embrasser — French conjugation

to embrace

Frequency#486RegularReflexives'embrasser — to kiss 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
jeembrasseI embrace
tuembrassesyou embrace
il/elleembrassehe/she/it embraces
nousembrassonswe embrace
vousembrassezyou (pl.) embrace
ils/ellesembrassentthey embrace

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
jeembrassaiI embraced
tuembrassasyou embraced
il/elleembrassahe/she/it embraced
nousembrassâmeswe embraced
vousembrassâtesyou (pl.) embraced
ils/ellesembrassèrentthey embraced

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
jeembrassais
tuembrassais
il/elleembrassait
nousembrassions
vousembrassiez
ils/ellesembrassaient

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
jeembrasseraisI would embrace
tuembrasseraisyou would embrace
il/elleembrasseraithe/she/it would embrace
nousembrasserionswe would embrace
vousembrasseriezyou (pl.) would embrace
ils/ellesembrasseraientthey would embrace

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
jeembrasseraiI will embrace
tuembrasserasyou will embrace
il/elleembrasserahe/she/it will embrace
nousembrasseronswe will embrace
vousembrasserezyou (pl.) will embrace
ils/ellesembrasserontthey will embrace

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 embrasséI have embraced
tutu as embrasséyou have embraced
il/elleil/elle a embrasséhe/she/it has embraced
nousnous avons embrasséwe have embraced
vousvous avez embrasséyou (pl.) have embraced
ils/ellesils/elles ont embrasséthey have embraced

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 embrasséI had embraced
tutu avais embrasséyou had embraced
il/elleil/elle avait embrasséhe/she/it had embraced
nousnous avions embrasséwe had embraced
vousvous aviez embrasséyou (pl.) had embraced
ils/ellesils/elles avaient embrasséthey had embraced

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

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 embrasséI will have embraced
tutu auras embrasséyou will have embraced
il/elleil/elle aura embrasséhe/she/it will have embraced
nousnous aurons embrasséwe will have embraced
vousvous aurez embrasséyou (pl.) will have embraced
ils/ellesils/elles auront embrasséthey will have embraced

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
jeembrasse
tuembrasses
il/elleembrasse
nousembrassions
vousembrassiez
ils/ellesembrassent

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
jeembrassasse
tuembrassasses
il/elleembrassât
nousembrassassions
vousembrassassiez
ils/ellesembrassassent

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
tuembrasse
nousembrassons
vousembrassez