évoluer — French conjugation

to evolve; to change, to develop

Frequency#192Regular

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
jeévolueI evolve
tuévoluesyou evolve
il/elleévoluehe/she/it evolves
nousévoluonswe evolve
vousévoluezyou (pl.) evolve
ils/ellesévoluentthey evolve

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
jeévoluaiI evolved
tuévoluasyou evolved
il/elleévoluahe/she/it evolved
nousévoluâmeswe evolved
vousévoluâtesyou (pl.) evolved
ils/ellesévoluèrentthey evolved

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
jeévoluais
tuévoluais
il/elleévoluait
nousévoluions
vousévoluiez
ils/ellesévoluaient

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
jeévolueraisI would evolve
tuévolueraisyou would evolve
il/elleévolueraithe/she/it would evolve
nousévoluerionswe would evolve
vousévolueriezyou (pl.) would evolve
ils/ellesévolueraientthey would evolve

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
jeévolueraiI will evolve
tuévoluerasyou will evolve
il/elleévoluerahe/she/it will evolve
nousévolueronswe will evolve
vousévoluerezyou (pl.) will evolve
ils/ellesévoluerontthey will evolve

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 évoluéI have evolved
tutu as évoluéyou have evolved
il/elleil/elle a évoluéhe/she/it has evolved
nousnous avons évoluéwe have evolved
vousvous avez évoluéyou (pl.) have evolved
ils/ellesils/elles ont évoluéthey have evolved

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 évoluéI had evolved
tutu avais évoluéyou had evolved
il/elleil/elle avait évoluéhe/she/it had evolved
nousnous avions évoluéwe had evolved
vousvous aviez évoluéyou (pl.) had evolved
ils/ellesils/elles avaient évoluéthey had evolved

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

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 évoluéI will have evolved
tutu auras évoluéyou will have evolved
il/elleil/elle aura évoluéhe/she/it will have evolved
nousnous aurons évoluéwe will have evolved
vousvous aurez évoluéyou (pl.) will have evolved
ils/ellesils/elles auront évoluéthey will have evolved

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
jeévolue
tuévolues
il/elleévolue
nousévoluions
vousévoluiez
ils/ellesévoluent

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
jeévoluasse
tuévoluasses
il/elleévoluât
nousévoluassions
vousévoluassiez
ils/ellesévoluassent

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
tuévolue
nousévoluons
vousévoluez