fouler — French conjugation

to tread

Frequency#752RegularReflexivese fouler — to sprain 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
jefouleI tread
tufoulesyou tread
il/ellefoulehe/she/it treads
nousfoulonswe tread
vousfoulezyou (pl.) tread
ils/ellesfoulentthey tread

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
jefoulaiI trod
tufoulasyou trod
il/ellefoulahe/she/it trod
nousfoulâmeswe trod
vousfoulâtesyou (pl.) trod
ils/ellesfoulèrentthey trod

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
jefoulais
tufoulais
il/ellefoulait
nousfoulions
vousfouliez
ils/ellesfoulaient

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
jefouleraisI would tread
tufouleraisyou would tread
il/ellefouleraithe/she/it would tread
nousfoulerionswe would tread
vousfouleriezyou (pl.) would tread
ils/ellesfouleraientthey would tread

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
jefouleraiI will tread
tufoulerasyou will tread
il/ellefoulerahe/she/it will tread
nousfouleronswe will tread
vousfoulerezyou (pl.) will tread
ils/ellesfoulerontthey will tread

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 fouléI have trodden
tutu as fouléyou have trodden
il/elleil/elle a fouléhe/she/it has trodden
nousnous avons fouléwe have trodden
vousvous avez fouléyou (pl.) have trodden
ils/ellesils/elles ont fouléthey have trodden

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 fouléI had trodden
tutu avais fouléyou had trodden
il/elleil/elle avait fouléhe/she/it had trodden
nousnous avions fouléwe had trodden
vousvous aviez fouléyou (pl.) had trodden
ils/ellesils/elles avaient fouléthey had trodden

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

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 fouléI will have trodden
tutu auras fouléyou will have trodden
il/elleil/elle aura fouléhe/she/it will have trodden
nousnous aurons fouléwe will have trodden
vousvous aurez fouléyou (pl.) will have trodden
ils/ellesils/elles auront fouléthey will have trodden

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
jefoule
tufoules
il/ellefoule
nousfoulions
vousfouliez
ils/ellesfoulent

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
jefoulasse
tufoulasses
il/ellefoulât
nousfoulassions
vousfoulassiez
ils/ellesfoulassent

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
tufoule
nousfoulons
vousfoulez