classer — French conjugation

to classify

Frequency#475Regular

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
jeclasseI classify
tuclassesyou classify
il/elleclassehe/she/it classifies
nousclassonswe classify
vousclassezyou (pl.) classify
ils/ellesclassentthey classify

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
jeclassaiI classified
tuclassasyou classified
il/elleclassahe/she/it classified
nousclassâmeswe classified
vousclassâtesyou (pl.) classified
ils/ellesclassèrentthey classified

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
jeclassais
tuclassais
il/elleclassait
nousclassions
vousclassiez
ils/ellesclassaient

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
jeclasseraisI would classify
tuclasseraisyou would classify
il/elleclasseraithe/she/it would classify
nousclasserionswe would classify
vousclasseriezyou (pl.) would classify
ils/ellesclasseraientthey would classify

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
jeclasseraiI will classify
tuclasserasyou will classify
il/elleclasserahe/she/it will classify
nousclasseronswe will classify
vousclasserezyou (pl.) will classify
ils/ellesclasserontthey will classify

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 classéI have classified
tutu as classéyou have classified
il/elleil/elle a classéhe/she/it has classified
nousnous avons classéwe have classified
vousvous avez classéyou (pl.) have classified
ils/ellesils/elles ont classéthey have classified

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 classéI had classified
tutu avais classéyou had classified
il/elleil/elle avait classéhe/she/it had classified
nousnous avions classéwe had classified
vousvous aviez classéyou (pl.) had classified
ils/ellesils/elles avaient classéthey had classified

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

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 classéI will have classified
tutu auras classéyou will have classified
il/elleil/elle aura classéhe/she/it will have classified
nousnous aurons classéwe will have classified
vousvous aurez classéyou (pl.) will have classified
ils/ellesils/elles auront classéthey will have classified

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
jeclasse
tuclasses
il/elleclasse
nousclassions
vousclassiez
ils/ellesclassent

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
jeclassasse
tuclassasses
il/elleclassât
nousclassassions
vousclassassiez
ils/ellesclassassent

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
tuclasse
nousclassons
vousclassez