relaxer — French conjugation

to relax

Frequency#831RegularReflexivese relaxer — to relax oneself

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
jerelaxeI relax
turelaxesyou relax
il/ellerelaxehe/she/it relaxes
nousrelaxonswe relax
vousrelaxezyou (pl.) relax
ils/ellesrelaxentthey relax

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
jerelaxaiI relaxed
turelaxasyou relaxed
il/ellerelaxahe/she/it relaxed
nousrelaxâmeswe relaxed
vousrelaxâtesyou (pl.) relaxed
ils/ellesrelaxèrentthey relaxed

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
jerelaxais
turelaxais
il/ellerelaxait
nousrelaxions
vousrelaxiez
ils/ellesrelaxaient

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
jerelaxeraisI would relax
turelaxeraisyou would relax
il/ellerelaxeraithe/she/it would relax
nousrelaxerionswe would relax
vousrelaxeriezyou (pl.) would relax
ils/ellesrelaxeraientthey would relax

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
jerelaxeraiI will relax
turelaxerasyou will relax
il/ellerelaxerahe/she/it will relax
nousrelaxeronswe will relax
vousrelaxerezyou (pl.) will relax
ils/ellesrelaxerontthey will relax

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 relaxéI have relaxed
tutu as relaxéyou have relaxed
il/elleil/elle a relaxéhe/she/it has relaxed
nousnous avons relaxéwe have relaxed
vousvous avez relaxéyou (pl.) have relaxed
ils/ellesils/elles ont relaxéthey have relaxed

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 relaxéI had relaxed
tutu avais relaxéyou had relaxed
il/elleil/elle avait relaxéhe/she/it had relaxed
nousnous avions relaxéwe had relaxed
vousvous aviez relaxéyou (pl.) had relaxed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient relaxéthey had relaxed

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

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 relaxéI will have relaxed
tutu auras relaxéyou will have relaxed
il/elleil/elle aura relaxéhe/she/it will have relaxed
nousnous aurons relaxéwe will have relaxed
vousvous aurez relaxéyou (pl.) will have relaxed
ils/ellesils/elles auront relaxéthey will have relaxed

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
jerelaxe
turelaxes
il/ellerelaxe
nousrelaxions
vousrelaxiez
ils/ellesrelaxent

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
jerelaxasse
turelaxasses
il/ellerelaxât
nousrelaxassions
vousrelaxassiez
ils/ellesrelaxassent

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
turelaxe
nousrelaxons
vousrelaxez