agir

to act

verb ah-ZHEER Common

Origin: Latin 'agere' (to do, drive)

Also means

to take action

Usage Note

Agir is a regular -ir verb meaning to act or to take action. The impersonal expression il s'agit de is essential and means 'it is about' or 'it concerns': de quoi s'agit-il? (what is it about?). This impersonal construction has no direct English equivalent in structure and is a common source of confusion for learners.

Examples

"Il faut agir maintenant."

Natural Translation

We must act now.

Literal Translation

It is-necessary to-act now

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