obséder — French conjugation

to obsess

Frequency#713Irregular

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
jeobsèdeI obsess
tuobsèdesyou obsess
il/elleobsèdehe/she/it obsesses
nousobsédonswe obsess
vousobsédezyou (pl.) obsess
ils/ellesobsèdentthey obsess

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
jeobsédaiI obsessed
tuobsédasyou obsessed
il/elleobsédahe/she/it obsessed
nousobsédâmeswe obsessed
vousobsédâtesyou (pl.) obsessed
ils/ellesobsédèrentthey obsessed

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
jeobsédais
tuobsédais
il/elleobsédait
nousobsédions
vousobsédiez
ils/ellesobsédaient

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
jeobséderaisI would obsess
tuobséderaisyou would obsess
il/elleobséderaithe/she/it would obsess
nousobséderionswe would obsess
vousobséderiezyou (pl.) would obsess
ils/ellesobséderaientthey would obsess

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
jeobséderaiI will obsess
tuobséderasyou will obsess
il/elleobséderahe/she/it will obsess
nousobséderonswe will obsess
vousobséderezyou (pl.) will obsess
ils/ellesobséderontthey will obsess

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 obsédéI have obsessed
tutu as obsédéyou have obsessed
il/elleil/elle a obsédéhe/she/it has obsessed
nousnous avons obsédéwe have obsessed
vousvous avez obsédéyou (pl.) have obsessed
ils/ellesils/elles ont obsédéthey have obsessed

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 obsédéI had obsessed
tutu avais obsédéyou had obsessed
il/elleil/elle avait obsédéhe/she/it had obsessed
nousnous avions obsédéwe had obsessed
vousvous aviez obsédéyou (pl.) had obsessed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient obsédéthey had obsessed

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

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 obsédéI will have obsessed
tutu auras obsédéyou will have obsessed
il/elleil/elle aura obsédéhe/she/it will have obsessed
nousnous aurons obsédéwe will have obsessed
vousvous aurez obsédéyou (pl.) will have obsessed
ils/ellesils/elles auront obsédéthey will have obsessed

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
jeobsède
tuobsèdes
il/elleobsède
nousobsédions
vousobsédiez
ils/ellesobsèdent

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
jeobsédasse
tuobsédasses
il/elleobsédât
nousobsédassions
vousobsédassiez
ils/ellesobsédassent

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
tuobsède
nousobsédons
vousobsédez