rompre — French conjugation

to break

Frequency#176IrregularReflexivese rompre — to break, snap

Indicative

Present (Présent) Irregular

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
jerompsI break
turompsyou break
il/ellerompthe/she/it breaks
nousromponswe break
vousrompezyou (pl.) break
ils/ellesrompentthey break

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
jerompisI broke
turompisyou broke
il/ellerompithe/she/it broke
nousrompîmeswe broke
vousrompîtesyou (pl.) broke
ils/ellesrompirentthey broke

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
jerompais
turompais
il/ellerompait
nousrompions
vousrompiez
ils/ellesrompaient

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
jerompraisI would break
turompraisyou would break
il/ellerompraithe/she/it would break
nousromprionswe would break
vousrompriezyou (pl.) would break
ils/ellesrompraientthey would break

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
jerompraiI will break
turomprasyou will break
il/elleromprahe/she/it will break
nousrompronswe will break
vousromprezyou (pl.) will break
ils/ellesromprontthey will break

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 rompuI have broken
tutu as rompuyou have broken
il/elleil/elle a rompuhe/she/it has broken
nousnous avons rompuwe have broken
vousvous avez rompuyou (pl.) have broken
ils/ellesils/elles ont romputhey have broken

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 rompuI had broken
tutu avais rompuyou had broken
il/elleil/elle avait rompuhe/she/it had broken
nousnous avions rompuwe had broken
vousvous aviez rompuyou (pl.) had broken
ils/ellesils/elles avaient romputhey had broken

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

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 rompuI will have broken
tutu auras rompuyou will have broken
il/elleil/elle aura rompuhe/she/it will have broken
nousnous aurons rompuwe will have broken
vousvous aurez rompuyou (pl.) will have broken
ils/ellesils/elles auront romputhey will have broken

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
jerompe
turompes
il/ellerompe
nousrompions
vousrompiez
ils/ellesrompent

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
jerompisse
turompisses
il/ellerompît
nousrompissions
vousrompissiez
ils/ellesrompissent

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
turomps
nousrompons
vousrompez