Verb drill
Essayer or tenter: practise trying on, attempting and ça te tente
Practise essayer and tenter in twelve gaps: present forms, trying clothes, attempting an action and ça te tente. Includes accepted spelling variants.
- A2
- 12 answers
- Checked all at once
- Accents count
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Essayer means to try or test something, including trying on clothes; essayer de and tenter de both mean to try to do something. Tenter quelqu’un means to tempt or appeal to someone: Ça te tente ? means “Do you fancy it?”
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
essayer quelque chosetry or test something
Focus: an item you try on or test
essayer + noun
Je peux essayer cette robe ?
Can I try on this dress?
Nous essayons une nouvelle méthode.
We’re trying a new method.
essayer de / tenter detry to do something
Focus: the action you attempt
essayer de / tenter de + infinitive
J’essaie de comprendre ce message.
I’m trying to understand this message.
Je tente de comprendre ce message.
I’m attempting to understand this message.
ça me tentethat appeals to me
Focus: the idea attracts a person
an idea + me / te / nous + tente
Cette sortie me tente.
I fancy this outing.
Un cours de dessin samedi, ça te tente ?
Do you fancy a drawing class on Saturday?
Try it on or test it
Find:
Study first: spelling and patterns
For essayer, both j’essaie and j’essaye are correct. The same choice appears with tu, il, elle, on, ils and elles. With nous and vous, keep the y: nous essayons, vous essayez. Tenter follows the regular -er pattern: je tente, nous tentons.
| French | Meaning | What follows the verb |
|---|---|---|
| tenter sa chance | try one’s luck | a noun phrase |
| tenter une expérience | try an experiment or a new experience | a noun phrase |
| être tenté / tentée de partir | be tempted to leave | de + infinitive |
J’ai essayé de terminer ce travail, mais je n’ai pas réussi.
I tried to finish this work, but I didn’t manage it.
The first half gives the attempt. The second half gives the result.
1 · Six present forms of essayer: type just the verb
- j’
- tu
- il / elle / on
- nous
- vous
- ils / elles
2 · Six gaps: follow the verb or meaning in the hint
- J’ cette veste. (essayer, present: I am trying on)
- Nous notre chance. (tenter, present: we try)
- Cette sortie me . (tenter, present: appeals to me)
- Ils une nouvelle méthode. (essayer, present: they are testing)
- Je tente comprendre la question. (the preposition before an infinitive)
- Je suis par cette idée. (tempted; the speaker is a woman)