parfumer — French conjugation

to perfume

Frequency#69Regular

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
jeparfumeI perfume
tuparfumesyou perfume
il/elleparfumehe/she/it perfumes
nousparfumonswe perfume
vousparfumezyou (pl.) perfume
ils/ellesparfumentthey perfume

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
jeparfumaiI perfumed
tuparfumasyou perfumed
il/elleparfumahe/she/it perfumed
nousparfumâmeswe perfumed
vousparfumâtesyou (pl.) perfumed
ils/ellesparfumèrentthey perfumed

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
jeparfumais
tuparfumais
il/elleparfumait
nousparfumions
vousparfumiez
ils/ellesparfumaient

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
jeparfumeraisI would perfume
tuparfumeraisyou would perfume
il/elleparfumeraithe/she/it would perfume
nousparfumerionswe would perfume
vousparfumeriezyou (pl.) would perfume
ils/ellesparfumeraientthey would perfume

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
jeparfumeraiI will perfume
tuparfumerasyou will perfume
il/elleparfumerahe/she/it will perfume
nousparfumeronswe will perfume
vousparfumerezyou (pl.) will perfume
ils/ellesparfumerontthey will perfume

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 parfuméI have perfumed
tutu as parfuméyou have perfumed
il/elleil/elle a parfuméhe/she/it has perfumed
nousnous avons parfuméwe have perfumed
vousvous avez parfuméyou (pl.) have perfumed
ils/ellesils/elles ont parfuméthey have perfumed

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 parfuméI had perfumed
tutu avais parfuméyou had perfumed
il/elleil/elle avait parfuméhe/she/it had perfumed
nousnous avions parfuméwe had perfumed
vousvous aviez parfuméyou (pl.) had perfumed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient parfuméthey had perfumed

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

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 parfuméI will have perfumed
tutu auras parfuméyou will have perfumed
il/elleil/elle aura parfuméhe/she/it will have perfumed
nousnous aurons parfuméwe will have perfumed
vousvous aurez parfuméyou (pl.) will have perfumed
ils/ellesils/elles auront parfuméthey will have perfumed

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
jeparfume
tuparfumes
il/elleparfume
nousparfumions
vousparfumiez
ils/ellesparfument

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
jeparfumasse
tuparfumasses
il/elleparfumât
nousparfumassions
vousparfumassiez
ils/ellesparfumassent

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
tuparfume
nousparfumons
vousparfumez