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Verb conjugation

distancer

to distance, outdistance

Usage

"To outdistance" or "to pull ahead of" a competitor, literally in a race or figuratively in any kind of rivalry (se laisser distancer, to fall behind). Distinct from the reflexive se distancier, which is about figurative, deliberate distance rather than being physically outpaced.

Examples
  • Le coureur kenyan a distancé tous ses adversaires.The Kenyan runner outdistanced all his rivals.
  • Notre entreprise s'est fait distancer par la concurrence.Our company got left behind by the competition.
  • Elle a rapidement distancé le peloton.She quickly pulled ahead of the pack.
Common mistake

Don't confuse with se distancier (to distance oneself from an opinion or action) — distancer is about being physically or competitively ahead, not about disagreeing with something.

Often confused with distancier.

Simple tenses

Present

jedistance
tudistances
il/elledistance
nousdistançons
vousdistancez
ils/ellesdistancent

Imperfect

jedistançais
tudistançais
il/elledistançait
nousdistancions
vousdistanciez
ils/ellesdistançaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jedistançai
tudistanças
il/elledistança
nousdistançâmes
vousdistançâtes
ils/ellesdistancèrent

Future

jedistancerai
tudistanceras
il/elledistancera
nousdistancerons
vousdistancerez
ils/ellesdistanceront

Conditional

jedistancerais
tudistancerais
il/elledistancerait
nousdistancerions
vousdistanceriez
ils/ellesdistanceraient

Subjunctive

jedistance
tudistances
il/elledistance
nousdistancions
vousdistanciez
ils/ellesdistancent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jedistançasse
tudistançasses
il/elledistançât
nousdistançassions
vousdistançassiez
ils/ellesdistançassent

Imperative

tudistance
nousdistançons
vousdistancez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai distancé
tuas distancé
il/ellea distancé
nousavons distancé
vousavez distancé
ils/ellesont distancé

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais distancé
tuavais distancé
il/elleavait distancé
nousavions distancé
vousaviez distancé
ils/ellesavaient distancé

Passé antérieur

jeeus distancé
tueus distancé
il/elleeut distancé
nouseûmes distancé
vouseûtes distancé
ils/elleseurent distancé

Futur antérieur

jeaurai distancé
tuauras distancé
il/elleaura distancé
nousaurons distancé
vousaurez distancé
ils/ellesauront distancé

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais distancé
tuaurais distancé
il/elleaurait distancé
nousaurions distancé
vousauriez distancé
ils/ellesauraient distancé

Subjonctif passé

jeaie distancé
tuaies distancé
il/elleait distancé
nousayons distancé
vousayez distancé
ils/ellesaient distancé

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse distancé
tueusses distancé
il/elleeût distancé
nouseussions distancé
vouseussiez distancé
ils/elleseussent distancé

Impératif passé

tuaie distancé
nousayons distancé
vousayez distancé

Other

Present participle

distançant

Past participle

distancé

Infinitive

distancer

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "distancer" mean?

"distancer" means "to distance, outdistance".

How do you conjugate "distancer" in the present tense?

The present of "distancer" is: je distance, tu distances, il/elle distance, nous distançons, vous distancez, ils/elles distancent.

What is the Passé composé of "distancer"?

The passé composé of "distancer" is: je ai distancé, tu as distancé, il/elle a distancé, nous avons distancé, vous avez distancé, ils/elles ont distancé.

What is the Imperative of "distancer"?

The imperative of "distancer" is: tu distance, nous distançons, vous distancez.