disputer — French conjugation

to dispute

Frequency#581RegularReflexivese disputer — to argue with each other

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
jedisputeI dispute
tudisputesyou dispute
il/elledisputehe/she/it disputes
nousdisputonswe dispute
vousdisputezyou (pl.) dispute
ils/ellesdisputentthey dispute

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
jedisputaiI disputed
tudisputasyou disputed
il/elledisputahe/she/it disputed
nousdisputâmeswe disputed
vousdisputâtesyou (pl.) disputed
ils/ellesdisputèrentthey disputed

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
jedisputais
tudisputais
il/elledisputait
nousdisputions
vousdisputiez
ils/ellesdisputaient

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
jedisputeraisI would dispute
tudisputeraisyou would dispute
il/elledisputeraithe/she/it would dispute
nousdisputerionswe would dispute
vousdisputeriezyou (pl.) would dispute
ils/ellesdisputeraientthey would dispute

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
jedisputeraiI will dispute
tudisputerasyou will dispute
il/elledisputerahe/she/it will dispute
nousdisputeronswe will dispute
vousdisputerezyou (pl.) will dispute
ils/ellesdisputerontthey will dispute

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 disputéI have disputed
tutu as disputéyou have disputed
il/elleil/elle a disputéhe/she/it has disputed
nousnous avons disputéwe have disputed
vousvous avez disputéyou (pl.) have disputed
ils/ellesils/elles ont disputéthey have disputed

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 disputéI had disputed
tutu avais disputéyou had disputed
il/elleil/elle avait disputéhe/she/it had disputed
nousnous avions disputéwe had disputed
vousvous aviez disputéyou (pl.) had disputed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient disputéthey had disputed

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

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 disputéI will have disputed
tutu auras disputéyou will have disputed
il/elleil/elle aura disputéhe/she/it will have disputed
nousnous aurons disputéwe will have disputed
vousvous aurez disputéyou (pl.) will have disputed
ils/ellesils/elles auront disputéthey will have disputed

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
jedispute
tudisputes
il/elledispute
nousdisputions
vousdisputiez
ils/ellesdisputent

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
jedisputasse
tudisputasses
il/elledisputât
nousdisputassions
vousdisputassiez
ils/ellesdisputassent

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
tudispute
nousdisputons
vousdisputez