fendre — French conjugation

to split

Frequency#1386Regular

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
jefendsI split
tufendsyou split
il/ellefendhe/she/it splits
nousfendonswe split
vousfendezyou (pl.) split
ils/ellesfendentthey split

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
jefendisI split
tufendisyou split
il/ellefendithe/she/it split
nousfendîmeswe split
vousfendîtesyou (pl.) split
ils/ellesfendirentthey split

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
jefendais
tufendais
il/ellefendait
nousfendions
vousfendiez
ils/ellesfendaient

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
jefendraisI would split
tufendraisyou would split
il/ellefendraithe/she/it would split
nousfendrionswe would split
vousfendriezyou (pl.) would split
ils/ellesfendraientthey would split

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
jefendraiI will split
tufendrasyou will split
il/ellefendrahe/she/it will split
nousfendronswe will split
vousfendrezyou (pl.) will split
ils/ellesfendrontthey will split

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 fenduI have split
tutu as fenduyou have split
il/elleil/elle a fenduhe/she/it has split
nousnous avons fenduwe have split
vousvous avez fenduyou (pl.) have split
ils/ellesils/elles ont fenduthey have split

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 fenduI had split
tutu avais fenduyou had split
il/elleil/elle avait fenduhe/she/it had split
nousnous avions fenduwe had split
vousvous aviez fenduyou (pl.) had split
ils/ellesils/elles avaient fenduthey had split

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

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 fenduI will have split
tutu auras fenduyou will have split
il/elleil/elle aura fenduhe/she/it will have split
nousnous aurons fenduwe will have split
vousvous aurez fenduyou (pl.) will have split
ils/ellesils/elles auront fenduthey will have split

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
jefende
tufendes
il/ellefende
nousfendions
vousfendiez
ils/ellesfendent

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
jefendisse
tufendisses
il/ellefendît
nousfendissions
vousfendissiez
ils/ellesfendissent

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
tufends
nousfendons
vousfendez