French Regular Verbs
French Verb Conjugations
There's no need to remember these before you have done any reading. The best way to acquire new knowledge is to experience it. So start reading and when you run into a peculiar verb form in French just look it up on the table.
| conjugations | conjugation name: description | in English: Example sentence |
| je danse, tu danses, il/elle danse nous dansons, vous dansez, ils/elles dansent |
present: Something happening now. | dance: She dances around the room. |
| je dansai, tu dansas, il/elle dansa nous dansâmes, vous dansâtes, ils/elles dansèrent |
past perfect: Happened (literary). | danced: She danced for me on Valentine last year. |
| je dansais, tu dansais, il/elle dansait nous dansions, vous dansiez, ils/elles dansaient |
past imperfect: Ongoing or habitual. | danced: She always danced as if she were a butterfly. |
| j' ai dansé, tu as dansé, il/elle a dansé nous avons dansé, vous avez dansé, ils/elles ont dansé |
perfect: Something finished just now. | (have) danced: I have danced (I danced) the night away. |
| j' avais dansé, tu avais dansé, il/elle avait dansé nous avions dansé, vous aviez dansé, ils/elles avaient dansé |
past/plu- perfect: Past habitual. | had danced: On Fridays, after we had danced, we had a drink. |
| j' eus dansé, tu eus dansé, il/elle eut dansé nous eûmes dansé, vous eûtes dansé, ils/elles eurent dansé |
past anterior: Finished in the past. | had danced: I had danced for her on Valentine's day last year. |
| je danserai, tu danseras, il/elle dansera nous danserons, vous danserez, ils/elles danseront |
future: Do something in the future. | will dance: I will dance for her tomorrow. |
| j' aurai dansé, tu auras dansé, il/elle aura dansé nous aurons dansé, vous aurez dansé, ils/elles auront dansé |
future anterior: Future finished. | will have danced: I will have danced for her by next week. |
| je danserais, tu danserais, il/elle danserait nous danserions, vous danseriez, ils/elles danseraient |
conditional: Wish or necessity in the future. | would dance: I would dance with you alone. |
| j'aurais dansé, tu aurais dansé, il/elle aurait dansé nous aurions dansé, vous auriez dansé, ils/elles auraient dansé |
past conditional: Finished wish or obligation. | would have danced: I would have danced with you. |
| (que) je danse, tu danses, il/elle danse nous dansions, vous dansiez, ils/elles dansent |
subjunctive: Wish or necessity. | (that) I dance: You know that I dance only with you. |
| je dansasse, tu dansasses, il/elle dansât nous dansassions, vous dansassiez, ils/elles dansassent |
imperfect subjunctive: Habitual or ongoing. | (that) I danced: I loved that we danced on Fridays. |
| j' aie dansé, tu aies dansé, il/elle ait dansé nous ayons dansé, vous ayez dansé, ils/elles aient dansé |
perfect subjunctive: Finished. | (that) I have danced: Is it true that we have danced? |
| j' eusse dansé, tu eusses dansé, il/elle eût dansé nous eussions dansé, vous eussiez dansé, elles eussent dansé |
pluperfect subjunctive: Finished in the past. | (that) I had danced: You knew I had danced with him! |
| tu danse nous dansons, vous dansez |
imperative: Something forced. | dance!: Let's dance! Dance little sister! |
| je suis dansant(e), tu es dansant(e), il/elle est dansant(e) nous sommes dansant(e)s, vous êtes dansant(e)s, ils/elles sont dansant(e)s |
continuous: Something going on now. | We're dancing till we drop. |
The participle "dansé" and the gerunt "dansant" can be inflected to indicate gender or number: elles sont dansantes, they are dancing.