adapter — French conjugation

to adapt

Frequency#346RegularReflexives'adapter — to adapt oneself

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
jeadapteI adapt
tuadaptesyou adapt
il/elleadaptehe/she/it adapts
nousadaptonswe adapt
vousadaptezyou (pl.) adapt
ils/ellesadaptentthey adapt

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
jeadaptaiI adapted
tuadaptasyou adapted
il/elleadaptahe/she/it adapted
nousadaptâmeswe adapted
vousadaptâtesyou (pl.) adapted
ils/ellesadaptèrentthey adapted

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
jeadaptais
tuadaptais
il/elleadaptait
nousadaptions
vousadaptiez
ils/ellesadaptaient

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
jeadapteraisI would adapt
tuadapteraisyou would adapt
il/elleadapteraithe/she/it would adapt
nousadapterionswe would adapt
vousadapteriezyou (pl.) would adapt
ils/ellesadapteraientthey would adapt

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
jeadapteraiI will adapt
tuadapterasyou will adapt
il/elleadapterahe/she/it will adapt
nousadapteronswe will adapt
vousadapterezyou (pl.) will adapt
ils/ellesadapterontthey will adapt

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 adaptéI have adapted
tutu as adaptéyou have adapted
il/elleil/elle a adaptéhe/she/it has adapted
nousnous avons adaptéwe have adapted
vousvous avez adaptéyou (pl.) have adapted
ils/ellesils/elles ont adaptéthey have adapted

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 adaptéI had adapted
tutu avais adaptéyou had adapted
il/elleil/elle avait adaptéhe/she/it had adapted
nousnous avions adaptéwe had adapted
vousvous aviez adaptéyou (pl.) had adapted
ils/ellesils/elles avaient adaptéthey had adapted

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

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 adaptéI will have adapted
tutu auras adaptéyou will have adapted
il/elleil/elle aura adaptéhe/she/it will have adapted
nousnous aurons adaptéwe will have adapted
vousvous aurez adaptéyou (pl.) will have adapted
ils/ellesils/elles auront adaptéthey will have adapted

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
jeadapte
tuadaptes
il/elleadapte
nousadaptions
vousadaptiez
ils/ellesadaptent

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
jeadaptasse
tuadaptasses
il/elleadaptât
nousadaptassions
vousadaptassiez
ils/ellesadaptassent

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
tuadapte
nousadaptons
vousadaptez