encadrer — French conjugation

to frame

Frequency#1218Regular

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
jeencadreI frame
tuencadresyou frame
il/elleencadrehe/she/it frames
nousencadronswe frame
vousencadrezyou (pl.) frame
ils/ellesencadrentthey frame

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
jeencadraiI framed
tuencadrasyou framed
il/elleencadrahe/she/it framed
nousencadrâmeswe framed
vousencadrâtesyou (pl.) framed
ils/ellesencadrèrentthey framed

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
jeencadrais
tuencadrais
il/elleencadrait
nousencadrions
vousencadriez
ils/ellesencadraient

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
jeencadreraisI would frame
tuencadreraisyou would frame
il/elleencadreraithe/she/it would frame
nousencadrerionswe would frame
vousencadreriezyou (pl.) would frame
ils/ellesencadreraientthey would frame

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
jeencadreraiI will frame
tuencadrerasyou will frame
il/elleencadrerahe/she/it will frame
nousencadreronswe will frame
vousencadrerezyou (pl.) will frame
ils/ellesencadrerontthey will frame

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 encadréI have framed
tutu as encadréyou have framed
il/elleil/elle a encadréhe/she/it has framed
nousnous avons encadréwe have framed
vousvous avez encadréyou (pl.) have framed
ils/ellesils/elles ont encadréthey have framed

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 encadréI had framed
tutu avais encadréyou had framed
il/elleil/elle avait encadréhe/she/it had framed
nousnous avions encadréwe had framed
vousvous aviez encadréyou (pl.) had framed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient encadréthey had framed

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

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 encadréI will have framed
tutu auras encadréyou will have framed
il/elleil/elle aura encadréhe/she/it will have framed
nousnous aurons encadréwe will have framed
vousvous aurez encadréyou (pl.) will have framed
ils/ellesils/elles auront encadréthey will have framed

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
jeencadre
tuencadres
il/elleencadre
nousencadrions
vousencadriez
ils/ellesencadrent

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
jeencadrasse
tuencadrasses
il/elleencadrât
nousencadrassions
vousencadrassiez
ils/ellesencadrassent

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
tuencadre
nousencadrons
vousencadrez