se terminer — French conjugation

to come to an end

RegularReflexiveterminer → se terminer

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 termine
tute termines
il/ellese termine
nousnous terminons
vousvous terminez
ils/ellesse terminent

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 terminai
tute terminas
il/ellese termina
nousnous terminâmes
vousvous terminâtes
ils/ellesse terminèrent

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 terminais
tute terminais
il/ellese terminait
nousnous terminions
vousvous terminiez
ils/ellesse terminaient

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 terminerais
tute terminerais
il/ellese terminerait
nousnous terminerions
vousvous termineriez
ils/ellesse termineraient

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 terminerai
tute termineras
il/ellese terminera
nousnous terminerons
vousvous terminerez
ils/ellesse termineront

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 termine
tute termines
il/ellese termine
nousnous terminions
vousvous terminiez
ils/ellesse terminent

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 terminasse
tute terminasses
il/ellese terminât
nousnous terminassions
vousvous terminassiez
ils/ellesse terminassent