constituer — French conjugation

to constitute

Frequency#570Regular

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
jeconstitueI constitute
tuconstituesyou constitute
il/elleconstituehe/she/it constitutes
nousconstituonswe constitute
vousconstituezyou (pl.) constitute
ils/ellesconstituentthey constitute

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
jeconstituaiI constituted
tuconstituasyou constituted
il/elleconstituahe/she/it constituted
nousconstituâmeswe constituted
vousconstituâtesyou (pl.) constituted
ils/ellesconstituèrentthey constituted

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
jeconstituais
tuconstituais
il/elleconstituait
nousconstituions
vousconstituiez
ils/ellesconstituaient

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
jeconstitueraisI would constitute
tuconstitueraisyou would constitute
il/elleconstitueraithe/she/it would constitute
nousconstituerionswe would constitute
vousconstitueriezyou (pl.) would constitute
ils/ellesconstitueraientthey would constitute

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
jeconstitueraiI will constitute
tuconstituerasyou will constitute
il/elleconstituerahe/she/it will constitute
nousconstitueronswe will constitute
vousconstituerezyou (pl.) will constitute
ils/ellesconstituerontthey will constitute

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 constituéI have constituted
tutu as constituéyou have constituted
il/elleil/elle a constituéhe/she/it has constituted
nousnous avons constituéwe have constituted
vousvous avez constituéyou (pl.) have constituted
ils/ellesils/elles ont constituéthey have constituted

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 constituéI had constituted
tutu avais constituéyou had constituted
il/elleil/elle avait constituéhe/she/it had constituted
nousnous avions constituéwe had constituted
vousvous aviez constituéyou (pl.) had constituted
ils/ellesils/elles avaient constituéthey had constituted

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

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 constituéI will have constituted
tutu auras constituéyou will have constituted
il/elleil/elle aura constituéhe/she/it will have constituted
nousnous aurons constituéwe will have constituted
vousvous aurez constituéyou (pl.) will have constituted
ils/ellesils/elles auront constituéthey will have constituted

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
jeconstitue
tuconstitues
il/elleconstitue
nousconstituions
vousconstituiez
ils/ellesconstituent

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
jeconstituasse
tuconstituasses
il/elleconstituât
nousconstituassions
vousconstituassiez
ils/ellesconstituassent

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
tuconstitue
nousconstituons
vousconstituez