figurer — French conjugation

to figure

Frequency#413Regular

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
jefigureI figure
tufiguresyou figure
il/ellefigurehe/she/it figures
nousfiguronswe figure
vousfigurezyou (pl.) figure
ils/ellesfigurentthey figure

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
jefiguraiI figured
tufigurasyou figured
il/ellefigurahe/she/it figured
nousfigurâmeswe figured
vousfigurâtesyou (pl.) figured
ils/ellesfigurèrentthey figured

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
jefigurais
tufigurais
il/ellefigurait
nousfigurions
vousfiguriez
ils/ellesfiguraient

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
jefigureraisI would figure
tufigureraisyou would figure
il/ellefigureraithe/she/it would figure
nousfigurerionswe would figure
vousfigureriezyou (pl.) would figure
ils/ellesfigureraientthey would figure

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
jefigureraiI will figure
tufigurerasyou will figure
il/ellefigurerahe/she/it will figure
nousfigureronswe will figure
vousfigurerezyou (pl.) will figure
ils/ellesfigurerontthey will figure

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 figuréI have figured
tutu as figuréyou have figured
il/elleil/elle a figuréhe/she/it has figured
nousnous avons figuréwe have figured
vousvous avez figuréyou (pl.) have figured
ils/ellesils/elles ont figuréthey have figured

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 figuréI had figured
tutu avais figuréyou had figured
il/elleil/elle avait figuréhe/she/it had figured
nousnous avions figuréwe had figured
vousvous aviez figuréyou (pl.) had figured
ils/ellesils/elles avaient figuréthey had figured

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

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 figuréI will have figured
tutu auras figuréyou will have figured
il/elleil/elle aura figuréhe/she/it will have figured
nousnous aurons figuréwe will have figured
vousvous aurez figuréyou (pl.) will have figured
ils/ellesils/elles auront figuréthey will have figured

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
jefigure
tufigures
il/ellefigure
nousfigurions
vousfiguriez
ils/ellesfigurent

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
jefigurasse
tufigurasses
il/ellefigurât
nousfigurassions
vousfigurassiez
ils/ellesfigurassent

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
tufigure
nousfigurons
vousfigurez