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 collect.”
Present Présent
Habits, current states, and actions happening now.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | recueille | I collect | |
| tu | recueilles | you collect | |
| il / elle / on | recueille | he / she / it collectson: we collect / one collects | |
| nous | recueillons | we collect | |
| vous | recueillez | you collect | |
| ils / elles | recueillent | they collect |
IN A SENTENCEPresent example
Le chercheur recueille des données sur le climat.
The researcher collects climate data.
Passé composé
Completed past events, using avoir or être plus a past participle.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | ai recueilli | I collected | |
| tu | as recueilli | you collected | |
| il / elle / on | a recueilli | he / she / it collectedon: we collected / one collected | |
| nous | avons recueilli | we collected | |
| vous | avez recueilli | you collected | |
| ils / elles | ont recueilli | they collected |
IN A SENTENCEPassé composé example
Hier, le chercheur a recueilli des données sur le climat.
Yesterday, the researcher collected climate data.
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’ | recueillais | I used to collect | |
| tu | recueillais | you used to collect | |
| il / elle / on | recueillait | he / she / it used to collecton: we used to collect / one used to collect | |
| nous | recueillions | we used to collect | |
| vous | recueilliez | you used to collect | |
| ils / elles | recueillaient | they used to collect |
IN A SENTENCEImperfect example
Autrefois, le chercheur recueillait des données sur le climat.
Back then, the researcher used to collect climate data.
Future Futur simple
Future events and predictions.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | recueillirai / recueillerai | I will collect | |
| tu | recueilliras / recueilleras | you will collect | |
| il / elle / on | recueillira / recueillera | he / she / it will collecton: we will collect / one will collect | |
| nous | recueillirons / recueillerons | we will collect | |
| vous | recueillirez / recueillerez | you will collect | |
| ils / elles | recueilliront / recueilleront | they will collect |
IN A SENTENCEFuture example
Plus tard, le chercheur recueillira des données sur le climat.
Later, the researcher will collect climate data.
Conditional Conditionnel présent
Hypothetical events and polite requests.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | recueillirais / recueillerais | I would collect | |
| tu | recueillirais / recueillerais | you would collect | |
| il / elle / on | recueillirait / recueillerait | he / she / it would collecton: we would collect / one would collect | |
| nous | recueillirions / recueillerions | we would collect | |
| vous | recueilliriez / recueilleriez | you would collect | |
| ils / elles | recueilliraient / recueilleraient | they would collect |
IN A SENTENCEConditional example
Le chercheur recueillirait des données sur le climat.
The researcher would collect climate data.
Present subjunctive Subjonctif présent
Dependent clauses expressing wishes, necessity, doubt, and certain feelings.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | recueille | (that) I collect | |
| tu | recueilles | (that) you collect | |
| il / elle / on | recueille | (that) he / she / it collectson: (that) we collect / one collects | |
| nous | recueillions | (that) we collect | |
| vous | recueilliez | (that) you collect | |
| ils / elles | recueillent | (that) they collect |
IN A SENTENCEPresent subjunctive example
Il est possible que le chercheur recueille des données sur le climat.
It is possible that the researcher collects climate data.
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 collect, gather
- to obtain, to win
- to take in (a stray, etc.)
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