inviter — French conjugation

to invite

Frequency#322RegularReflexives'inviter — to invite oneself

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
jeinviteI invite
tuinvitesyou invite
il/elleinvitehe/she/it invites
nousinvitonswe invite
vousinvitezyou (pl.) invite
ils/ellesinvitentthey invite

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
jeinvitaiI invited
tuinvitasyou invited
il/elleinvitahe/she/it invited
nousinvitâmeswe invited
vousinvitâtesyou (pl.) invited
ils/ellesinvitèrentthey invited

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
jeinvitais
tuinvitais
il/elleinvitait
nousinvitions
vousinvitiez
ils/ellesinvitaient

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
jeinviteraisI would invite
tuinviteraisyou would invite
il/elleinviteraithe/she/it would invite
nousinviterionswe would invite
vousinviteriezyou (pl.) would invite
ils/ellesinviteraientthey would invite

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
jeinviteraiI will invite
tuinviterasyou will invite
il/elleinviterahe/she/it will invite
nousinviteronswe will invite
vousinviterezyou (pl.) will invite
ils/ellesinviterontthey will invite

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 invitéI have invited
tutu as invitéyou have invited
il/elleil/elle a invitéhe/she/it has invited
nousnous avons invitéwe have invited
vousvous avez invitéyou (pl.) have invited
ils/ellesils/elles ont invitéthey have invited

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 invitéI had invited
tutu avais invitéyou had invited
il/elleil/elle avait invitéhe/she/it had invited
nousnous avions invitéwe had invited
vousvous aviez invitéyou (pl.) had invited
ils/ellesils/elles avaient invitéthey had invited

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

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 invitéI will have invited
tutu auras invitéyou will have invited
il/elleil/elle aura invitéhe/she/it will have invited
nousnous aurons invitéwe will have invited
vousvous aurez invitéyou (pl.) will have invited
ils/ellesils/elles auront invitéthey will have invited

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
jeinvite
tuinvites
il/elleinvite
nousinvitions
vousinvitiez
ils/ellesinvitent

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
jeinvitasse
tuinvitasses
il/elleinvitât
nousinvitassions
vousinvitassiez
ils/ellesinvitassent

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
tuinvite
nousinvitons
vousinvitez