convier — French conjugation

to invite

Frequency#224Regular

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
jeconvieI invite
tuconviesyou invite
il/elleconviehe/she/it invites
nousconvionswe invite
vousconviezyou (pl.) invite
ils/ellesconvientthey invite

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
jeconviaiI invited
tuconviasyou invited
il/elleconviahe/she/it invited
nousconviâmeswe invited
vousconviâtesyou (pl.) invited
ils/ellesconvièrentthey invited

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
jeconviais
tuconviais
il/elleconviait
nousconviions
vousconviiez
ils/ellesconviaient

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
jeconvieraisI would invite
tuconvieraisyou would invite
il/elleconvieraithe/she/it would invite
nousconvierionswe would invite
vousconvieriezyou (pl.) would invite
ils/ellesconvieraientthey would invite

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
jeconvieraiI will invite
tuconvierasyou will invite
il/elleconvierahe/she/it will invite
nousconvieronswe will invite
vousconvierezyou (pl.) will invite
ils/ellesconvierontthey will invite

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 conviéI have invited
tutu as conviéyou have invited
il/elleil/elle a conviéhe/she/it has invited
nousnous avons conviéwe have invited
vousvous avez conviéyou (pl.) have invited
ils/ellesils/elles ont conviéthey have invited

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 conviéI had invited
tutu avais conviéyou had invited
il/elleil/elle avait conviéhe/she/it had invited
nousnous avions conviéwe had invited
vousvous aviez conviéyou (pl.) had invited
ils/ellesils/elles avaient conviéthey had invited

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

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 conviéI will have invited
tutu auras conviéyou will have invited
il/elleil/elle aura conviéhe/she/it will have invited
nousnous aurons conviéwe will have invited
vousvous aurez conviéyou (pl.) will have invited
ils/ellesils/elles auront conviéthey will have invited

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
jeconvie
tuconvies
il/elleconvie
nousconviions
vousconviiez
ils/ellesconvient

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
jeconviasse
tuconviasses
il/elleconviât
nousconviassions
vousconviassiez
ils/ellesconviassent

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
tuconvie
nousconvions
vousconviez