resserrer — French conjugation

to tighten

Frequency#39RegularReflexivese resserrer — to tighten (bonds, grip)

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
jeresserreI tighten
turesserresyou tighten
il/elleresserrehe/she/it tightens
nousresserronswe tighten
vousresserrezyou (pl.) tighten
ils/ellesresserrentthey tighten

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
jeresserraiI tightened
turesserrasyou tightened
il/elleresserrahe/she/it tightened
nousresserrâmeswe tightened
vousresserrâtesyou (pl.) tightened
ils/ellesresserrèrentthey tightened

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
jeresserrais
turesserrais
il/elleresserrait
nousresserrions
vousresserriez
ils/ellesresserraient

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
jeresserreraisI would tighten
turesserreraisyou would tighten
il/elleresserreraithe/she/it would tighten
nousresserrerionswe would tighten
vousresserreriezyou (pl.) would tighten
ils/ellesresserreraientthey would tighten

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
jeresserreraiI will tighten
turesserrerasyou will tighten
il/elleresserrerahe/she/it will tighten
nousresserreronswe will tighten
vousresserrerezyou (pl.) will tighten
ils/ellesresserrerontthey will tighten

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 resserréI have tightened
tutu as resserréyou have tightened
il/elleil/elle a resserréhe/she/it has tightened
nousnous avons resserréwe have tightened
vousvous avez resserréyou (pl.) have tightened
ils/ellesils/elles ont resserréthey have tightened

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 resserréI had tightened
tutu avais resserréyou had tightened
il/elleil/elle avait resserréhe/she/it had tightened
nousnous avions resserréwe had tightened
vousvous aviez resserréyou (pl.) had tightened
ils/ellesils/elles avaient resserréthey had tightened

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

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 resserréI will have tightened
tutu auras resserréyou will have tightened
il/elleil/elle aura resserréhe/she/it will have tightened
nousnous aurons resserréwe will have tightened
vousvous aurez resserréyou (pl.) will have tightened
ils/ellesils/elles auront resserréthey will have tightened

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
jeresserre
turesserres
il/elleresserre
nousresserrions
vousresserriez
ils/ellesresserrent

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
jeresserrasse
turesserrasses
il/elleresserrât
nousresserrassions
vousresserrassiez
ils/ellesresserrassent

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
turesserre
nousresserrons
vousresserrez