moderniser — French conjugation

to modernise

Frequency#39Regular

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
jemoderniseI modernize
tumodernisesyou modernize
il/ellemodernisehe/she/it modernizes
nousmodernisonswe modernize
vousmodernisezyou (pl.) modernize
ils/ellesmodernisentthey modernize

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
jemodernisaiI modernized
tumodernisasyou modernized
il/ellemodernisahe/she/it modernized
nousmodernisâmeswe modernized
vousmodernisâtesyou (pl.) modernized
ils/ellesmodernisèrentthey modernized

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
jemodernisais
tumodernisais
il/ellemodernisait
nousmodernisions
vousmodernisiez
ils/ellesmodernisaient

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
jemoderniseraisI would modernize
tumoderniseraisyou would modernize
il/ellemoderniseraithe/she/it would modernize
nousmoderniserionswe would modernize
vousmoderniseriezyou (pl.) would modernize
ils/ellesmoderniseraientthey would modernize

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
jemoderniseraiI will modernize
tumoderniserasyou will modernize
il/ellemoderniserahe/she/it will modernize
nousmoderniseronswe will modernize
vousmoderniserezyou (pl.) will modernize
ils/ellesmoderniserontthey will modernize

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 moderniséI have modernized
tutu as moderniséyou have modernized
il/elleil/elle a moderniséhe/she/it has modernized
nousnous avons moderniséwe have modernized
vousvous avez moderniséyou (pl.) have modernized
ils/ellesils/elles ont moderniséthey have modernized

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 moderniséI had modernized
tutu avais moderniséyou had modernized
il/elleil/elle avait moderniséhe/she/it had modernized
nousnous avions moderniséwe had modernized
vousvous aviez moderniséyou (pl.) had modernized
ils/ellesils/elles avaient moderniséthey had modernized

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

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 moderniséI will have modernized
tutu auras moderniséyou will have modernized
il/elleil/elle aura moderniséhe/she/it will have modernized
nousnous aurons moderniséwe will have modernized
vousvous aurez moderniséyou (pl.) will have modernized
ils/ellesils/elles auront moderniséthey will have modernized

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
jemodernise
tumodernises
il/ellemodernise
nousmodernisions
vousmodernisiez
ils/ellesmodernisent

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
jemodernisasse
tumodernisasses
il/ellemodernisât
nousmodernisassions
vousmodernisassiez
ils/ellesmodernisassent

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
tumodernise
nousmodernisons
vousmodernisez