enlever — French conjugation

to remove

Frequency#154Irregular

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.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jeenlèveI remove
tuenlèvesyou remove
il/elleenlèvehe/she/it removes
nousenlevonswe remove
vousenlevezyou (pl.) remove
ils/ellesenlèventthey remove

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
jeenlevaiI removed
tuenlevasyou removed
il/elleenlevahe/she/it removed
nousenlevâmeswe removed
vousenlevâtesyou (pl.) removed
ils/ellesenlevèrentthey removed

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
jeenlevais
tuenlevais
il/elleenlevait
nousenlevions
vousenleviez
ils/ellesenlevaient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Irregular

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
jeenlèveraisI would remove
tuenlèveraisyou would remove
il/elleenlèveraithe/she/it would remove
nousenlèverionswe would remove
vousenlèveriezyou (pl.) would remove
ils/ellesenlèveraientthey would remove

Future (Futur) Irregular

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
jeenlèveraiI will remove
tuenlèverasyou will remove
il/elleenlèverahe/she/it will remove
nousenlèveronswe will remove
vousenlèverezyou (pl.) will remove
ils/ellesenlèverontthey will remove

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 enlevéI have removed
tutu as enlevéyou have removed
il/elleil/elle a enlevéhe/she/it has removed
nousnous avons enlevéwe have removed
vousvous avez enlevéyou (pl.) have removed
ils/ellesils/elles ont enlevéthey have removed

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 enlevéI had removed
tutu avais enlevéyou had removed
il/elleil/elle avait enlevéhe/she/it had removed
nousnous avions enlevéwe had removed
vousvous aviez enlevéyou (pl.) had removed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient enlevéthey had removed

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

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 enlevéI will have removed
tutu auras enlevéyou will have removed
il/elleil/elle aura enlevéhe/she/it will have removed
nousnous aurons enlevéwe will have removed
vousvous aurez enlevéyou (pl.) will have removed
ils/ellesils/elles auront enlevéthey will have removed

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.

PronounFrench
jeenlève
tuenlèves
il/elleenlève
nousenlevions
vousenleviez
ils/ellesenlèvent

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
jeenlevasse
tuenlevasses
il/elleenlevât
nousenlevassions
vousenlevassiez
ils/ellesenlevassent

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
tuenlève
nousenlevons
vousenlevez