Introduction
The verb tordre is a fundamental verb in French used to express the action of twisting or bending something. It is commonly applied in contexts involving physical manipulation, whether it’s twisting a rope, bending a metal bar, or describing the motion of a limb.
Conjugation of Tordre
Present Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | tords |
| Tu | tords |
| Il/Elle/On | tord |
| Nous | tordons |
| Vous | tordez |
| Ils/Elles | tordent |
Imperfect Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | tordais |
| Tu | tordais |
| Il/Elle/On | tordait |
| Nous | tordions |
| Vous | tordiez |
| Ils/Elles | tordaient |
Future Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | tordrai |
| Tu | tordras |
| Il/Elle/On | tordra |
| Nous | tordrons |
| Vous | tordrez |
| Ils/Elles | tordront |
Perfect Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | ai tordu |
| Tu | as tordu |
| Il/Elle/On | a tordu |
| Nous | avons tordu |
| Vous | avez tordu |
| Ils/Elles | ont tordu |
Pluperfect Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | avais tordu |
| Tu | avais tordu |
| Il/Elle/On | avait tordu |
| Nous | avions tordu |
| Vous | aviez tordu |
| Ils/Elles | avaient tordu |
Future Perfect Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | aurai tordu |
| Tu | auras tordu |
| Il/Elle/On | aura tordu |
| Nous | aurons tordu |
| Vous | aurez tordu |
| Ils/Elles | auront tordu |
Conditional Perfect Tense
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Je | aurais tordu |
| Tu | aurais tordu |
| Il/Elle/On | aurait tordu |
| Nous | aurions tordu |
| Vous | auriez tordu |
| Ils/Elles | auraient tordu |
Present Subjunctive
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Que je | torde |
| Que tu | tordes |
| Qu’il/elle/on | torde |
| Que nous | tordions |
| Que vous | tordiez |
| Qu’ils/elles | tordent |
Imperfect Subjunctive
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Que je | tordisse |
| Que tu | tordisses |
| Qu’il/elle/on | tordît |
| Que nous | tordissions |
| Que vous | tordissiez |
| Qu’ils/elles | tordissent |
Perfect Subjunctive
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Que j’ | aie tordu |
| Que tu | aies tordu |
| Qu’il/elle/on | ait tordu |
| Que nous | ayons tordu |
| Que vous | ayez tordu |
| Qu’ils/elles | aient tordu |
Pluperfect Subjunctive
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|
| Que je | eusse tordu |
| Que tu | eusses tordu |
| Qu’il/elle/on | eût tordu |
| Que nous | eussions tordu |
| Que vous | eussiez tordu |
| Qu’ils/elles | eussent tordu |
Past Participle
The past participle of tordre is tordu. It is used in compound tenses such as the passé composé and the pluperfect to indicate a completed action.
Usage of Tordre
Common Expressions
- Tordre le cou à quelqu’un: Literally means to twist someone’s neck, but it’s often used metaphorically to mean to debunk or put an end to something (like a rumor or a lie).
- Tordre le nez: To wrinkle one’s nose, often used to express disgust or disapproval.
- Se tordre de rire: To be doubled over with laughter.
Examples
- Je tords la serviette pour enlever l’eau.
(I twist the towel to remove the water.)
- Il a tordu le câble en essayant de le réparer.
(He twisted the cable while trying to fix it.)
- Nous tordions le métal pour lui donner une nouvelle forme.
(We were bending the metal to give it a new shape.)
- Elle s’est tordu la cheville en courant.
(She twisted her ankle while running.)
- Vous avez tordu la vérité dans votre récit.
(You twisted the truth in your story.)
Conclusion
The verb tordre is an essential tool in describing actions of twisting or bending in French. Whether it's used in a literal sense to describe physical manipulation or in a figurative way to convey distortion or alteration, tordre adds a vivid layer of detail to communication.
