proférer — French conjugation

to utter

Frequency#747Irregular

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
jeprofèreI utter
tuprofèresyou utter
il/elleprofèrehe/she/it utters
nousproféronswe utter
vousproférezyou (pl.) utter
ils/ellesprofèrentthey utter

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
jeproféraiI uttered
tuproférasyou uttered
il/elleproférahe/she/it uttered
nousproférâmeswe uttered
vousproférâtesyou (pl.) uttered
ils/ellesproférèrentthey uttered

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
jeproférais
tuproférais
il/elleproférait
nousproférions
vousprofériez
ils/ellesproféraient

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
jeproféreraisI would utter
tuproféreraisyou would utter
il/elleproféreraithe/she/it would utter
nousproférerionswe would utter
vousproféreriezyou (pl.) would utter
ils/ellesproféreraientthey would utter

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
jeproféreraiI will utter
tuproférerasyou will utter
il/elleproférerahe/she/it will utter
nousproféreronswe will utter
vousproférerezyou (pl.) will utter
ils/ellesproférerontthey will utter

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 proféréI have uttered
tutu as proféréyou have uttered
il/elleil/elle a proféréhe/she/it has uttered
nousnous avons proféréwe have uttered
vousvous avez proféréyou (pl.) have uttered
ils/ellesils/elles ont proféréthey have uttered

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 proféréI had uttered
tutu avais proféréyou had uttered
il/elleil/elle avait proféréhe/she/it had uttered
nousnous avions proféréwe had uttered
vousvous aviez proféréyou (pl.) had uttered
ils/ellesils/elles avaient proféréthey had uttered

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

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 proféréI will have uttered
tutu auras proféréyou will have uttered
il/elleil/elle aura proféréhe/she/it will have uttered
nousnous aurons proféréwe will have uttered
vousvous aurez proféréyou (pl.) will have uttered
ils/ellesils/elles auront proféréthey will have uttered

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
jeprofère
tuprofères
il/elleprofère
nousproférions
vousprofériez
ils/ellesprofèrent

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
jeproférasse
tuproférasses
il/elleproférât
nousproférassions
vousproférassiez
ils/ellesproférassent

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
tuprofère
nousproférons
vousproférez