formuler — French conjugation

to formulate

Frequency#851Regular

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
jeformuleI formulate
tuformulesyou formulate
il/elleformulehe/she/it formulates
nousformulonswe formulate
vousformulezyou (pl.) formulate
ils/ellesformulentthey formulate

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
jeformulaiI formulated
tuformulasyou formulated
il/elleformulahe/she/it formulated
nousformulâmeswe formulated
vousformulâtesyou (pl.) formulated
ils/ellesformulèrentthey formulated

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
jeformulais
tuformulais
il/elleformulait
nousformulions
vousformuliez
ils/ellesformulaient

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
jeformuleraisI would formulate
tuformuleraisyou would formulate
il/elleformuleraithe/she/it would formulate
nousformulerionswe would formulate
vousformuleriezyou (pl.) would formulate
ils/ellesformuleraientthey would formulate

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
jeformuleraiI will formulate
tuformulerasyou will formulate
il/elleformulerahe/she/it will formulate
nousformuleronswe will formulate
vousformulerezyou (pl.) will formulate
ils/ellesformulerontthey will formulate

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 formuléI have formulated
tutu as formuléyou have formulated
il/elleil/elle a formuléhe/she/it has formulated
nousnous avons formuléwe have formulated
vousvous avez formuléyou (pl.) have formulated
ils/ellesils/elles ont formuléthey have formulated

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 formuléI had formulated
tutu avais formuléyou had formulated
il/elleil/elle avait formuléhe/she/it had formulated
nousnous avions formuléwe had formulated
vousvous aviez formuléyou (pl.) had formulated
ils/ellesils/elles avaient formuléthey had formulated

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

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 formuléI will have formulated
tutu auras formuléyou will have formulated
il/elleil/elle aura formuléhe/she/it will have formulated
nousnous aurons formuléwe will have formulated
vousvous aurez formuléyou (pl.) will have formulated
ils/ellesils/elles auront formuléthey will have formulated

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
jeformule
tuformules
il/elleformule
nousformulions
vousformuliez
ils/ellesformulent

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
jeformulasse
tuformulasses
il/elleformulât
nousformulassions
vousformulassiez
ils/ellesformulassent

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
tuformule
nousformulons
vousformulez