proposer — French conjugation

to propose

Frequency#454Regular

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
jeproposeI propose
tuproposesyou propose
il/elleproposehe/she/it proposes
nousproposonswe propose
vousproposezyou (pl.) propose
ils/ellesproposentthey propose

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
jeproposaiI proposed
tuproposasyou proposed
il/elleproposahe/she/it proposed
nousproposâmeswe proposed
vousproposâtesyou (pl.) proposed
ils/ellesproposèrentthey proposed

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
jeproposais
tuproposais
il/elleproposait
nousproposions
vousproposiez
ils/ellesproposaient

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
jeproposeraisI would propose
tuproposeraisyou would propose
il/elleproposeraithe/she/it would propose
nousproposerionswe would propose
vousproposeriezyou (pl.) would propose
ils/ellesproposeraientthey would propose

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
jeproposeraiI will propose
tuproposerasyou will propose
il/elleproposerahe/she/it will propose
nousproposeronswe will propose
vousproposerezyou (pl.) will propose
ils/ellesproposerontthey will propose

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 proposéI have proposed
tutu as proposéyou have proposed
il/elleil/elle a proposéhe/she/it has proposed
nousnous avons proposéwe have proposed
vousvous avez proposéyou (pl.) have proposed
ils/ellesils/elles ont proposéthey have proposed

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 proposéI had proposed
tutu avais proposéyou had proposed
il/elleil/elle avait proposéhe/she/it had proposed
nousnous avions proposéwe had proposed
vousvous aviez proposéyou (pl.) had proposed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient proposéthey had proposed

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

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 proposéI will have proposed
tutu auras proposéyou will have proposed
il/elleil/elle aura proposéhe/she/it will have proposed
nousnous aurons proposéwe will have proposed
vousvous aurez proposéyou (pl.) will have proposed
ils/ellesils/elles auront proposéthey will have proposed

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
jepropose
tuproposes
il/ellepropose
nousproposions
vousproposiez
ils/ellesproposent

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
jeproposasse
tuproposasses
il/elleproposât
nousproposassions
vousproposassiez
ils/ellesproposassent

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
tupropose
nousproposons
vousproposez