germer — French conjugation

to germinate

Frequency#1054Regular

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
jegermeI germinate
tugermesyou germinate
il/ellegermehe/she/it germinates
nousgermonswe germinate
vousgermezyou (pl.) germinate
ils/ellesgermentthey germinate

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
jegermaiI germinated
tugermasyou germinated
il/ellegermahe/she/it germinated
nousgermâmeswe germinated
vousgermâtesyou (pl.) germinated
ils/ellesgermèrentthey germinated

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
jegermais
tugermais
il/ellegermait
nousgermions
vousgermiez
ils/ellesgermaient

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
jegermeraisI would germinate
tugermeraisyou would germinate
il/ellegermeraithe/she/it would germinate
nousgermerionswe would germinate
vousgermeriezyou (pl.) would germinate
ils/ellesgermeraientthey would germinate

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
jegermeraiI will germinate
tugermerasyou will germinate
il/ellegermerahe/she/it will germinate
nousgermeronswe will germinate
vousgermerezyou (pl.) will germinate
ils/ellesgermerontthey will germinate

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 germéI have germinated
tutu as germéyou have germinated
il/elleil/elle a germéhe/she/it has germinated
nousnous avons germéwe have germinated
vousvous avez germéyou (pl.) have germinated
ils/ellesils/elles ont germéthey have germinated

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 germéI had germinated
tutu avais germéyou had germinated
il/elleil/elle avait germéhe/she/it had germinated
nousnous avions germéwe had germinated
vousvous aviez germéyou (pl.) had germinated
ils/ellesils/elles avaient germéthey had germinated

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

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 germéI will have germinated
tutu auras germéyou will have germinated
il/elleil/elle aura germéhe/she/it will have germinated
nousnous aurons germéwe will have germinated
vousvous aurez germéyou (pl.) will have germinated
ils/ellesils/elles auront germéthey will have germinated

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
jegerme
tugermes
il/ellegerme
nousgermions
vousgermiez
ils/ellesgerment

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
jegermasse
tugermasses
il/ellegermât
nousgermassions
vousgermassiez
ils/ellesgermassent

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
tugerme
nousgermons
vousgermez