froncer — French conjugation

to frown

Frequency#650Irregular

Indicative

Present (Présent) Irregular

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
jefronceI frown
tufroncesyou frown
il/ellefroncehe/she/it frowns
nousfronçonswe frown
vousfroncezyou (pl.) frown
ils/ellesfroncentthey frown

Simple past (Passé simple) Irregular

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
jefronçaiI frowned
tufronçasyou frowned
il/ellefronçahe/she/it frowned
nousfronçâmeswe frowned
vousfronçâtesyou (pl.) frowned
ils/ellesfroncèrentthey frowned

Imperfect (Imparfait) Irregular

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
jefronçais
tufronçais
il/ellefronçait
nousfroncions
vousfronciez
ils/ellesfronçaient

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
jefronceraisI would frown
tufronceraisyou would frown
il/ellefronceraithe/she/it would frown
nousfroncerionswe would frown
vousfronceriezyou (pl.) would frown
ils/ellesfronceraientthey would frown

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
jefronceraiI will frown
tufroncerasyou will frown
il/ellefroncerahe/she/it will frown
nousfronceronswe will frown
vousfroncerezyou (pl.) will frown
ils/ellesfroncerontthey will frown

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 froncéI have frowned
tutu as froncéyou have frowned
il/elleil/elle a froncéhe/she/it has frowned
nousnous avons froncéwe have frowned
vousvous avez froncéyou (pl.) have frowned
ils/ellesils/elles ont froncéthey have frowned

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 froncéI had frowned
tutu avais froncéyou had frowned
il/elleil/elle avait froncéhe/she/it had frowned
nousnous avions froncéwe had frowned
vousvous aviez froncéyou (pl.) had frowned
ils/ellesils/elles avaient froncéthey had frowned

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

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 froncéI will have frowned
tutu auras froncéyou will have frowned
il/elleil/elle aura froncéhe/she/it will have frowned
nousnous aurons froncéwe will have frowned
vousvous aurez froncéyou (pl.) will have frowned
ils/ellesils/elles auront froncéthey will have frowned

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
jefronce
tufronces
il/ellefronce
nousfroncions
vousfronciez
ils/ellesfroncent

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
jefronçasse
tufronçasses
il/ellefronçât
nousfronçassions
vousfronçassiez
ils/ellesfronçassent

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
tufronce
nousfronçons
vousfroncez