stupéfaire — French conjugation

to astonish

Frequency#138Irregular

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.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jestupéfaisI astonish
tustupéfaisyou astonish
il/ellestupéfaithe/she/it astonishes
nousstupéfaisonswe astonish
vousstupéfaitesyou (pl.) astonish
ils/ellesstupéfontthey astonish

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.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jestupéfisI astonished
tustupéfisyou astonished
il/ellestupéfithe/she/it astonished
nousstupéfîmeswe astonished
vousstupéfîtesyou (pl.) astonished
ils/ellesstupéfirentthey astonished

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
jestupéfaisais
tustupéfaisais
il/ellestupéfaisait
nousstupéfaisions
vousstupéfaisiez
ils/ellesstupéfaisaient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Irregular

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
jestupéferaisI would astonish
tustupéferaisyou would astonish
il/ellestupéferaithe/she/it would astonish
nousstupéferionswe would astonish
vousstupéferiezyou (pl.) would astonish
ils/ellesstupéferaientthey would astonish

Future (Futur) Irregular

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
jestupéferaiI will astonish
tustupéferasyou will astonish
il/ellestupéferahe/she/it will astonish
nousstupéferonswe will astonish
vousstupéferezyou (pl.) will astonish
ils/ellesstupéferontthey will astonish

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 stupéfaitI have astonished
tutu as stupéfaityou have astonished
il/elleil/elle a stupéfaithe/she/it has astonished
nousnous avons stupéfaitwe have astonished
vousvous avez stupéfaityou (pl.) have astonished
ils/ellesils/elles ont stupéfaitthey have astonished

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 stupéfaitI had astonished
tutu avais stupéfaityou had astonished
il/elleil/elle avait stupéfaithe/she/it had astonished
nousnous avions stupéfaitwe had astonished
vousvous aviez stupéfaityou (pl.) had astonished
ils/ellesils/elles avaient stupéfaitthey had astonished

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 stupéfait
tutu aurais stupéfait
il/elleil/elle aurait stupéfait
nousnous aurions stupéfait
vousvous auriez stupéfait
ils/ellesils/elles auraient stupéfait

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 stupéfaitI will have astonished
tutu auras stupéfaityou will have astonished
il/elleil/elle aura stupéfaithe/she/it will have astonished
nousnous aurons stupéfaitwe will have astonished
vousvous aurez stupéfaityou (pl.) will have astonished
ils/ellesils/elles auront stupéfaitthey will have astonished

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
jestupéfasse
tustupéfasses
il/ellestupéfasse
nousstupéfassions
vousstupéfassiez
ils/ellesstupéfassent

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
jestupéfisse
tustupéfisses
il/ellestupéfît
nousstupéfissions
vousstupéfissiez
ils/ellesstupéfissent

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
tustupéfais
nousstupéfaisons
vousstupéfaites