conquérir — French conjugation

to conquer

Frequency#1093Irregular

Indicative

Present (Présent) Irregular

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
jeconquiersI conquer
tuconquiersyou conquer
il/elleconquierthe/she/it conquers
nousconquéronswe conquer
vousconquérezyou (pl.) conquer
ils/ellesconquièrentthey conquer

Simple past (Passé simple) Irregular

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
jeconquisI conquered
tuconquisyou conquered
il/elleconquithe/she/it conquered
nousconquîmeswe conquered
vousconquîtesyou (pl.) conquered
ils/ellesconquirentthey conquered

Imperfect (Imparfait) Irregular

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
jeconquérais
tuconquérais
il/elleconquérait
nousconquérions
vousconquériez
ils/ellesconquéraient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Irregular

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
jeconquerraisI would conquer
tuconquerraisyou would conquer
il/elleconquerraithe/she/it would conquer
nousconquerrionswe would conquer
vousconquerriezyou (pl.) would conquer
ils/ellesconquerraientthey would conquer

Future (Futur) Irregular

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
jeconquerraiI will conquer
tuconquerrasyou will conquer
il/elleconquerrahe/she/it will conquer
nousconquerronswe will conquer
vousconquerrezyou (pl.) will conquer
ils/ellesconquerrontthey will conquer

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 conquisI have conquered
tutu as conquisyou have conquered
il/elleil/elle a conquishe/she/it has conquered
nousnous avons conquiswe have conquered
vousvous avez conquisyou (pl.) have conquered
ils/ellesils/elles ont conquisthey have conquered

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 conquisI had conquered
tutu avais conquisyou had conquered
il/elleil/elle avait conquishe/she/it had conquered
nousnous avions conquiswe had conquered
vousvous aviez conquisyou (pl.) had conquered
ils/ellesils/elles avaient conquisthey had conquered

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

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 conquisI will have conquered
tutu auras conquisyou will have conquered
il/elleil/elle aura conquishe/she/it will have conquered
nousnous aurons conquiswe will have conquered
vousvous aurez conquisyou (pl.) will have conquered
ils/ellesils/elles auront conquisthey will have conquered

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjonctif présent) Irregular

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
jeconquière
tuconquières
il/elleconquière
nousconquérions
vousconquériez
ils/ellesconquièrent

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
jeconquisse
tuconquisses
il/elleconquît
nousconquissions
vousconquissiez
ils/ellesconquissent

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
tuconquiers
nousconquérons
vousconquérez