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 simplify.”
Present Présent
Habits, current states, and actions happening now.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | simplifie | I simplify | |
| tu | simplifies | you simplify | |
| il / elle / on | simplifie | he / she / it simplifieson: we simplify / one simplifies | |
| nous | simplifions | we simplify | |
| vous | simplifiez | you simplify | |
| ils / elles | simplifient | they simplify |
IN A SENTENCEPresent example
Paul simplifie les instructions du jeu.
Paul simplifies the game's instructions.
Passé composé
Completed past events, using avoir or être plus a past participle.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | ai simplifié | I simplified | |
| tu | as simplifié | you simplified | |
| il / elle / on | a simplifié | he / she / it simplifiedon: we simplified / one simplified | |
| nous | avons simplifié | we simplified | |
| vous | avez simplifié | you simplified | |
| ils / elles | ont simplifié | they simplified |
IN A SENTENCEPassé composé example
Hier, Paul a simplifié les instructions du jeu.
Yesterday, Paul simplified the game's instructions.
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’ | simplifiais | I used to simplify | |
| tu | simplifiais | you used to simplify | |
| il / elle / on | simplifiait | he / she / it used to simplifyon: we used to simplify / one used to simplify | |
| nous | simplifiions | we used to simplify | |
| vous | simplifiiez | you used to simplify | |
| ils / elles | simplifiaient | they used to simplify |
IN A SENTENCEImperfect example
Autrefois, Paul simplifiait les instructions du jeu.
Back then, Paul used to simplify the game's instructions.
Future Futur simple
Future events and predictions.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | simplifierai | I will simplify | |
| tu | simplifieras | you will simplify | |
| il / elle / on | simplifiera | he / she / it will simplifyon: we will simplify / one will simplify | |
| nous | simplifierons | we will simplify | |
| vous | simplifierez | you will simplify | |
| ils / elles | simplifieront | they will simplify |
IN A SENTENCEFuture example
Plus tard, Paul simplifiera les instructions du jeu.
Later, Paul will simplify the game's instructions.
Conditional Conditionnel présent
Hypothetical events and polite requests.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | simplifierais | I would simplify | |
| tu | simplifierais | you would simplify | |
| il / elle / on | simplifierait | he / she / it would simplifyon: we would simplify / one would simplify | |
| nous | simplifierions | we would simplify | |
| vous | simplifieriez | you would simplify | |
| ils / elles | simplifieraient | they would simplify |
IN A SENTENCEConditional example
Paul simplifierait les instructions du jeu.
Paul would simplify the game's instructions.
Present subjunctive Subjonctif présent
Dependent clauses expressing wishes, necessity, doubt, and certain feelings.
| Subject | French | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | simplifie | (that) I simplify | |
| tu | simplifies | (that) you simplify | |
| il / elle / on | simplifie | (that) he / she / it simplifieson: (that) we simplify / one simplifies | |
| nous | simplifiions | (that) we simplify | |
| vous | simplifiiez | (that) you simplify | |
| ils / elles | simplifient | (that) they simplify |
IN A SENTENCEPresent subjunctive example
Il est possible que Paul simplifie les instructions du jeu.
It is possible that Paul simplifies the game's instructions.
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 simplify
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