mourir — French conjugation

to die

Frequency#146IrregularAuxiliaryêtre

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
jemeursI die
tumeursyou die
il/ellemeurthe/she/it dies
nousmouronswe die
vousmourezyou (pl.) die
ils/ellesmeurentthey die

Simple past (Passé simple) Irregular

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
jemourusI died
tumourusyou died
il/ellemouruthe/she/it died
nousmourûmeswe died
vousmourûtesyou (pl.) died
ils/ellesmoururentthey died

Imperfect (Imparfait) Irregular

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
jemourais
tumourais
il/ellemourait
nousmourions
vousmouriez
ils/ellesmouraient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Irregular

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
jemourraisI would die
tumourraisyou would die
il/ellemourraithe/she/it would die
nousmourrionswe would die
vousmourriezyou (pl.) would die
ils/ellesmourraientthey would die

Future (Futur) Irregular

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
jemourraiI will die
tumourrasyou will die
il/ellemourrahe/she/it will die
nousmourronswe will die
vousmourrezyou (pl.) will die
ils/ellesmourrontthey will die

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
jeje suis mort(e)I have died
tutu es mort(e)you have died
il/elleil/elle est mort(e)he/she/it has died
nousnous sommes mort(e)swe have died
vousvous êtes mort(e)(s)you (pl.) have died
ils/ellesils/elles sont mort(e)sthey have died

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'étais mort(e)I had died
tutu étais mort(e)you had died
il/elleil/elle était mort(e)he/she/it had died
nousnous étions mort(e)swe had died
vousvous étiez mort(e)(s)you (pl.) had died
ils/ellesils/elles étaient mort(e)sthey had died

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
jeje serais mort(e)
tutu serais mort(e)
il/elleil/elle serait mort(e)
nousnous serions mort(e)s
vousvous seriez mort(e)(s)
ils/ellesils/elles seraient mort(e)s

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
jeje serai mort(e)I will have died
tutu seras mort(e)you will have died
il/elleil/elle sera mort(e)he/she/it will have died
nousnous serons mort(e)swe will have died
vousvous serez mort(e)(s)you (pl.) will have died
ils/ellesils/elles seront mort(e)sthey will have died

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
jemeure
tumeures
il/ellemeure
nousmourions
vousmouriez
ils/ellesmeurent

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
jemourusse
tumourusses
il/ellemourût
nousmourussions
vousmourussiez
ils/ellesmourussent

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
tumeurs
nousmourons
vousmourez