convertir — French conjugation

to convert (change one thing into another)

Frequency#481Regular

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
jeconvertisI convert
tuconvertisyou convert
il/elleconvertithe/she/it converts
nousconvertissonswe convert
vousconvertissezyou (pl.) convert
ils/ellesconvertissentthey convert

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
jeconvertisI converted
tuconvertisyou converted
il/elleconvertithe/she/it converted
nousconvertîmeswe converted
vousconvertîtesyou (pl.) converted
ils/ellesconvertirentthey converted

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
jeconvertissais
tuconvertissais
il/elleconvertissait
nousconvertissions
vousconvertissiez
ils/ellesconvertissaient

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
jeconvertiraisI would convert
tuconvertiraisyou would convert
il/elleconvertiraithe/she/it would convert
nousconvertirionswe would convert
vousconvertiriezyou (pl.) would convert
ils/ellesconvertiraientthey would convert

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
jeconvertiraiI will convert
tuconvertirasyou will convert
il/elleconvertirahe/she/it will convert
nousconvertironswe will convert
vousconvertirezyou (pl.) will convert
ils/ellesconvertirontthey will convert

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 convertiI have converted
tutu as convertiyou have converted
il/elleil/elle a convertihe/she/it has converted
nousnous avons convertiwe have converted
vousvous avez convertiyou (pl.) have converted
ils/ellesils/elles ont convertithey have converted

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 convertiI had converted
tutu avais convertiyou had converted
il/elleil/elle avait convertihe/she/it had converted
nousnous avions convertiwe had converted
vousvous aviez convertiyou (pl.) had converted
ils/ellesils/elles avaient convertithey had converted

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

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 convertiI will have converted
tutu auras convertiyou will have converted
il/elleil/elle aura convertihe/she/it will have converted
nousnous aurons convertiwe will have converted
vousvous aurez convertiyou (pl.) will have converted
ils/ellesils/elles auront convertithey will have converted

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
jeconvertisse
tuconvertisses
il/elleconvertisse
nousconvertissions
vousconvertissiez
ils/ellesconvertissent

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
jeconvertisse
tuconvertisses
il/elleconvertît
nousconvertissions
vousconvertissiez
ils/ellesconvertissent

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
tuconvertis
nousconvertissons
vousconvertissez