recycler — French conjugation

to recycle

Frequency#829Regular

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
jerecycleI recycle
turecyclesyou recycle
il/ellerecyclehe/she/it recycles
nousrecyclonswe recycle
vousrecyclezyou (pl.) recycle
ils/ellesrecyclentthey recycle

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
jerecyclaiI recycled
turecyclasyou recycled
il/ellerecyclahe/she/it recycled
nousrecyclâmeswe recycled
vousrecyclâtesyou (pl.) recycled
ils/ellesrecyclèrentthey recycled

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
jerecyclais
turecyclais
il/ellerecyclait
nousrecyclions
vousrecycliez
ils/ellesrecyclaient

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
jerecycleraisI would recycle
turecycleraisyou would recycle
il/ellerecycleraithe/she/it would recycle
nousrecyclerionswe would recycle
vousrecycleriezyou (pl.) would recycle
ils/ellesrecycleraientthey would recycle

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
jerecycleraiI will recycle
turecyclerasyou will recycle
il/ellerecyclerahe/she/it will recycle
nousrecycleronswe will recycle
vousrecyclerezyou (pl.) will recycle
ils/ellesrecyclerontthey will recycle

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 recycléI have recycled
tutu as recycléyou have recycled
il/elleil/elle a recycléhe/she/it has recycled
nousnous avons recycléwe have recycled
vousvous avez recycléyou (pl.) have recycled
ils/ellesils/elles ont recycléthey have recycled

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 recycléI had recycled
tutu avais recycléyou had recycled
il/elleil/elle avait recycléhe/she/it had recycled
nousnous avions recycléwe had recycled
vousvous aviez recycléyou (pl.) had recycled
ils/ellesils/elles avaient recycléthey had recycled

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

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 recycléI will have recycled
tutu auras recycléyou will have recycled
il/elleil/elle aura recycléhe/she/it will have recycled
nousnous aurons recycléwe will have recycled
vousvous aurez recycléyou (pl.) will have recycled
ils/ellesils/elles auront recycléthey will have recycled

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
jerecycle
turecycles
il/ellerecycle
nousrecyclions
vousrecycliez
ils/ellesrecyclent

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
jerecyclasse
turecyclasses
il/ellerecyclât
nousrecyclassions
vousrecyclassiez
ils/ellesrecyclassent

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
turecycle
nousrecyclons
vousrecyclez