subsister — French conjugation

to subsist

Frequency#133Regular

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
jesubsisteI subsist
tusubsistesyou subsist
il/ellesubsistehe/she/it subsists
noussubsistonswe subsist
voussubsistezyou (pl.) subsist
ils/ellessubsistentthey subsist

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
jesubsistaiI subsisted
tusubsistasyou subsisted
il/ellesubsistahe/she/it subsisted
noussubsistâmeswe subsisted
voussubsistâtesyou (pl.) subsisted
ils/ellessubsistèrentthey subsisted

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
jesubsistais
tusubsistais
il/ellesubsistait
noussubsistions
voussubsistiez
ils/ellessubsistaient

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
jesubsisteraisI would subsist
tusubsisteraisyou would subsist
il/ellesubsisteraithe/she/it would subsist
noussubsisterionswe would subsist
voussubsisteriezyou (pl.) would subsist
ils/ellessubsisteraientthey would subsist

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
jesubsisteraiI will subsist
tusubsisterasyou will subsist
il/ellesubsisterahe/she/it will subsist
noussubsisteronswe will subsist
voussubsisterezyou (pl.) will subsist
ils/ellessubsisterontthey will subsist

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 subsistéI have subsisted
tutu as subsistéyou have subsisted
il/elleil/elle a subsistéhe/she/it has subsisted
nousnous avons subsistéwe have subsisted
vousvous avez subsistéyou (pl.) have subsisted
ils/ellesils/elles ont subsistéthey have subsisted

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 subsistéI had subsisted
tutu avais subsistéyou had subsisted
il/elleil/elle avait subsistéhe/she/it had subsisted
nousnous avions subsistéwe had subsisted
vousvous aviez subsistéyou (pl.) had subsisted
ils/ellesils/elles avaient subsistéthey had subsisted

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

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 subsistéI will have subsisted
tutu auras subsistéyou will have subsisted
il/elleil/elle aura subsistéhe/she/it will have subsisted
nousnous aurons subsistéwe will have subsisted
vousvous aurez subsistéyou (pl.) will have subsisted
ils/ellesils/elles auront subsistéthey will have subsisted

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
jesubsiste
tusubsistes
il/ellesubsiste
noussubsistions
voussubsistiez
ils/ellessubsistent

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
jesubsistasse
tusubsistasses
il/ellesubsistât
noussubsistassions
voussubsistassiez
ils/ellessubsistassent

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
tusubsiste
noussubsistons
voussubsistez