How would you like to use PONS.com?

Already a PONS subscriber?
Log in here.

PONS with ads

Go to PONS.com as usual with ad tracking and advertisements.

You can find details of tracking in Information about data protection and under Privacy settings.

PONS Pur

without advertising by third parties

without ad tracking

Subscribe now

If you already have a user account for PONS.com, then you can subscribe to PONS Pur here.

Legal noticeData protectionPrivacy settings

Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary

French
French
English
English

I. sembler [sɑ̃ble] VB intr

sembler
to seem
sembler heureux/être heureux
to seem happy/to be happy
elle semble croire que …
she seems to believe that …
le voyage m'a semblé long
the journey seemed long to me
le temps m'a semblé long
the time seemed to me to pass slowly
la maison semble vide
the house seems empty
tout semble possible
it seems anything is possible

II. sembler [sɑ̃ble] VB impers

il semble que …
it seems that …
il semble bon de faire
it seems appropriate to do
faites comme bon vous semble
do whatever you think best
il semble que le problème soit réglé
it seems (that) the problem has been solved
il semblerait que le problème soit réglé
it would seem that the problem has been solved
le problème est réglé à ce qu'il me semble
the problem has been solved, or so it seems to me
il me semble que c'est trop grand
it seems too big to me
il me semble surprenant que …
it strikes me as strange that …
il me semble important de faire
I think it is important to do
elle a raison, me semble-t-il ou il me semble ou ce me semble
I think she's right
il me semble l'avoir déjà rencontrée
I think I've met her before
elle a, semble-t-il, refusé
apparently, she has refused
si bon me semble
if I feel like it
elle ne travaille que quand bon lui semble
she only works when she feels like it
il semble, fort regrettablement, que ce ne soit pas le cas
it seems, most regrettably, that this is not the case
l'entreprise semble très divisée sur sa stratégie financière
the company seems very divided over its financial strategy
il semble peu préoccupé par les problèmes de l'entreprise
he seems to have little concern for the company's problems
English
English
French
French
he claims, dubiously, to be ill
il prétend être malade, ce qui semble peu probable
implausibly, he denied everything
il nia tout, ce qui semble peu plausible
the village seems to be caught in a 1950s time warp
le village semble ne pas avoir évolué depuis les années 50
seem (give impression)
sembler
he seemed disappointed
il a semblé déçu
there seems to be a fault in the generator
il semble y avoir un problème dans le générateur
it seems to me that …
il me semble que …
+ indic there seem to me to be two possibilities
il me semble qu'il y a deux possibilités
it seems/it very much seems as if or as though
il semble/semble fort que
there doesn't seem to be any solution
il semble qu'il n'y ait aucune solution
there seems to be some mistake
il semble qu'il y ait erreur
to appear deserted place:
sembler être désert
it appears/appeared that …
il semble/semblait que …
it appears to me that …
il me semble que …
his parents, it appears, were ambitious
il semble que ses parents avaient de l'ambition
somehow it doesn't seem very important
en fait, ça ne semble pas très important
somehow he never seems to get it right
il semble que rien ne lui réussisse jamais

in the PONS Dictionary

French
French
English
English

I. sembler [sɑ̃ble] VB intr

sembler préoccupé
to seem preoccupied
tu me sembles nerveux
you seem nervous (to me)

II. sembler [sɑ̃ble] VB intr impers

1. sembler (paraître):

il semble que ...
it seems that ...
il semblerait que ...
it would appear that ...

2. sembler (avoir l'impression de):

il me semble bien vous avoir déjà rencontré
I have the feeling I've already met you

3. sembler (paraître):

il me semble, à ce qu'il me semble
it seems to me
semble-t-il
so it seems
cela me semble bon
that seems fine to me
English
English
French
French
seem
sembler
it seems as if ...
il semble que ...
it seems not
il semble que non
it occurs to me that ...
il me semble que ...
to behave like sb possessed
sembler être sous l'emprise d'une puissance occulte
it looks as though it's raining
il semble qu'il pleuve
he seems to have a constant compulsion to eat
il semble avoir un besoin de manger permanent et irrépressible
to appear to be ...
sembler être ...
it appears to me that ...
il me semble que ...
to seem like a lifetime
sembler être toute une vie
as you see fit
comme bon vous semble
in the PONS Dictionary
French
French
English
English

I. sembler [sɑ͂ble] VB intr

sembler préoccupé
to seem preoccupied
tu me sembles nerveux
you seem nervous (to me)

II. sembler [sɑ͂ble] VB intr impers

1. sembler (paraître):

il semble que ...
it seems that ...
il semblerait que ...
it would appear that ...

2. sembler (avoir l'impression de):

il me semble bien vous avoir déjà rencontré
I have the feeling I've already met you

3. sembler (paraître):

il me semble, à ce qu'il me semble
it seems to me
semble-t-il
so it seems
cela me semble bon
that seems fine to me
English
English
French
French
seem
sembler
it seems as if ...
il semble que ...
it seems not
il semble que non
it occurs to me that ...
il me semble que ...
to behave like sb possessed
sembler être sous l'emprise d'une puissance occulte
to appear to be ...
sembler être ...
it appears to me that ...
il me semble que ...
he seems to have a constant compulsion to eat
il semble avoir un besoin de manger permanent et irrépressible
it looks as though it's raining
il semble qu'il pleuve
to be/seem intent on sth
être/sembler résolu à qc
to seem like a lifetime
sembler durer une éternité
Présent
jesemble
tusembles
il/elle/onsemble
noussemblons
voussemblez
ils/ellessemblent
Imparfait
jesemblais
tusemblais
il/elle/onsemblait
noussemblions
voussembliez
ils/ellessemblaient
Passé simple
jesemblai
tusemblas
il/elle/onsembla
noussemblâmes
voussemblâtes
ils/ellessemblèrent
Futur simple
jesemblerai
tusembleras
il/elle/onsemblera
noussemblerons
voussemblerez
ils/ellessembleront
See further verb tables

Examples from the PONS Dictionary (editorially verified)

si cela vous semble bon
if you approve
cela me semble bon
that seems fine to me
il semble que ...
it seems that ...
il me semble bien vous avoir déjà rencontré
I have the feeling I've already met you
il me semble, à ce qu'il me semble
it seems to me

Browse the dictionary

dev
dev
dev
dev