Conjugations
All six tenses and their examples are shown below. Use the links above to jump to a tense. English translations use the meaning “to tackle.”
Present Présent
Habits, current states, and actions happening now.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | attaque | I tackle | |
| tu | attaques | you tackle | |
| il / elle / on | attaque | he / she / it tackleson: we tackle / one tackles | |
| nous | attaquons | we tackle | |
| vous | attaquez | you tackle | |
| ils / elles | attaquent | they tackle |
IN A SENTENCEPresent example
Paul attaque le problème avec méthode.
Paul tackles the problem methodically.
Passé composé
Completed past events, using avoir or être plus a past participle.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | ai attaqué | I tackled | |
| tu | as attaqué | you tackled | |
| il / elle / on | a attaqué | he / she / it tackledon: we tackled / one tackled | |
| nous | avons attaqué | we tackled | |
| vous | avez attaqué | you tackled | |
| ils / elles | ont attaqué | they tackled |
IN A SENTENCEPassé composé example
Hier, Paul a attaqué le problème avec méthode.
Yesterday, Paul tackled the problem methodically.
The passé composé uses avoir. The table shows the unmarked participle; agreement with a preceding direct object is outside this reference.
Back to tense navigation ↑Imperfect Imparfait
Past habits, descriptions, and actions in progress.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | attaquais | I used to tackle | |
| tu | attaquais | you used to tackle | |
| il / elle / on | attaquait | he / she / it used to tackleon: we used to tackle / one used to tackle | |
| nous | attaquions | we used to tackle | |
| vous | attaquiez | you used to tackle | |
| ils / elles | attaquaient | they used to tackle |
IN A SENTENCEImperfect example
Autrefois, Paul attaquait le problème avec méthode.
Back then, Paul used to tackle the problem methodically.
Future Futur simple
Future events and predictions.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | attaquerai | I will tackle | |
| tu | attaqueras | you will tackle | |
| il / elle / on | attaquera | he / she / it will tackleon: we will tackle / one will tackle | |
| nous | attaquerons | we will tackle | |
| vous | attaquerez | you will tackle | |
| ils / elles | attaqueront | they will tackle |
IN A SENTENCEFuture example
Plus tard, Paul attaquera le problème avec méthode.
Later, Paul will tackle the problem methodically.
Conditional Conditionnel présent
Hypothetical events and polite requests.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | attaquerais | I would tackle | |
| tu | attaquerais | you would tackle | |
| il / elle / on | attaquerait | he / she / it would tackleon: we would tackle / one would tackle | |
| nous | attaquerions | we would tackle | |
| vous | attaqueriez | you would tackle | |
| ils / elles | attaqueraient | they would tackle |
IN A SENTENCEConditional example
Paul attaquerait le problème avec méthode.
Paul would tackle the problem methodically.
Present subjunctive Subjonctif présent
Dependent clauses expressing wishes, necessity, doubt, and certain feelings.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | attaque | (that) I tackle | |
| tu | attaques | (that) you tackle | |
| il / elle / on | attaque | (that) he / she / it tackleson: (that) we tackle / one tackles | |
| nous | attaquions | (that) we tackle | |
| vous | attaquiez | (that) you tackle | |
| ils / elles | attaquent | (that) they tackle |
IN A SENTENCEPresent subjunctive example
Il est possible que Paul attaque le problème avec méthode.
It is possible that Paul tackles the problem methodically.
French forms omit the subject. Use j’ before a vowel sound. Vous is polite singular or plural “you”; on often means “we,” or the general “one.” English wording depends on the context: passé composé can also use “have,” and the imperfect can describe an ongoing action. Subjunctive translations here follow “it is possible that.”
Meaning & usage
- to attack
- to diminish; to spoil; to erode
- to begin; to undertake (an enterprise, an endeavor, a task)
English glosses are a starting point. The meaning of a verb can change with context, a preposition, or se. Read the full dictionary entry ↗
Meanings and simple conjugation forms adapted from English Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki.org / Wiktextract. Passé composé forms combine the source auxiliary and past participle. Frequency scores from wordfreq 3.1.1 by Robyn Speer and contributors. Adapted data is available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Entry source · Sources, download & limitations