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 demonstrate.”
Present Présent
Habits, current states, and actions happening now.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | démontre | I demonstrate | |
| tu | démontres | you demonstrate | |
| il / elle / on | démontre | he / she / it demonstrateson: we demonstrate / one demonstrates | |
| nous | démontrons | we demonstrate | |
| vous | démontrez | you demonstrate | |
| ils / elles | démontrent | they demonstrate |
IN A SENTENCEPresent example
Paul démontre l'utilité de cette méthode.
Paul demonstrates the usefulness of this method.
Passé composé
Completed past events, using avoir or être plus a past participle.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | ai démontré | I demonstrated | |
| tu | as démontré | you demonstrated | |
| il / elle / on | a démontré | he / she / it demonstratedon: we demonstrated / one demonstrated | |
| nous | avons démontré | we demonstrated | |
| vous | avez démontré | you demonstrated | |
| ils / elles | ont démontré | they demonstrated |
IN A SENTENCEPassé composé example
Hier, Paul a démontré l'utilité de cette méthode.
Yesterday, Paul demonstrated the usefulness of this method.
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’ | démontrais | I used to demonstrate | |
| tu | démontrais | you used to demonstrate | |
| il / elle / on | démontrait | he / she / it used to demonstrateon: we used to demonstrate / one used to demonstrate | |
| nous | démontrions | we used to demonstrate | |
| vous | démontriez | you used to demonstrate | |
| ils / elles | démontraient | they used to demonstrate |
IN A SENTENCEImperfect example
Autrefois, Paul démontrait l'utilité de cette méthode.
Back then, Paul used to demonstrate the usefulness of this method.
Future Futur simple
Future events and predictions.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | démontrerai | I will demonstrate | |
| tu | démontreras | you will demonstrate | |
| il / elle / on | démontrera | he / she / it will demonstrateon: we will demonstrate / one will demonstrate | |
| nous | démontrerons | we will demonstrate | |
| vous | démontrerez | you will demonstrate | |
| ils / elles | démontreront | they will demonstrate |
IN A SENTENCEFuture example
Plus tard, Paul démontrera l'utilité de cette méthode.
Later, Paul will demonstrate the usefulness of this method.
Conditional Conditionnel présent
Hypothetical events and polite requests.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | démontrerais | I would demonstrate | |
| tu | démontrerais | you would demonstrate | |
| il / elle / on | démontrerait | he / she / it would demonstrateon: we would demonstrate / one would demonstrate | |
| nous | démontrerions | we would demonstrate | |
| vous | démontreriez | you would demonstrate | |
| ils / elles | démontreraient | they would demonstrate |
IN A SENTENCEConditional example
Paul démontrerait l'utilité de cette méthode.
Paul would demonstrate the usefulness of this method.
Present subjunctive Subjonctif présent
Dependent clauses expressing wishes, necessity, doubt, and certain feelings.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | démontre | (that) I demonstrate | |
| tu | démontres | (that) you demonstrate | |
| il / elle / on | démontre | (that) he / she / it demonstrateson: (that) we demonstrate / one demonstrates | |
| nous | démontrions | (that) we demonstrate | |
| vous | démontriez | (that) you demonstrate | |
| ils / elles | démontrent | (that) they demonstrate |
IN A SENTENCEPresent subjunctive example
Il est possible que Paul démontre l'utilité de cette méthode.
It is possible that Paul demonstrates the usefulness of this method.
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 prove, to demonstrate
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