distraire — French conjugation
to distract
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.
| Pronoun | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | distrais | I distract |
| tu | distrais | you distract |
| il/elle | distrait | he/she/it distracts |
| nous | distrayons | we distract |
| vous | distrayez | you (pl.) distract |
| ils/elles | distraient | they distract |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | distrayais |
| tu | distrayais |
| il/elle | distrayait |
| nous | distrayions |
| vous | distrayiez |
| ils/elles | distrayaient |
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 ?
| Pronoun | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | distrairais | I would distract |
| tu | distrairais | you would distract |
| il/elle | distrairait | he/she/it would distract |
| nous | distrairions | we would distract |
| vous | distrairiez | you (pl.) would distract |
| ils/elles | distrairaient | they would distract |
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.
| Pronoun | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | distrairai | I will distract |
| tu | distrairas | you will distract |
| il/elle | distraira | he/she/it will distract |
| nous | distrairons | we will distract |
| vous | distrairez | you (pl.) will distract |
| ils/elles | distrairont | they will distract |
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.
| Pronoun | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | j'ai distrait | I have distracted |
| tu | tu as distrait | you have distracted |
| il/elle | il/elle a distrait | he/she/it has distracted |
| nous | nous avons distrait | we have distracted |
| vous | vous avez distrait | you (pl.) have distracted |
| ils/elles | ils/elles ont distrait | they have distracted |
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.
| Pronoun | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | j'avais distrait | I had distracted |
| tu | tu avais distrait | you had distracted |
| il/elle | il/elle avait distrait | he/she/it had distracted |
| nous | nous avions distrait | we had distracted |
| vous | vous aviez distrait | you (pl.) had distracted |
| ils/elles | ils/elles avaient distrait | they had distracted |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | j'aurais distrait |
| tu | tu aurais distrait |
| il/elle | il/elle aurait distrait |
| nous | nous aurions distrait |
| vous | vous auriez distrait |
| ils/elles | ils/elles auraient distrait |
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.
| Pronoun | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | j'aurai distrait | I will have distracted |
| tu | tu auras distrait | you will have distracted |
| il/elle | il/elle aura distrait | he/she/it will have distracted |
| nous | nous aurons distrait | we will have distracted |
| vous | vous aurez distrait | you (pl.) will have distracted |
| ils/elles | ils/elles auront distrait | they will have distracted |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | distraie |
| tu | distraies |
| il/elle | distraie |
| nous | distrayions |
| vous | distrayiez |
| ils/elles | distraient |
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 !
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| tu | distrais |
| nous | distrayons |
| vous | distrayez |