s'excuser — French conjugation

to apologize

RegularReflexiveexcuser → s'excuser

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'excuse
tut'excuses
il/elles'excuse
nousnous excusons
vousvous excusez
ils/elless'excusent

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'excusai
tut'excusas
il/elles'excusa
nousnous excusâmes
vousvous excusâtes
ils/elless'excusèrent

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'excusais
tut'excusais
il/elles'excusait
nousnous excusions
vousvous excusiez
ils/elless'excusaient

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'excuserais
tut'excuserais
il/elles'excuserait
nousnous excuserions
vousvous excuseriez
ils/elless'excuseraient

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'excuserai
tut'excuseras
il/elles'excusera
nousnous excuserons
vousvous excuserez
ils/elless'excuseront

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'excuse
tut'excuses
il/elles'excuse
nousnous excusions
vousvous excusiez
ils/elless'excusent

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'excusasse
tut'excusasses
il/elles'excusât
nousnous excusassions
vousvous excusassiez
ils/elless'excusassent