se plaire — French conjugation

to enjoy oneself (somewhere); to like each other

IrregularReflexiveplaire → se plaire

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.

PronounFrench
jeme plais
tute plais
il/ellese plaît
nousnous plaisons
vousvous plaisez
ils/ellesse plaisent

Simple past (Passé simple) Irregular

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
jeme plus
tute plus
il/ellese plut
nousnous plûmes
vousvous plûtes
ils/ellesse plurent

Imperfect (Imparfait) Irregular

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
jeme plaisais
tute plaisais
il/ellese plaisait
nousnous plaisions
vousvous plaisiez
ils/ellesse plaisaient

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
jeme plairais
tute plairais
il/ellese plairait
nousnous plairions
vousvous plairiez
ils/ellesse plairaient

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
jeme plairai
tute plairas
il/ellese plaira
nousnous plairons
vousvous plairez
ils/ellesse plairont

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjonctif présent) Irregular

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
jeme plaise
tute plaises
il/ellese plaise
nousnous plaisions
vousvous plaisiez
ils/ellesse plaisent

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
jeme plusse
tute plusses
il/ellese plût
nousnous plussions
vousvous plussiez
ils/ellesse plussent