paraître

to seem, to appear

verb pah-REH-truh Less Common

Usage Note

Paraître is frequently used impersonally in the phrase il paraît que ('it seems that / apparently'), which introduces hearsay or unverified information. It conjugates like connaître. Do not confuse it with apparaître ('to appear, to come into view'), which describes something becoming visible rather than merely seeming a certain way.

Examples

"Il paraît qu'elle va démissionner."

Natural Translation

It seems she is going to resign.

Literal Translation

It appears that she is going to resign.

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