s'asseoir — French conjugation

to sit oneself down

RegularReflexiveasseoir → s'asseoir

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.

PronounFrench
jem'assieds
tut'assieds
il/elles'assied
nousnous asseyons
vousvous asseyez
ils/elless'asseyent

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.

PronounFrench
jem'assis
tut'assis
il/elles'assit
nousnous assîmes
vousvous assîtes
ils/elless'assirent

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
jem'asseyais
tut'asseyais
il/elles'asseyait
nousnous asseyions
vousvous asseyiez
ils/elless'asseyaient

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 ?

PronounFrench
jem'assiérais
tut'assiérais
il/elles'assiérait
nousnous assiérions
vousvous assiériez
ils/elless'assiéraient

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.

PronounFrench
jem'assiérai
tut'assiéras
il/elles'assiéra
nousnous assiérons
vousvous assiérez
ils/elless'assiéront

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
jem'asseye
tut'asseyes
il/elles'asseye
nousnous asseyions
vousvous asseyiez
ils/elless'asseyent

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
jem'assisse
tut'assisses
il/elles'assît
nousnous assissions
vousvous assissiez
ils/elless'assissent