progresser — French conjugation

to progress (to show a progression)

Frequency#967Regular

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
jeprogresseI progress
tuprogressesyou progress
il/elleprogressehe/she/it progresses
nousprogressonswe progress
vousprogressezyou (pl.) progress
ils/ellesprogressentthey progress

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
jeprogressaiI progressed
tuprogressasyou progressed
il/elleprogressahe/she/it progressed
nousprogressâmeswe progressed
vousprogressâtesyou (pl.) progressed
ils/ellesprogressèrentthey progressed

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
jeprogressais
tuprogressais
il/elleprogressait
nousprogressions
vousprogressiez
ils/ellesprogressaient

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
jeprogresseraisI would progress
tuprogresseraisyou would progress
il/elleprogresseraithe/she/it would progress
nousprogresserionswe would progress
vousprogresseriezyou (pl.) would progress
ils/ellesprogresseraientthey would progress

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
jeprogresseraiI will progress
tuprogresserasyou will progress
il/elleprogresserahe/she/it will progress
nousprogresseronswe will progress
vousprogresserezyou (pl.) will progress
ils/ellesprogresserontthey will progress

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 progresséI have progressed
tutu as progresséyou have progressed
il/elleil/elle a progresséhe/she/it has progressed
nousnous avons progresséwe have progressed
vousvous avez progresséyou (pl.) have progressed
ils/ellesils/elles ont progresséthey have progressed

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 progresséI had progressed
tutu avais progresséyou had progressed
il/elleil/elle avait progresséhe/she/it had progressed
nousnous avions progresséwe had progressed
vousvous aviez progresséyou (pl.) had progressed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient progresséthey had progressed

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

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 progresséI will have progressed
tutu auras progresséyou will have progressed
il/elleil/elle aura progresséhe/she/it will have progressed
nousnous aurons progresséwe will have progressed
vousvous aurez progresséyou (pl.) will have progressed
ils/ellesils/elles auront progresséthey will have progressed

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
jeprogresse
tuprogresses
il/elleprogresse
nousprogressions
vousprogressiez
ils/ellesprogressent

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
jeprogressasse
tuprogressasses
il/elleprogressât
nousprogressassions
vousprogressassiez
ils/ellesprogressassent

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
tuprogresse
nousprogressons
vousprogressez