trier — French conjugation

to sort (to arrange or classify)

Frequency#292Regular

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
jetrieI sort
tutriesyou sort
il/elletriehe/she/it sorts
noustrionswe sort
voustriezyou (pl.) sort
ils/ellestrientthey sort

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
jetriaiI sorted
tutriasyou sorted
il/elletriahe/she/it sorted
noustriâmeswe sorted
voustriâtesyou (pl.) sorted
ils/ellestrièrentthey sorted

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
jetriais
tutriais
il/elletriait
noustriions
voustriiez
ils/ellestriaient

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
jetrieraisI would sort
tutrieraisyou would sort
il/elletrieraithe/she/it would sort
noustrierionswe would sort
voustrieriezyou (pl.) would sort
ils/ellestrieraientthey would sort

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
jetrieraiI will sort
tutrierasyou will sort
il/elletrierahe/she/it will sort
noustrieronswe will sort
voustrierezyou (pl.) will sort
ils/ellestrierontthey will sort

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 triéI have sorted
tutu as triéyou have sorted
il/elleil/elle a triéhe/she/it has sorted
nousnous avons triéwe have sorted
vousvous avez triéyou (pl.) have sorted
ils/ellesils/elles ont triéthey have sorted

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 triéI had sorted
tutu avais triéyou had sorted
il/elleil/elle avait triéhe/she/it had sorted
nousnous avions triéwe had sorted
vousvous aviez triéyou (pl.) had sorted
ils/ellesils/elles avaient triéthey had sorted

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

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 triéI will have sorted
tutu auras triéyou will have sorted
il/elleil/elle aura triéhe/she/it will have sorted
nousnous aurons triéwe will have sorted
vousvous aurez triéyou (pl.) will have sorted
ils/ellesils/elles auront triéthey will have sorted

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
jetrie
tutries
il/elletrie
noustriions
voustriiez
ils/ellestrient

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
jetriasse
tutriasses
il/elletriât
noustriassions
voustriassiez
ils/ellestriassent

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
tutrie
noustrions
voustriez