inverser — French conjugation

to reverse

Frequency#491Regular

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
jeinverseI reverse
tuinversesyou reverse
il/elleinversehe/she/it reverses
nousinversonswe reverse
vousinversezyou (pl.) reverse
ils/ellesinversentthey reverse

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
jeinversaiI reversed
tuinversasyou reversed
il/elleinversahe/she/it reversed
nousinversâmeswe reversed
vousinversâtesyou (pl.) reversed
ils/ellesinversèrentthey reversed

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
jeinversais
tuinversais
il/elleinversait
nousinversions
vousinversiez
ils/ellesinversaient

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
jeinverseraisI would reverse
tuinverseraisyou would reverse
il/elleinverseraithe/she/it would reverse
nousinverserionswe would reverse
vousinverseriezyou (pl.) would reverse
ils/ellesinverseraientthey would reverse

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
jeinverseraiI will reverse
tuinverserasyou will reverse
il/elleinverserahe/she/it will reverse
nousinverseronswe will reverse
vousinverserezyou (pl.) will reverse
ils/ellesinverserontthey will reverse

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 inverséI have reversed
tutu as inverséyou have reversed
il/elleil/elle a inverséhe/she/it has reversed
nousnous avons inverséwe have reversed
vousvous avez inverséyou (pl.) have reversed
ils/ellesils/elles ont inverséthey have reversed

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 inverséI had reversed
tutu avais inverséyou had reversed
il/elleil/elle avait inverséhe/she/it had reversed
nousnous avions inverséwe had reversed
vousvous aviez inverséyou (pl.) had reversed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient inverséthey had reversed

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

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 inverséI will have reversed
tutu auras inverséyou will have reversed
il/elleil/elle aura inverséhe/she/it will have reversed
nousnous aurons inverséwe will have reversed
vousvous aurez inverséyou (pl.) will have reversed
ils/ellesils/elles auront inverséthey will have reversed

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
jeinverse
tuinverses
il/elleinverse
nousinversions
vousinversiez
ils/ellesinversent

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
jeinversasse
tuinversasses
il/elleinversât
nousinversassions
vousinversassiez
ils/ellesinversassent

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
tuinverse
nousinversons
vousinversez