libérer — French conjugation

to free

Frequency#682IrregularReflexivese libérer — to free oneself

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
jelibèreI free
tulibèresyou free
il/ellelibèrehe/she/it frees
nouslibéronswe free
vouslibérezyou (pl.) free
ils/elleslibèrentthey free

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
jelibéraiI freed
tulibérasyou freed
il/ellelibérahe/she/it freed
nouslibérâmeswe freed
vouslibérâtesyou (pl.) freed
ils/elleslibérèrentthey freed

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
jelibérais
tulibérais
il/ellelibérait
nouslibérions
vouslibériez
ils/elleslibéraient

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
jelibéreraisI would free
tulibéreraisyou would free
il/ellelibéreraithe/she/it would free
nouslibérerionswe would free
vouslibéreriezyou (pl.) would free
ils/elleslibéreraientthey would free

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
jelibéreraiI will free
tulibérerasyou will free
il/ellelibérerahe/she/it will free
nouslibéreronswe will free
vouslibérerezyou (pl.) will free
ils/elleslibérerontthey will free

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 libéréI have freed
tutu as libéréyou have freed
il/elleil/elle a libéréhe/she/it has freed
nousnous avons libéréwe have freed
vousvous avez libéréyou (pl.) have freed
ils/ellesils/elles ont libéréthey have freed

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 libéréI had freed
tutu avais libéréyou had freed
il/elleil/elle avait libéréhe/she/it had freed
nousnous avions libéréwe had freed
vousvous aviez libéréyou (pl.) had freed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient libéréthey had freed

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

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 libéréI will have freed
tutu auras libéréyou will have freed
il/elleil/elle aura libéréhe/she/it will have freed
nousnous aurons libéréwe will have freed
vousvous aurez libéréyou (pl.) will have freed
ils/ellesils/elles auront libéréthey will have freed

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
jelibère
tulibères
il/ellelibère
nouslibérions
vouslibériez
ils/elleslibèrent

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
jelibérasse
tulibérasses
il/ellelibérât
nouslibérassions
vouslibérassiez
ils/elleslibérassent

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
tulibère
nouslibérons
vouslibérez