accoucher — French conjugation

to give birth

Frequency#769Regular

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.

PronounFrench
jeaccouche
tuaccouches
il/elleaccouche
nousaccouchons
vousaccouchez
ils/ellesaccouchent

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.

PronounFrench
jeaccouchai
tuaccouchas
il/elleaccoucha
nousaccouchâmes
vousaccouchâtes
ils/ellesaccouchèrent

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
jeaccouchais
tuaccouchais
il/elleaccouchait
nousaccouchions
vousaccouchiez
ils/ellesaccouchaient

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 ?

PronounFrench
jeaccoucherais
tuaccoucherais
il/elleaccoucherait
nousaccoucherions
vousaccoucheriez
ils/ellesaccoucheraient

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.

PronounFrench
jeaccoucherai
tuaccoucheras
il/elleaccouchera
nousaccoucherons
vousaccoucherez
ils/ellesaccoucheront

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.

PronounFrench
jej'ai accouché
tutu as accouché
il/elleil/elle a accouché
nousnous avons accouché
vousvous avez accouché
ils/ellesils/elles ont accouché

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.

PronounFrench
jej'avais accouché
tutu avais accouché
il/elleil/elle avait accouché
nousnous avions accouché
vousvous aviez accouché
ils/ellesils/elles avaient accouché

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 accouché
tutu aurais accouché
il/elleil/elle aurait accouché
nousnous aurions accouché
vousvous auriez accouché
ils/ellesils/elles auraient accouché

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.

PronounFrench
jej'aurai accouché
tutu auras accouché
il/elleil/elle aura accouché
nousnous aurons accouché
vousvous aurez accouché
ils/ellesils/elles auront accouché

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
jeaccouche
tuaccouches
il/elleaccouche
nousaccouchions
vousaccouchiez
ils/ellesaccouchent

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
jeaccouchasse
tuaccouchasses
il/elleaccouchât
nousaccouchassions
vousaccouchassiez
ils/ellesaccouchassent

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
tuaccouche
nousaccouchons
vousaccouchez