façonner — French conjugation

to shape

Frequency#584Regular

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
jefaçonneI shape
tufaçonnesyou shape
il/ellefaçonnehe/she/it shapes
nousfaçonnonswe shape
vousfaçonnezyou (pl.) shape
ils/ellesfaçonnentthey shape

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
jefaçonnaiI shaped
tufaçonnasyou shaped
il/ellefaçonnahe/she/it shaped
nousfaçonnâmeswe shaped
vousfaçonnâtesyou (pl.) shaped
ils/ellesfaçonnèrentthey shaped

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
jefaçonnais
tufaçonnais
il/ellefaçonnait
nousfaçonnions
vousfaçonniez
ils/ellesfaçonnaient

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
jefaçonneraisI would shape
tufaçonneraisyou would shape
il/ellefaçonneraithe/she/it would shape
nousfaçonnerionswe would shape
vousfaçonneriezyou (pl.) would shape
ils/ellesfaçonneraientthey would shape

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
jefaçonneraiI will shape
tufaçonnerasyou will shape
il/ellefaçonnerahe/she/it will shape
nousfaçonneronswe will shape
vousfaçonnerezyou (pl.) will shape
ils/ellesfaçonnerontthey will shape

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 façonnéI have shaped
tutu as façonnéyou have shaped
il/elleil/elle a façonnéhe/she/it has shaped
nousnous avons façonnéwe have shaped
vousvous avez façonnéyou (pl.) have shaped
ils/ellesils/elles ont façonnéthey have shaped

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 façonnéI had shaped
tutu avais façonnéyou had shaped
il/elleil/elle avait façonnéhe/she/it had shaped
nousnous avions façonnéwe had shaped
vousvous aviez façonnéyou (pl.) had shaped
ils/ellesils/elles avaient façonnéthey had shaped

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

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 façonnéI will have shaped
tutu auras façonnéyou will have shaped
il/elleil/elle aura façonnéhe/she/it will have shaped
nousnous aurons façonnéwe will have shaped
vousvous aurez façonnéyou (pl.) will have shaped
ils/ellesils/elles auront façonnéthey will have shaped

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
jefaçonne
tufaçonnes
il/ellefaçonne
nousfaçonnions
vousfaçonniez
ils/ellesfaçonnent

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
jefaçonnasse
tufaçonnasses
il/ellefaçonnât
nousfaçonnassions
vousfaçonnassiez
ils/ellesfaçonnassent

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
tufaçonne
nousfaçonnons
vousfaçonnez