se surprendre — French conjugation
to catch oneself (doing)
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surprends |
| tu | te surprends |
| il/elle | se surprend |
| nous | nous surprenons |
| vous | vous surprenez |
| ils/elles | se surprennent |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surpris |
| tu | te surpris |
| il/elle | se surprit |
| nous | nous surprîmes |
| vous | vous surprîtes |
| ils/elles | se surprirent |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surprenais |
| tu | te surprenais |
| il/elle | se surprenait |
| nous | nous surprenions |
| vous | vous surpreniez |
| ils/elles | se surprenaient |
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 ?
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surprendrais |
| tu | te surprendrais |
| il/elle | se surprendrait |
| nous | nous surprendrions |
| vous | vous surprendriez |
| ils/elles | se surprendraient |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surprendrai |
| tu | te surprendras |
| il/elle | se surprendra |
| nous | nous surprendrons |
| vous | vous surprendrez |
| ils/elles | se surprendront |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surprenne |
| tu | te surprennes |
| il/elle | se surprenne |
| nous | nous surprenions |
| vous | vous surpreniez |
| ils/elles | se surprennent |
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.
| Pronoun | French |
|---|---|
| je | me surprisse |
| tu | te surprisses |
| il/elle | se surprît |
| nous | nous surprissions |
| vous | vous surprissiez |
| ils/elles | se surprissent |