imprégner — French conjugation

to impregnate

Frequency#213Irregular

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
jeimprègneI impregnate
tuimprègnesyou impregnate
il/elleimprègnehe/she/it impregnates
nousimprégnonswe impregnate
vousimprégnezyou (pl.) impregnate
ils/ellesimprègnentthey impregnate

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
jeimprégnaiI impregnated
tuimprégnasyou impregnated
il/elleimprégnahe/she/it impregnated
nousimprégnâmeswe impregnated
vousimprégnâtesyou (pl.) impregnated
ils/ellesimprégnèrentthey impregnated

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
jeimprégnais
tuimprégnais
il/elleimprégnait
nousimprégnions
vousimprégniez
ils/ellesimprégnaient

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
jeimprégneraisI would impregnate
tuimprégneraisyou would impregnate
il/elleimprégneraithe/she/it would impregnate
nousimprégnerionswe would impregnate
vousimprégneriezyou (pl.) would impregnate
ils/ellesimprégneraientthey would impregnate

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
jeimprégneraiI will impregnate
tuimprégnerasyou will impregnate
il/elleimprégnerahe/she/it will impregnate
nousimprégneronswe will impregnate
vousimprégnerezyou (pl.) will impregnate
ils/ellesimprégnerontthey will impregnate

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 imprégnéI have impregnated
tutu as imprégnéyou have impregnated
il/elleil/elle a imprégnéhe/she/it has impregnated
nousnous avons imprégnéwe have impregnated
vousvous avez imprégnéyou (pl.) have impregnated
ils/ellesils/elles ont imprégnéthey have impregnated

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 imprégnéI had impregnated
tutu avais imprégnéyou had impregnated
il/elleil/elle avait imprégnéhe/she/it had impregnated
nousnous avions imprégnéwe had impregnated
vousvous aviez imprégnéyou (pl.) had impregnated
ils/ellesils/elles avaient imprégnéthey had impregnated

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

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 imprégnéI will have impregnated
tutu auras imprégnéyou will have impregnated
il/elleil/elle aura imprégnéhe/she/it will have impregnated
nousnous aurons imprégnéwe will have impregnated
vousvous aurez imprégnéyou (pl.) will have impregnated
ils/ellesils/elles auront imprégnéthey will have impregnated

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
jeimprègne
tuimprègnes
il/elleimprègne
nousimprégnions
vousimprégniez
ils/ellesimprègnent

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
jeimprégnasse
tuimprégnasses
il/elleimprégnât
nousimprégnassions
vousimprégnassiez
ils/ellesimprégnassent

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
tuimprègne
nousimprégnons
vousimprégnez