énoncer — French conjugation

to state, to express

Frequency#393Irregular

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
jeénonceI state
tuénoncesyou state
il/elleénoncehe/she/it states
nousénonçonswe state
vousénoncezyou (pl.) state
ils/ellesénoncentthey state

Simple past (Passé simple) Irregular

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
jeénonçaiI stated
tuénonçasyou stated
il/elleénonçahe/she/it stated
nousénonçâmeswe stated
vousénonçâtesyou (pl.) stated
ils/ellesénoncèrentthey stated

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.

PronounFrench
jeénonçais
tuénonçais
il/elleénonçait
nousénoncions
vousénonciez
ils/ellesénonçaient

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
jeénonceraisI would state
tuénonceraisyou would state
il/elleénonceraithe/she/it would state
nousénoncerionswe would state
vousénonceriezyou (pl.) would state
ils/ellesénonceraientthey would state

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
jeénonceraiI will state
tuénoncerasyou will state
il/elleénoncerahe/she/it will state
nousénonceronswe will state
vousénoncerezyou (pl.) will state
ils/ellesénoncerontthey will state

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 énoncéI have stated
tutu as énoncéyou have stated
il/elleil/elle a énoncéhe/she/it has stated
nousnous avons énoncéwe have stated
vousvous avez énoncéyou (pl.) have stated
ils/ellesils/elles ont énoncéthey have stated

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 énoncéI had stated
tutu avais énoncéyou had stated
il/elleil/elle avait énoncéhe/she/it had stated
nousnous avions énoncéwe had stated
vousvous aviez énoncéyou (pl.) had stated
ils/ellesils/elles avaient énoncéthey had stated

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

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 énoncéI will have stated
tutu auras énoncéyou will have stated
il/elleil/elle aura énoncéhe/she/it will have stated
nousnous aurons énoncéwe will have stated
vousvous aurez énoncéyou (pl.) will have stated
ils/ellesils/elles auront énoncéthey will have stated

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
jeénonce
tuénonces
il/elleénonce
nousénoncions
vousénonciez
ils/ellesénoncent

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
jeénonçasse
tuénonçasses
il/elleénonçât
nousénonçassions
vousénonçassiez
ils/ellesénonçassent

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
tuénonce
nousénonçons
vousénoncez