assumer — French conjugation

to assume

Frequency#669RegularReflexives'assumer — to accept 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
jeassumeI assume
tuassumesyou assume
il/elleassumehe/she/it assumes
nousassumonswe assume
vousassumezyou (pl.) assume
ils/ellesassumentthey assume

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
jeassumaiI assumed
tuassumasyou assumed
il/elleassumahe/she/it assumed
nousassumâmeswe assumed
vousassumâtesyou (pl.) assumed
ils/ellesassumèrentthey assumed

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
jeassumais
tuassumais
il/elleassumait
nousassumions
vousassumiez
ils/ellesassumaient

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
jeassumeraisI would assume
tuassumeraisyou would assume
il/elleassumeraithe/she/it would assume
nousassumerionswe would assume
vousassumeriezyou (pl.) would assume
ils/ellesassumeraientthey would assume

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
jeassumeraiI will assume
tuassumerasyou will assume
il/elleassumerahe/she/it will assume
nousassumeronswe will assume
vousassumerezyou (pl.) will assume
ils/ellesassumerontthey will assume

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 assuméI have assumed
tutu as assuméyou have assumed
il/elleil/elle a assuméhe/she/it has assumed
nousnous avons assuméwe have assumed
vousvous avez assuméyou (pl.) have assumed
ils/ellesils/elles ont assuméthey have assumed

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 assuméI had assumed
tutu avais assuméyou had assumed
il/elleil/elle avait assuméhe/she/it had assumed
nousnous avions assuméwe had assumed
vousvous aviez assuméyou (pl.) had assumed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient assuméthey had assumed

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

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 assuméI will have assumed
tutu auras assuméyou will have assumed
il/elleil/elle aura assuméhe/she/it will have assumed
nousnous aurons assuméwe will have assumed
vousvous aurez assuméyou (pl.) will have assumed
ils/ellesils/elles auront assuméthey will have assumed

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
jeassume
tuassumes
il/elleassume
nousassumions
vousassumiez
ils/ellesassument

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
jeassumasse
tuassumasses
il/elleassumât
nousassumassions
vousassumassiez
ils/ellesassumassent

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
tuassume
nousassumons
vousassumez