abonner — French conjugation

to subscribe

Frequency#507Regular

Indicative

Present (Présent) Regular

Use the présent for habits, what is true now, and what is about to happen soon. A single set of endings covers what English often splits into “I speak” and “I am speaking”.

Elle parle arabe et français.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jeabonneI subscribe
tuabonnesyou subscribe
il/elleabonnehe/she/it subscribes
nousabonnonswe subscribe
vousabonnezyou (pl.) subscribe
ils/ellesabonnentthey subscribe

Simple past (Passé simple) Regular

The passé simple narrates completed past events in a literary or very formal style. In everyday conversation people use the passé composé instead, so you mostly meet this form in books and journalism.

Ils virent le roi s'approcher.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jeabonnaiI subscribed
tuabonnasyou subscribed
il/elleabonnahe/she/it subscribed
nousabonnâmeswe subscribed
vousabonnâtesyou (pl.) subscribed
ils/ellesabonnèrentthey subscribed

Imperfect (Imparfait) Regular

The imparfait describes ongoing or repeated past actions and sets the background — how things were, what used to happen, weather, feelings. The passé composé, by contrast, marks single completed events.

Quand j'étais petit, j'allais souvent à la piscine.

PronounFrench
jeabonnais
tuabonnais
il/elleabonnait
nousabonnions
vousabonniez
ils/ellesabonnaient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Regular

The conditionnel is for polite questions and requests, “would”-type hypotheticals, and what someone said would happen. It is also the usual consequent clause in si + imparfait → conditionnel patterns.

Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?

PronounFrenchEnglish
jeabonneraisI would subscribe
tuabonneraisyou would subscribe
il/elleabonneraithe/she/it would subscribe
nousabonnerionswe would subscribe
vousabonneriezyou (pl.) would subscribe
ils/ellesabonneraientthey would subscribe

Future (Futur) Regular

The futur is for future plans and objective predictions. In speech, aller + infinitive is often clearer for the immediate future, while the simple future is common for facts further ahead or in writing.

Demain, nous dînerons chez eux.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jeabonneraiI will subscribe
tuabonnerasyou will subscribe
il/elleabonnerahe/she/it will subscribe
nousabonneronswe will subscribe
vousabonnerezyou (pl.) will subscribe
ils/ellesabonnerontthey will subscribe

Present perfect (Passé composé) Regular

The passé composé is the main spoken past for completed, bounded actions (often with a time adverb). Use avoir with most verbs; être is required for a fixed group of motion/inchange and all pronominal verbs, with participle agreement when necessary.

Elle est venue tôt, puis elle a téléphoné.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'ai abonnéI have subscribed
tutu as abonnéyou have subscribed
il/elleil/elle a abonnéhe/she/it has subscribed
nousnous avons abonnéwe have subscribed
vousvous avez abonnéyou (pl.) have subscribed
ils/ellesils/elles ont abonnéthey have subscribed

Pluperfect (Plus-que-parfait) Regular

The plus-que-parfait is the “earlier past”: one action was already over before another past moment. It answers “had already” when a story is anchored in a past time.

Déjà, il avait fini quand je suis arrivé.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'avais abonnéI had subscribed
tutu avais abonnéyou had subscribed
il/elleil/elle avait abonnéhe/she/it had subscribed
nousnous avions abonnéwe had subscribed
vousvous aviez abonnéyou (pl.) had subscribed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient abonnéthey had subscribed

Conditional perfect (Conditionnel passé) Regular

The conditionnel passé states what would have been true, plans that failed, and unreal past if-clauses (often with si + plus-que-parfait in the apodose).

J'aurais dit oui, mais c'était impossible.

PronounFrench
jej'aurais abonné
tutu aurais abonné
il/elleil/elle aurait abonné
nousnous aurions abonné
vousvous auriez abonné
ils/ellesils/elles auraient abonné

Future perfect (Futur antérieur) Regular

The futur antérieur marks an action that will be finished before a later future moment (by then I will have…). It can also suggest a conjecture about a recent past fact in formal or literary use.

D'ici samedi, j'aurai lu le rapport.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'aurai abonnéI will have subscribed
tutu auras abonnéyou will have subscribed
il/elleil/elle aura abonnéhe/she/it will have subscribed
nousnous aurons abonnéwe will have subscribed
vousvous aurez abonnéyou (pl.) will have subscribed
ils/ellesils/elles auront abonnéthey will have subscribed

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjonctif présent) Regular

The present subjunctive appears in subordinate clauses after desire, doubt, fear, need, and many impersonals, usually when the subject of the subordinate is different. Learn common triggers: il faut que, je veux que, je doute que…

Il faut qu'il parte avant midi.

PronounFrench
jeabonne
tuabonnes
il/elleabonne
nousabonnions
vousabonniez
ils/ellesabonnent

Imperfect subjunctive (Subjonctif imparfait) Regular

The imparfait du subjonctif is a literary and formal past subjunctive. In modern speech, the present subjunctive usually replaces it for the same meaning.

Bien qu'il fût fatigué, il continua.

PronounFrench
jeabonnasse
tuabonnasses
il/elleabonnât
nousabonnassions
vousabonnassiez
ils/ellesabonnassent

Other forms

Imperative (Impératif) Regular

The imperative is for direct orders and advice to tu, nous, and vous. For many -er verbs, the tu form drops the final -s of the present (parle!); negatives use the subjunctive-like forms in practice.

Fermons la porte, s'il vous plaît !

PronounFrench
tuabonne
nousabonnons
vousabonnez