normer — French conjugation

to normalise

Frequency#113Regular

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
jenormeI normalize
tunormesyou normalize
il/ellenormehe/she/it normalizes
nousnormonswe normalize
vousnormezyou (pl.) normalize
ils/ellesnormentthey normalize

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
jenormaiI normalized
tunormasyou normalized
il/ellenormahe/she/it normalized
nousnormâmeswe normalized
vousnormâtesyou (pl.) normalized
ils/ellesnormèrentthey normalized

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
jenormais
tunormais
il/ellenormait
nousnormions
vousnormiez
ils/ellesnormaient

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
jenormeraisI would normalize
tunormeraisyou would normalize
il/ellenormeraithe/she/it would normalize
nousnormerionswe would normalize
vousnormeriezyou (pl.) would normalize
ils/ellesnormeraientthey would normalize

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
jenormeraiI will normalize
tunormerasyou will normalize
il/ellenormerahe/she/it will normalize
nousnormeronswe will normalize
vousnormerezyou (pl.) will normalize
ils/ellesnormerontthey will normalize

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 norméI have normalized
tutu as norméyou have normalized
il/elleil/elle a norméhe/she/it has normalized
nousnous avons norméwe have normalized
vousvous avez norméyou (pl.) have normalized
ils/ellesils/elles ont norméthey have normalized

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 norméI had normalized
tutu avais norméyou had normalized
il/elleil/elle avait norméhe/she/it had normalized
nousnous avions norméwe had normalized
vousvous aviez norméyou (pl.) had normalized
ils/ellesils/elles avaient norméthey had normalized

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

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 norméI will have normalized
tutu auras norméyou will have normalized
il/elleil/elle aura norméhe/she/it will have normalized
nousnous aurons norméwe will have normalized
vousvous aurez norméyou (pl.) will have normalized
ils/ellesils/elles auront norméthey will have normalized

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
jenorme
tunormes
il/ellenorme
nousnormions
vousnormiez
ils/ellesnorment

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
jenormasse
tunormasses
il/ellenormât
nousnormassions
vousnormassiez
ils/ellesnormassent

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
tunorme
nousnormons
vousnormez