§ Don't confuse 'ralentir' with 'lent' or 'lentement'
Many English speakers learning French try to use 'lent' (slow, adjective) or 'lentement' (slowly, adverb) directly as a verb. Remember, 'ralentir' is already the verb you need. You wouldn't say "to slow" something as "to make something slow" in French using 'lent'.
Il ralentit la voiture. (He slows down the car.)
§ 'Ralentir' is often used reflexively
When you want to say something itself slows down, you'll often use the reflexive form 'se ralentir'. This is very common for things like traffic, a pace, or a process. If you just use 'ralentir' without 'se', it implies someone or something is actively slowing down something else.
- DEFINITION
- Use 'se ralentir' when the subject is slowing itself down.
La circulation se ralentit. (The traffic is slowing down.)
Il faut ralentir le rythme. (We need to slow down the pace.)
§ Conjugation issues: irregular verb
'Ralentir' is an -IR verb, but it's not a regular one. It follows the pattern of verbs like 'finir' (to finish), 'choisir' (to choose), and 'réussir' (to succeed), which are often called 'verbs of the second group'. This means that in the present tense, for 'nous', 'vous', and 'ils/elles', you'll see an '-iss-' appear.
Here's a quick reminder of the present tense:
- Je ralentis
- Tu ralentis
- Il/Elle/On ralentit
- Nous ralentissons
- Vous ralentissez
- Ils/Elles ralentissent
A common mistake is to conjugate it like a regular -ER verb or a completely irregular -IR verb. Pay attention to that '-iss-'!
§ Using 'ralentir' with 'de' for speed
When specifying by how much you're slowing down, or to what speed, you'll often use 'de'.
Il doit ralentir de 20 km/h. (He needs to slow down by 20 km/h.)
La voiture a ralenti de 100 à 80 km/h. (The car slowed from 100 to 80 km/h.)
Don't forget this little 'de' when specifying a decrease in speed or rate. It's a small word that makes a big difference in meaning.
Wird oft verwechselt mit
This is the direct opposite of 'ralentir'.
While 'ralentir' is about speed, 'augmenter' is a general term for making something larger in quantity or intensity.
This is the adverbial opposite of 'lentement', related to speed.
Leicht verwechselbar
Often confused with 'diminuer' (to decrease) or 'réduire' (to reduce), as slowing down can be seen as a form of reduction.
'Ralentir' specifically means to lessen speed or make something move slower. 'Diminuer' and 'réduire' are broader terms for making something smaller in quantity, size, or intensity.
La voiture a dû ralentir à l'approche du virage. (The car had to slow down as it approached the turn.)
Sometimes confused with 'doucement' (softly/gently). While both can imply a lack of speed, 'doucement' emphasizes gentleness.
'Lentement' means slowly, focusing purely on speed. 'Doucement' means gently or softly, often referring to manner rather than just pace.
Elle marchait lentement dans le parc. (She walked slowly in the park.)
Can be confused with 'en retard' (late). 'Tard' is an adverb meaning late in time, while 'en retard' describes being behind schedule.
'Tard' refers to a late point in time (e.g., 'Il est tard' - It's late). 'En retard' means to be late for something specific (e.g., 'Je suis en retard' - I am late).
Nous avons mangé tard ce soir. (We ate late tonight.)
As an adjective, it means calm or quiet, but can be confused with 'tranquille' (peaceful/quiet). 'Calme' often implies a lack of agitation.
'Calme' refers to a state of being free from agitation or disturbance. 'Tranquille' suggests a more profound sense of peace and quiet, often implying serenity.
La mer était calme après la tempête. (The sea was calm after the storm.)
Can be confusing because it has multiple meanings like soft, sweet, gentle, or mild, depending on context.
The meaning of 'doux' depends heavily on the noun it modifies. It can describe texture (soft), taste (sweet), temperament (gentle), or weather (mild).
Ce pull est très doux. (This sweater is very soft.) Le temps est doux aujourd'hui. (The weather is mild today.)
Teste dich selbst 12 Fragen
Write a short sentence telling someone to slow down when they are driving too fast. Use 'ralentir'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Il faut ralentir, tu vas trop vite avec la voiture.
Imagine you are telling a friend to slow down when eating. Write a simple sentence.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Tu dois ralentir quand tu manges, c'est mieux pour toi.
Write a sentence saying that the train will slow down when it arrives at the station.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Le train va ralentir quand il arrive à la gare.
What does the narrator want their friend to do?
Read this passage:
Mon ami court très vite. Je lui dis : « S'il te plaît, ralentis ! » Je ne peux pas courir aussi vite.
What does the narrator want their friend to do?
The sentence « S'il te plaît, ralentis ! » means 'Please, slow down!'
The sentence « S'il te plaît, ralentis ! » means 'Please, slow down!'
What should the driver do?
Read this passage:
La voiture va trop vite. Le conducteur doit ralentir avant le virage.
What should the driver do?
'ralentir' means to slow down, and it's needed 'avant le virage' (before the turn).
'ralentir' means to slow down, and it's needed 'avant le virage' (before the turn).
What do the students want the professor to do?
Read this passage:
Le professeur parle très vite. Nous lui demandons : « Pouvez-vous ralentir, s'il vous plaît ? »
What do the students want the professor to do?
The phrase 'Pouvez-vous ralentir, s'il vous plaît ?' means 'Can you slow down, please?' in the context of speaking.
The phrase 'Pouvez-vous ralentir, s'il vous plaît ?' means 'Can you slow down, please?' in the context of speaking.
This sentence means 'We must slow down the spread of the virus.' 'Il faut' means 'It is necessary' or 'One must', 'ralentir' means 'to slow down', 'la propagation' means 'the spread', 'du virus' means 'of the virus'.
This sentence means 'The new measures aim to slow down inflation.' 'Les nouvelles mesures' means 'The new measures', 'visent à' means 'aim to', 'ralentir' means 'to slow down', 'l'inflation' means 'inflation'.
This sentence means 'To avoid an accident, he had to slow down significantly.' 'Pour éviter' means 'To avoid', 'un accident' means 'an accident', 'il a dû' means 'he had to', 'nettement' means 'significantly', 'ralentir' means 'to slow down'.
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
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