spécialiser — French conjugation

to specialise

Frequency#250Regular

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.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jespécialiseI specialize
tuspécialisesyou specialize
il/ellespécialisehe/she/it specializes
nousspécialisonswe specialize
vousspécialisezyou (pl.) specialize
ils/ellesspécialisentthey specialize

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.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jespécialisaiI specialized
tuspécialisasyou specialized
il/ellespécialisahe/she/it specialized
nousspécialisâmeswe specialized
vousspécialisâtesyou (pl.) specialized
ils/ellesspécialisèrentthey specialized

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
jespécialisais
tuspécialisais
il/ellespécialisait
nousspécialisions
vousspécialisiez
ils/ellesspécialisaient

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 ?

PronounFrenchEnglish
jespécialiseraisI would specialize
tuspécialiseraisyou would specialize
il/ellespécialiseraithe/she/it would specialize
nousspécialiserionswe would specialize
vousspécialiseriezyou (pl.) would specialize
ils/ellesspécialiseraientthey would specialize

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.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jespécialiseraiI will specialize
tuspécialiserasyou will specialize
il/ellespécialiserahe/she/it will specialize
nousspécialiseronswe will specialize
vousspécialiserezyou (pl.) will specialize
ils/ellesspécialiserontthey will specialize

Present perfect (Passé composé) Regular

The passé composé is the main spoken past for completed, bounded actions (often with a time adverb). Use avoir with most verbs; être is required for a fixed group of motion/inchange and all pronominal verbs, with participle agreement when necessary.

Elle est venue tôt, puis elle a téléphoné.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'ai spécialiséI have specialized
tutu as spécialiséyou have specialized
il/elleil/elle a spécialiséhe/she/it has specialized
nousnous avons spécialiséwe have specialized
vousvous avez spécialiséyou (pl.) have specialized
ils/ellesils/elles ont spécialiséthey have specialized

Pluperfect (Plus-que-parfait) Regular

The plus-que-parfait is the “earlier past”: one action was already over before another past moment. It answers “had already” when a story is anchored in a past time.

Déjà, il avait fini quand je suis arrivé.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'avais spécialiséI had specialized
tutu avais spécialiséyou had specialized
il/elleil/elle avait spécialiséhe/she/it had specialized
nousnous avions spécialiséwe had specialized
vousvous aviez spécialiséyou (pl.) had specialized
ils/ellesils/elles avaient spécialiséthey had specialized

Conditional perfect (Conditionnel passé) Regular

The conditionnel passé states what would have been true, plans that failed, and unreal past if-clauses (often with si + plus-que-parfait in the apodose).

J'aurais dit oui, mais c'était impossible.

PronounFrench
jej'aurais spécialisé
tutu aurais spécialisé
il/elleil/elle aurait spécialisé
nousnous aurions spécialisé
vousvous auriez spécialisé
ils/ellesils/elles auraient spécialisé

Future perfect (Futur antérieur) Regular

The futur antérieur marks an action that will be finished before a later future moment (by then I will have…). It can also suggest a conjecture about a recent past fact in formal or literary use.

D'ici samedi, j'aurai lu le rapport.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'aurai spécialiséI will have specialized
tutu auras spécialiséyou will have specialized
il/elleil/elle aura spécialiséhe/she/it will have specialized
nousnous aurons spécialiséwe will have specialized
vousvous aurez spécialiséyou (pl.) will have specialized
ils/ellesils/elles auront spécialiséthey will have specialized

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
jespécialise
tuspécialises
il/ellespécialise
nousspécialisions
vousspécialisiez
ils/ellesspécialisent

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
jespécialisasse
tuspécialisasses
il/ellespécialisât
nousspécialisassions
vousspécialisassiez
ils/ellesspécialisassent

Other forms

Imperative (Impératif) Regular

The imperative is for direct orders and advice to tu, nous, and vous. For many -er verbs, the tu form drops the final -s of the present (parle!); negatives use the subjunctive-like forms in practice.

Fermons la porte, s'il vous plaît !

PronounFrench
tuspécialise
nousspécialisons
vousspécialisez