interpeller — French conjugation

to call out.

Frequency#1830Regular

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.

PronounFrench
jeinterpelle
tuinterpelles
il/elleinterpelle
nousinterpellons
vousinterpellez
ils/ellesinterpellent

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.

PronounFrench
jeinterpellai
tuinterpellas
il/elleinterpella
nousinterpellâmes
vousinterpellâtes
ils/ellesinterpellèrent

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
jeinterpellais
tuinterpellais
il/elleinterpellait
nousinterpellions
vousinterpelliez
ils/ellesinterpellaient

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 ?

PronounFrench
jeinterpellerais
tuinterpellerais
il/elleinterpellerait
nousinterpellerions
vousinterpelleriez
ils/ellesinterpelleraient

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.

PronounFrench
jeinterpellerai
tuinterpelleras
il/elleinterpellera
nousinterpellerons
vousinterpellerez
ils/ellesinterpelleront

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.

PronounFrench
jej'ai interpellé
tutu as interpellé
il/elleil/elle a interpellé
nousnous avons interpellé
vousvous avez interpellé
ils/ellesils/elles ont interpellé

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.

PronounFrench
jej'avais interpellé
tutu avais interpellé
il/elleil/elle avait interpellé
nousnous avions interpellé
vousvous aviez interpellé
ils/ellesils/elles avaient interpellé

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

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.

PronounFrench
jej'aurai interpellé
tutu auras interpellé
il/elleil/elle aura interpellé
nousnous aurons interpellé
vousvous aurez interpellé
ils/ellesils/elles auront interpellé

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
jeinterpelle
tuinterpelles
il/elleinterpelle
nousinterpellions
vousinterpelliez
ils/ellesinterpellent

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
jeinterpellasse
tuinterpellasses
il/elleinterpellât
nousinterpellassions
vousinterpellassiez
ils/ellesinterpellassent

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
tuinterpelle
nousinterpellons
vousinterpellez