Grammatical
conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb from one basic form. Conjugation may be affected by person, number, gender,
tense,
mood,
voice, or some other language-specific factor or factors. When a verb is used to function as the action done by a subject, the verb must be conjugated in most languages.
For example, here's a sample conjugation of the English verb to be and its Latin and French equivalents, esse and être. Except for the infinitive, which is given in the present form, all the verbs listed are in the present indicative active.
to be / esse / être
Form / Person |
English |
Latin |
French |
Infinitive |
to be |
esse |
être |
1st singular |
I am |
sum |
je suis |
2nd singular |
you are |
es |
tu es |
3rd singular |
he, she, or it is |
est |
il/elle est |
1st plural |
we are |
sumus |
nous sommes |
2nd plural |
you are |
estis |
vous êtes |
3rd plural |
they are |
sunt |
ils/elles sont |