flatter — French conjugation

to flatter

Frequency#1069RegularReflexivese flatter — to flatter oneself

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
jeflatteI flatter
tuflattesyou flatter
il/elleflattehe/she/it flatters
nousflattonswe flatter
vousflattezyou (pl.) flatter
ils/ellesflattentthey flatter

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
jeflattaiI flattered
tuflattasyou flattered
il/elleflattahe/she/it flattered
nousflattâmeswe flattered
vousflattâtesyou (pl.) flattered
ils/ellesflattèrentthey flattered

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
jeflattais
tuflattais
il/elleflattait
nousflattions
vousflattiez
ils/ellesflattaient

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
jeflatteraisI would flatter
tuflatteraisyou would flatter
il/elleflatteraithe/she/it would flatter
nousflatterionswe would flatter
vousflatteriezyou (pl.) would flatter
ils/ellesflatteraientthey would flatter

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
jeflatteraiI will flatter
tuflatterasyou will flatter
il/elleflatterahe/she/it will flatter
nousflatteronswe will flatter
vousflatterezyou (pl.) will flatter
ils/ellesflatterontthey will flatter

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 flattéI have flattered
tutu as flattéyou have flattered
il/elleil/elle a flattéhe/she/it has flattered
nousnous avons flattéwe have flattered
vousvous avez flattéyou (pl.) have flattered
ils/ellesils/elles ont flattéthey have flattered

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 flattéI had flattered
tutu avais flattéyou had flattered
il/elleil/elle avait flattéhe/she/it had flattered
nousnous avions flattéwe had flattered
vousvous aviez flattéyou (pl.) had flattered
ils/ellesils/elles avaient flattéthey had flattered

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

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 flattéI will have flattered
tutu auras flattéyou will have flattered
il/elleil/elle aura flattéhe/she/it will have flattered
nousnous aurons flattéwe will have flattered
vousvous aurez flattéyou (pl.) will have flattered
ils/ellesils/elles auront flattéthey will have flattered

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
jeflatte
tuflattes
il/elleflatte
nousflattions
vousflattiez
ils/ellesflattent

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
jeflattasse
tuflattasses
il/elleflattât
nousflattassions
vousflattassiez
ils/ellesflattassent

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
tuflatte
nousflattons
vousflattez