relâcher — French conjugation

to release

Frequency#515RegularReflexivese relâcher — to slacken, let up

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
jerelâcheI release
turelâchesyou release
il/ellerelâchehe/she/it releases
nousrelâchonswe release
vousrelâchezyou (pl.) release
ils/ellesrelâchentthey release

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
jerelâchaiI released
turelâchasyou released
il/ellerelâchahe/she/it released
nousrelâchâmeswe released
vousrelâchâtesyou (pl.) released
ils/ellesrelâchèrentthey released

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
jerelâchais
turelâchais
il/ellerelâchait
nousrelâchions
vousrelâchiez
ils/ellesrelâchaient

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
jerelâcheraisI would release
turelâcheraisyou would release
il/ellerelâcheraithe/she/it would release
nousrelâcherionswe would release
vousrelâcheriezyou (pl.) would release
ils/ellesrelâcheraientthey would release

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
jerelâcheraiI will release
turelâcherasyou will release
il/ellerelâcherahe/she/it will release
nousrelâcheronswe will release
vousrelâcherezyou (pl.) will release
ils/ellesrelâcherontthey will release

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 relâchéI have released
tutu as relâchéyou have released
il/elleil/elle a relâchéhe/she/it has released
nousnous avons relâchéwe have released
vousvous avez relâchéyou (pl.) have released
ils/ellesils/elles ont relâchéthey have released

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 relâchéI had released
tutu avais relâchéyou had released
il/elleil/elle avait relâchéhe/she/it had released
nousnous avions relâchéwe had released
vousvous aviez relâchéyou (pl.) had released
ils/ellesils/elles avaient relâchéthey had released

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

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 relâchéI will have released
tutu auras relâchéyou will have released
il/elleil/elle aura relâchéhe/she/it will have released
nousnous aurons relâchéwe will have released
vousvous aurez relâchéyou (pl.) will have released
ils/ellesils/elles auront relâchéthey will have released

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
jerelâche
turelâches
il/ellerelâche
nousrelâchions
vousrelâchiez
ils/ellesrelâchent

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
jerelâchasse
turelâchasses
il/ellerelâchât
nousrelâchassions
vousrelâchassiez
ils/ellesrelâchassent

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
turelâche
nousrelâchons
vousrelâchez