entrer — French conjugation

to enter

Frequency#55RegularAuxiliaryêtre

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
jeentreI enter
tuentresyou enter
il/elleentrehe/she/it enters
nousentronswe enter
vousentrezyou (pl.) enter
ils/ellesentrentthey enter

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
jeentraiI entered
tuentrasyou entered
il/elleentrahe/she/it entered
nousentrâmeswe entered
vousentrâtesyou (pl.) entered
ils/ellesentrèrentthey entered

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
jeentrais
tuentrais
il/elleentrait
nousentrions
vousentriez
ils/ellesentraient

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
jeentreraisI would enter
tuentreraisyou would enter
il/elleentreraithe/she/it would enter
nousentrerionswe would enter
vousentreriezyou (pl.) would enter
ils/ellesentreraientthey would enter

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
jeentreraiI will enter
tuentrerasyou will enter
il/elleentrerahe/she/it will enter
nousentreronswe will enter
vousentrerezyou (pl.) will enter
ils/ellesentrerontthey will enter

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
jeje suis entré(e)I have entered
tutu es entré(e)you have entered
il/elleil/elle est entré(e)he/she/it has entered
nousnous sommes entré(e)swe have entered
vousvous êtes entré(e)(s)you (pl.) have entered
ils/ellesils/elles sont entré(e)sthey have entered

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'étais entré(e)I had entered
tutu étais entré(e)you had entered
il/elleil/elle était entré(e)he/she/it had entered
nousnous étions entré(e)swe had entered
vousvous étiez entré(e)(s)you (pl.) had entered
ils/ellesils/elles étaient entré(e)sthey had entered

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
jeje serais entré(e)
tutu serais entré(e)
il/elleil/elle serait entré(e)
nousnous serions entré(e)s
vousvous seriez entré(e)(s)
ils/ellesils/elles seraient entré(e)s

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
jeje serai entré(e)I will have entered
tutu seras entré(e)you will have entered
il/elleil/elle sera entré(e)he/she/it will have entered
nousnous serons entré(e)swe will have entered
vousvous serez entré(e)(s)you (pl.) will have entered
ils/ellesils/elles seront entré(e)sthey will have entered

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
jeentre
tuentres
il/elleentre
nousentrions
vousentriez
ils/ellesentrent

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
jeentrasse
tuentrasses
il/elleentrât
nousentrassions
vousentrassiez
ils/ellesentrassent

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
tuentre
nousentrons
vousentrez