ficher — French conjugation

to file

Frequency#636Regular

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
jeficheI file
tufichesyou file
il/ellefichehe/she/it files
nousfichonswe file
vousfichezyou (pl.) file
ils/ellesfichentthey file

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
jefichaiI filed
tufichasyou filed
il/ellefichahe/she/it filed
nousfichâmeswe filed
vousfichâtesyou (pl.) filed
ils/ellesfichèrentthey filed

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
jefichais
tufichais
il/ellefichait
nousfichions
vousfichiez
ils/ellesfichaient

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
jeficheraisI would file
tuficheraisyou would file
il/elleficheraithe/she/it would file
nousficherionswe would file
vousficheriezyou (pl.) would file
ils/ellesficheraientthey would file

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
jeficheraiI will file
tuficherasyou will file
il/elleficherahe/she/it will file
nousficheronswe will file
vousficherezyou (pl.) will file
ils/ellesficherontthey will file

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 fichéI have filed
tutu as fichéyou have filed
il/elleil/elle a fichéhe/she/it has filed
nousnous avons fichéwe have filed
vousvous avez fichéyou (pl.) have filed
ils/ellesils/elles ont fichéthey have filed

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 fichéI had filed
tutu avais fichéyou had filed
il/elleil/elle avait fichéhe/she/it had filed
nousnous avions fichéwe had filed
vousvous aviez fichéyou (pl.) had filed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient fichéthey had filed

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

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 fichéI will have filed
tutu auras fichéyou will have filed
il/elleil/elle aura fichéhe/she/it will have filed
nousnous aurons fichéwe will have filed
vousvous aurez fichéyou (pl.) will have filed
ils/ellesils/elles auront fichéthey will have filed

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
jefiche
tufiches
il/ellefiche
nousfichions
vousfichiez
ils/ellesfichent

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
jefichasse
tufichasses
il/ellefichât
nousfichassions
vousfichassiez
ils/ellesfichassent

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
tufiche
nousfichons
vousfichez