sembler at A1 — the present tense
On this page
« sembler » lets you soften anything you say.
Saying how things seem
sembler means to seem, and it is the politest verb in French: it lets you state something without claiming it as fact. « Il semble fatigué » — he seems tired. You are describing an impression, not making a diagnosis.
It is a plain regular -ER verb, but unlike most verbs you will meet it far more often in the third person than the first. « Je semble » is rare; « il semble » and « ça semble » are everywhere.
💡 Focus at this level: Basics — how things seem
👨🏫 How to use « sembler » at this level
1. Use it to hedge. « C’est difficile » is a verdict; « ça semble difficile » is an observation.
2. Follow it with an adjective. « Elle semble contente. »
3. Expect the third person. Learn il semble and ça semble first.
🎮 Practise « sembler »
Play the free French games → · Back to the full « sembler » chart →