vieillissaient
The word 'vieillissaient' is divided into vie-ill-is-saient. It's the imperfect indicative of 'vieillir' (to grow old), meaning 'they were growing old'. Stress is on the final syllable. Syllabification follows French rules prioritizing vowel sounds and consonant clusters.
Definitions
- 1
They were growing old / They used to grow old.
They were getting old.
“Mes grands-parents vieillissaient lentement.”
“Les maisons du village vieillissaient avec le temps.”
Stress pattern
Stress falls on the final syllable '-saient' as is typical in French.
Syllables
vie — Open syllable, begins with a glide and vowel.. ill — Closed syllable, containing a glide and vowel.. is — Open syllable, containing only a vowel.. saient — Closed syllable, containing a nasal vowel.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel Peak Principle
Each syllable must contain a vowel sound.
Consonant Cluster Rule
Consonant clusters are generally kept together.
French Syllable Structure
French favors open syllables but allows closed syllables.
Nasal Vowel Rule
Nasal vowels form the nucleus of a syllable.
- The 'ill' sequence is treated as a single unit.
- The imperfect indicative ending '-aient' is a consistent syllable.
Nearby Words
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