explorer — French conjugation

to explore

Frequency#318Regular

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
jeexploreI explore
tuexploresyou explore
il/elleexplorehe/she/it explores
nousexploronswe explore
vousexplorezyou (pl.) explore
ils/ellesexplorentthey explore

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
jeexploraiI explored
tuexplorasyou explored
il/elleexplorahe/she/it explored
nousexplorâmeswe explored
vousexplorâtesyou (pl.) explored
ils/ellesexplorèrentthey explored

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
jeexplorais
tuexplorais
il/elleexplorait
nousexplorions
vousexploriez
ils/ellesexploraient

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
jeexploreraisI would explore
tuexploreraisyou would explore
il/elleexploreraithe/she/it would explore
nousexplorerionswe would explore
vousexploreriezyou (pl.) would explore
ils/ellesexploreraientthey would explore

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
jeexploreraiI will explore
tuexplorerasyou will explore
il/elleexplorerahe/she/it will explore
nousexploreronswe will explore
vousexplorerezyou (pl.) will explore
ils/ellesexplorerontthey will explore

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 exploréI have explored
tutu as exploréyou have explored
il/elleil/elle a exploréhe/she/it has explored
nousnous avons exploréwe have explored
vousvous avez exploréyou (pl.) have explored
ils/ellesils/elles ont exploréthey have explored

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 exploréI had explored
tutu avais exploréyou had explored
il/elleil/elle avait exploréhe/she/it had explored
nousnous avions exploréwe had explored
vousvous aviez exploréyou (pl.) had explored
ils/ellesils/elles avaient exploréthey had explored

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

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 exploréI will have explored
tutu auras exploréyou will have explored
il/elleil/elle aura exploréhe/she/it will have explored
nousnous aurons exploréwe will have explored
vousvous aurez exploréyou (pl.) will have explored
ils/ellesils/elles auront exploréthey will have explored

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
jeexplore
tuexplores
il/elleexplore
nousexplorions
vousexploriez
ils/ellesexplorent

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
jeexplorasse
tuexplorasses
il/elleexplorât
nousexplorassions
vousexplorassiez
ils/ellesexplorassent

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
tuexplore
nousexplorons
vousexplorez