Key facts

Ceindre

To gird · to gird/to surround/to encircle

C1Irregular
Model
peindre
Stem
ceind
Past participle
ceint

Examples

Je ceins ma veste.

I put on my jacket.

Il ne ceint pas son corps.

It doesn't gird his body.

Nous ceignions tout.

We were girding everything.

Nous avons ceint la ville.

We surrounded the city.

This verb is highly irregular. Prioritize repetition and active recall.

Présent

Indicative present — everyday actions, ongoing situations, and habits; the tense you rely on most in conversation.

Group 3
Jeceins
Igird
Tuceins
Yougird
Ilceint
Hegirds
Nousceignons
Wegird
Vousceignez
Yougird
Ilsceignent
Theygird

Futur proche

Near future with aller + infinitive — what you are about to do, very soon after the moment of speaking.

Jevais ceindre
Iam going to gird
Tuvas ceindre
Youare going to gird
Ilva ceindre
Heis going to gird
Nousallons ceindre
Weare going to gird
Vousallez ceindre
Youare going to gird
Ilsvont ceindre
Theyare going to gird

Passé récent

Recent past with venir de + infinitive — something that has just finished, still fresh in the speaker’s mind.

Jeviens de ceindre
Ihave just girded
Tuviens de ceindre
Youhave just girded
Ilvient de ceindre
Hehas just girded
Nousvenons de ceindre
Wehave just girded
Vousvenez de ceindre
Youhave just girded
Ilsviennent de ceindre
Theyhave just girded

Passé composé

Compound past with être or avoir + past participle — completed, one-off events and the backbone of spoken storytelling.

J'ai ceint
Ihave girded
Tuas ceint
Youhave girded
Ila ceint
Hehas girded
Nousavons ceint
Wehave girded
Vousavez ceint
Youhave girded
Ilsont ceint
Theyhave girded

Conditionnel présent

Conditional mood — polite requests, imagined outcomes, and what would happen under certain conditions.

Jeceindrais
Iwould gird
Tuceindrais
Youwould gird
Ilceindrait
Hewould gird
Nousceindrions
Wewould gird
Vousceindriez
Youwould gird
Ilsceindraient
Theywould gird

Futur simple

Simple future — often more formal or literary than the near future; states intentions farther ahead in time.

Jeceindrai
Iwill gird
Tuceindras
Youwill gird
Ilceindra
Hewill gird
Nousceindrons
Wewill gird
Vousceindrez
Youwill gird
Ilsceindront
Theywill gird

Imparfait

Imperfect — repeated habits in the past, background description, and actions still in progress when something else occurred.

Jeceignais
Iwas girding
Tuceignais
Youwere girding
Ilceignait
Hewas girding
Nousceignions
Were girding
Vousceigniez
Youwere girding
Ilsceignaient
Theywere girding

Impératif présent

Present imperative — direct commands and friendly requests; only tu, nous, and vous person forms exist.

(Tu)ceins
Yougird
(Nous)ceignons
Wegird
(Vous)ceignez
Yougird

Participe présent

Present participle — the -ant form in subordinate clauses, compound tenses, and many fixed expressions.

ceignant
girding

Gérondif présent

Gerund with en + present participle — simultaneous action, manner, or cause while something else is going on.

en ceignant
girding
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