calmer — French conjugation

to calm

Frequency#910RegularReflexivese calmer — to calm down

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
jecalmeI calm
tucalmesyou calm
il/ellecalmehe/she/it calms
nouscalmonswe calm
vouscalmezyou (pl.) calm
ils/ellescalmentthey calm

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
jecalmaiI calmed
tucalmasyou calmed
il/ellecalmahe/she/it calmed
nouscalmâmeswe calmed
vouscalmâtesyou (pl.) calmed
ils/ellescalmèrentthey calmed

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
jecalmais
tucalmais
il/ellecalmait
nouscalmions
vouscalmiez
ils/ellescalmaient

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
jecalmeraisI would calm
tucalmeraisyou would calm
il/ellecalmeraithe/she/it would calm
nouscalmerionswe would calm
vouscalmeriezyou (pl.) would calm
ils/ellescalmeraientthey would calm

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
jecalmeraiI will calm
tucalmerasyou will calm
il/ellecalmerahe/she/it will calm
nouscalmeronswe will calm
vouscalmerezyou (pl.) will calm
ils/ellescalmerontthey will calm

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 calméI have calmed
tutu as calméyou have calmed
il/elleil/elle a calméhe/she/it has calmed
nousnous avons calméwe have calmed
vousvous avez calméyou (pl.) have calmed
ils/ellesils/elles ont calméthey have calmed

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 calméI had calmed
tutu avais calméyou had calmed
il/elleil/elle avait calméhe/she/it had calmed
nousnous avions calméwe had calmed
vousvous aviez calméyou (pl.) had calmed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient calméthey had calmed

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

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 calméI will have calmed
tutu auras calméyou will have calmed
il/elleil/elle aura calméhe/she/it will have calmed
nousnous aurons calméwe will have calmed
vousvous aurez calméyou (pl.) will have calmed
ils/ellesils/elles auront calméthey will have calmed

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
jecalme
tucalmes
il/ellecalme
nouscalmions
vouscalmiez
ils/ellescalment

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
jecalmasse
tucalmasses
il/ellecalmât
nouscalmassions
vouscalmassiez
ils/ellescalmassent

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
tucalme
nouscalmons
vouscalmez