articuler — French conjugation

to articulate.

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
jearticule
tuarticules
il/ellearticule
nousarticulons
vousarticulez
ils/ellesarticulent

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
jearticulai
tuarticulas
il/ellearticula
nousarticulâmes
vousarticulâtes
ils/ellesarticulèrent

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
jearticulais
tuarticulais
il/ellearticulait
nousarticulions
vousarticuliez
ils/ellesarticulaient

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
jearticulerais
tuarticulerais
il/ellearticulerait
nousarticulerions
vousarticuleriez
ils/ellesarticuleraient

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
jearticulerai
tuarticuleras
il/ellearticulera
nousarticulerons
vousarticulerez
ils/ellesarticuleront

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 articulé
tutu as articulé
il/elleil/elle a articulé
nousnous avons articulé
vousvous avez articulé
ils/ellesils/elles ont articulé

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 articulé
tutu avais articulé
il/elleil/elle avait articulé
nousnous avions articulé
vousvous aviez articulé
ils/ellesils/elles avaient articulé

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

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 articulé
tutu auras articulé
il/elleil/elle aura articulé
nousnous aurons articulé
vousvous aurez articulé
ils/ellesils/elles auront articulé

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
jearticule
tuarticules
il/ellearticule
nousarticulions
vousarticuliez
ils/ellesarticulent

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
jearticulasse
tuarticulasses
il/ellearticulât
nousarticulassions
vousarticulassiez
ils/ellesarticulassent

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
tuarticule
nousarticulons
vousarticulez