, ThoughtCo. "How to Conjugate "Cacher" (to Hide)." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/cacher-to-hide-1369910 (accessed March 29, 2024).