baser — French conjugation

to base (have as its foundation or starting point)

Frequency#231Regular

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
jebaseI base
tubasesyou base
il/ellebasehe/she/it bases
nousbasonswe base
vousbasezyou (pl.) base
ils/ellesbasentthey base

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
jebasaiI based
tubasasyou based
il/ellebasahe/she/it based
nousbasâmeswe based
vousbasâtesyou (pl.) based
ils/ellesbasèrentthey based

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
jebasais
tubasais
il/ellebasait
nousbasions
vousbasiez
ils/ellesbasaient

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
jebaseraisI would base
tubaseraisyou would base
il/ellebaseraithe/she/it would base
nousbaserionswe would base
vousbaseriezyou (pl.) would base
ils/ellesbaseraientthey would base

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
jebaseraiI will base
tubaserasyou will base
il/ellebaserahe/she/it will base
nousbaseronswe will base
vousbaserezyou (pl.) will base
ils/ellesbaserontthey will base

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 baséI have based
tutu as baséyou have based
il/elleil/elle a baséhe/she/it has based
nousnous avons baséwe have based
vousvous avez baséyou (pl.) have based
ils/ellesils/elles ont baséthey have based

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 baséI had based
tutu avais baséyou had based
il/elleil/elle avait baséhe/she/it had based
nousnous avions baséwe had based
vousvous aviez baséyou (pl.) had based
ils/ellesils/elles avaient baséthey had based

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

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 baséI will have based
tutu auras baséyou will have based
il/elleil/elle aura baséhe/she/it will have based
nousnous aurons baséwe will have based
vousvous aurez baséyou (pl.) will have based
ils/ellesils/elles auront baséthey will have based

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
jebase
tubases
il/ellebase
nousbasions
vousbasiez
ils/ellesbasent

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
jebasasse
tubasasses
il/ellebasât
nousbasassions
vousbasassiez
ils/ellesbasassent

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
tubase
nousbasons
vousbasez