embarrasser — French conjugation

to embarrass

Frequency#736Regular

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
jeembarrasseI embarrass
tuembarrassesyou embarrass
il/elleembarrassehe/she/it embarrasses
nousembarrassonswe embarrass
vousembarrassezyou (pl.) embarrass
ils/ellesembarrassentthey embarrass

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
jeembarrassaiI embarrassed
tuembarrassasyou embarrassed
il/elleembarrassahe/she/it embarrassed
nousembarrassâmeswe embarrassed
vousembarrassâtesyou (pl.) embarrassed
ils/ellesembarrassèrentthey embarrassed

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
jeembarrassais
tuembarrassais
il/elleembarrassait
nousembarrassions
vousembarrassiez
ils/ellesembarrassaient

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
jeembarrasseraisI would embarrass
tuembarrasseraisyou would embarrass
il/elleembarrasseraithe/she/it would embarrass
nousembarrasserionswe would embarrass
vousembarrasseriezyou (pl.) would embarrass
ils/ellesembarrasseraientthey would embarrass

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
jeembarrasseraiI will embarrass
tuembarrasserasyou will embarrass
il/elleembarrasserahe/she/it will embarrass
nousembarrasseronswe will embarrass
vousembarrasserezyou (pl.) will embarrass
ils/ellesembarrasserontthey will embarrass

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 embarrasséI have embarrassed
tutu as embarrasséyou have embarrassed
il/elleil/elle a embarrasséhe/she/it has embarrassed
nousnous avons embarrasséwe have embarrassed
vousvous avez embarrasséyou (pl.) have embarrassed
ils/ellesils/elles ont embarrasséthey have embarrassed

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 embarrasséI had embarrassed
tutu avais embarrasséyou had embarrassed
il/elleil/elle avait embarrasséhe/she/it had embarrassed
nousnous avions embarrasséwe had embarrassed
vousvous aviez embarrasséyou (pl.) had embarrassed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient embarrasséthey had embarrassed

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

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 embarrasséI will have embarrassed
tutu auras embarrasséyou will have embarrassed
il/elleil/elle aura embarrasséhe/she/it will have embarrassed
nousnous aurons embarrasséwe will have embarrassed
vousvous aurez embarrasséyou (pl.) will have embarrassed
ils/ellesils/elles auront embarrasséthey will have embarrassed

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
jeembarrasse
tuembarrasses
il/elleembarrasse
nousembarrassions
vousembarrassiez
ils/ellesembarrassent

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
jeembarrassasse
tuembarrassasses
il/elleembarrassât
nousembarrassassions
vousembarrassassiez
ils/ellesembarrassassent

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
tuembarrasse
nousembarrassons
vousembarrassez