générer — French conjugation

to generate

Frequency#107Irregular

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
jegénèreI generate
tugénèresyou generate
il/ellegénèrehe/she/it generates
nousgénéronswe generate
vousgénérezyou (pl.) generate
ils/ellesgénèrentthey generate

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
jegénéraiI generated
tugénérasyou generated
il/ellegénérahe/she/it generated
nousgénérâmeswe generated
vousgénérâtesyou (pl.) generated
ils/ellesgénérèrentthey generated

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
jegénérais
tugénérais
il/ellegénérait
nousgénérions
vousgénériez
ils/ellesgénéraient

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
jegénéreraisI would generate
tugénéreraisyou would generate
il/ellegénéreraithe/she/it would generate
nousgénérerionswe would generate
vousgénéreriezyou (pl.) would generate
ils/ellesgénéreraientthey would generate

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
jegénéreraiI will generate
tugénérerasyou will generate
il/ellegénérerahe/she/it will generate
nousgénéreronswe will generate
vousgénérerezyou (pl.) will generate
ils/ellesgénérerontthey will generate

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 généréI have generated
tutu as généréyou have generated
il/elleil/elle a généréhe/she/it has generated
nousnous avons généréwe have generated
vousvous avez généréyou (pl.) have generated
ils/ellesils/elles ont généréthey have generated

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 généréI had generated
tutu avais généréyou had generated
il/elleil/elle avait généréhe/she/it had generated
nousnous avions généréwe had generated
vousvous aviez généréyou (pl.) had generated
ils/ellesils/elles avaient généréthey had generated

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

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 généréI will have generated
tutu auras généréyou will have generated
il/elleil/elle aura généréhe/she/it will have generated
nousnous aurons généréwe will have generated
vousvous aurez généréyou (pl.) will have generated
ils/ellesils/elles auront généréthey will have generated

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjonctif présent) Irregular

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
jegénère
tugénères
il/ellegénère
nousgénérions
vousgénériez
ils/ellesgénèrent

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
jegénérasse
tugénérasses
il/ellegénérât
nousgénérassions
vousgénérassiez
ils/ellesgénérassent

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
tugénère
nousgénérons
vousgénérez