rester at A1 — the present tense (not “to rest”!)
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« rester » means to stay. It has nothing to do with resting.
Staying somewhere
The false friend first: rester means to stay, never to rest. To rest is se reposer. « Je reste à la maison » means I’m staying home; if you mean you are resting, you need « je me repose ».
The conjugation itself is a plain regular -ER, with no surprises in the present. The complication arrives in the past, where this verb takes être.
💡 Focus at this level: Basics — staying, not resting
👨🏫 How to use « rester » at this level
1. Rester = stay. Se reposer = rest. Two different verbs.
2. « Je reste » answers an invitation. « Tu viens ? — Non, je reste. »
3. Note « rester » + adjective. « Reste calme. »
Je reste à la maison.I’m staying at home.
Tu restes ce soir ?Are you staying tonight?
Reste calme.Stay calm.
Nous restons une semaine.We’re staying a week.
🎮 Practise « rester »
Play the free French games → · Back to the full « rester » chart →
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