tromper — French conjugation

to deceive

Frequency#131RegularReflexivese tromper — to make a mistake

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
jetrompeI deceive
tutrompesyou deceive
il/elletrompehe/she/it deceives
noustromponswe deceive
voustrompezyou (pl.) deceive
ils/ellestrompentthey deceive

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
jetrompaiI deceived
tutrompasyou deceived
il/elletrompahe/she/it deceived
noustrompâmeswe deceived
voustrompâtesyou (pl.) deceived
ils/ellestrompèrentthey deceived

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
jetrompais
tutrompais
il/elletrompait
noustrompions
voustrompiez
ils/ellestrompaient

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
jetromperaisI would deceive
tutromperaisyou would deceive
il/elletromperaithe/she/it would deceive
noustromperionswe would deceive
voustromperiezyou (pl.) would deceive
ils/ellestromperaientthey would deceive

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
jetromperaiI will deceive
tutromperasyou will deceive
il/elletromperahe/she/it will deceive
noustromperonswe will deceive
voustromperezyou (pl.) will deceive
ils/ellestromperontthey will deceive

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 trompéI have deceived
tutu as trompéyou have deceived
il/elleil/elle a trompéhe/she/it has deceived
nousnous avons trompéwe have deceived
vousvous avez trompéyou (pl.) have deceived
ils/ellesils/elles ont trompéthey have deceived

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 trompéI had deceived
tutu avais trompéyou had deceived
il/elleil/elle avait trompéhe/she/it had deceived
nousnous avions trompéwe had deceived
vousvous aviez trompéyou (pl.) had deceived
ils/ellesils/elles avaient trompéthey had deceived

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

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 trompéI will have deceived
tutu auras trompéyou will have deceived
il/elleil/elle aura trompéhe/she/it will have deceived
nousnous aurons trompéwe will have deceived
vousvous aurez trompéyou (pl.) will have deceived
ils/ellesils/elles auront trompéthey will have deceived

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
jetrompe
tutrompes
il/elletrompe
noustrompions
voustrompiez
ils/ellestrompent

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
jetrompasse
tutrompasses
il/elletrompât
noustrompassions
voustrompassiez
ils/ellestrompassent

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
tutrompe
noustrompons
voustrompez