renseigner — French conjugation

to inform

Frequency#263RegularReflexivese renseigner — to inform 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
jerenseigneI inform
turenseignesyou inform
il/ellerenseignehe/she/it informs
nousrenseignonswe inform
vousrenseignezyou (pl.) inform
ils/ellesrenseignentthey inform

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
jerenseignaiI informed
turenseignasyou informed
il/ellerenseignahe/she/it informed
nousrenseignâmeswe informed
vousrenseignâtesyou (pl.) informed
ils/ellesrenseignèrentthey informed

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
jerenseignais
turenseignais
il/ellerenseignait
nousrenseignions
vousrenseigniez
ils/ellesrenseignaient

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
jerenseigneraisI would inform
turenseigneraisyou would inform
il/ellerenseigneraithe/she/it would inform
nousrenseignerionswe would inform
vousrenseigneriezyou (pl.) would inform
ils/ellesrenseigneraientthey would inform

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
jerenseigneraiI will inform
turenseignerasyou will inform
il/ellerenseignerahe/she/it will inform
nousrenseigneronswe will inform
vousrenseignerezyou (pl.) will inform
ils/ellesrenseignerontthey will inform

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 renseignéI have informed
tutu as renseignéyou have informed
il/elleil/elle a renseignéhe/she/it has informed
nousnous avons renseignéwe have informed
vousvous avez renseignéyou (pl.) have informed
ils/ellesils/elles ont renseignéthey have informed

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 renseignéI had informed
tutu avais renseignéyou had informed
il/elleil/elle avait renseignéhe/she/it had informed
nousnous avions renseignéwe had informed
vousvous aviez renseignéyou (pl.) had informed
ils/ellesils/elles avaient renseignéthey had informed

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

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 renseignéI will have informed
tutu auras renseignéyou will have informed
il/elleil/elle aura renseignéhe/she/it will have informed
nousnous aurons renseignéwe will have informed
vousvous aurez renseignéyou (pl.) will have informed
ils/ellesils/elles auront renseignéthey will have informed

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
jerenseigne
turenseignes
il/ellerenseigne
nousrenseignions
vousrenseigniez
ils/ellesrenseignent

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
jerenseignasse
turenseignasses
il/ellerenseignât
nousrenseignassions
vousrenseignassiez
ils/ellesrenseignassent

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
turenseigne
nousrenseignons
vousrenseignez