se sauver — French conjugation

to run away, escape

RegularReflexivesauver → se sauver

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
jeme sauve
tute sauves
il/ellese sauve
nousnous sauvons
vousvous sauvez
ils/ellesse sauvent

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
jeme sauvai
tute sauvas
il/ellese sauva
nousnous sauvâmes
vousvous sauvâtes
ils/ellesse sauvèrent

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
jeme sauvais
tute sauvais
il/ellese sauvait
nousnous sauvions
vousvous sauviez
ils/ellesse sauvaient

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 sauverais
tute sauverais
il/ellese sauverait
nousnous sauverions
vousvous sauveriez
ils/ellesse sauveraient

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 sauverai
tute sauveras
il/ellese sauvera
nousnous sauverons
vousvous sauverez
ils/ellesse sauveront

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
jeme sauve
tute sauves
il/ellese sauve
nousnous sauvions
vousvous sauviez
ils/ellesse sauvent

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 sauvasse
tute sauvasses
il/ellese sauvât
nousnous sauvassions
vousvous sauvassiez
ils/ellesse sauvassent