French reference
expliquer
to explain
Regular · 19 form tables
Includes indicative, conditional, subjunctive and imperative forms. Literary categories and supplied participle agreement forms are labeled separately.
Audio requires a compatible voice in your browser.
Indicative
Present
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I explain |
| tu | you explain |
| il/elle/on | he/she explains |
| nous | we explain |
| vous | you (plural/formal) explain |
| ils/elles | they explain |
Compound past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I explained; I have explained |
| tu | you explained; you have explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she explained; he/she has explained |
| nous | we explained; we have explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) explained; you (plural/formal) have explained |
| ils/elles | they explained; they have explained |
Imperfect
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I used to explain |
| tu | you used to explain |
| il/elle/on | he/she used to explain |
| nous | we used to explain |
| vous | you (plural/formal) used to explain |
| ils/elles | they used to explain |
Pluperfect
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I had explained |
| tu | you had explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she had explained |
| nous | we had explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) had explained |
| ils/elles | they had explained |
Future
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I will explain |
| tu | you will explain |
| il/elle/on | he/she will explain |
| nous | we will explain |
| vous | you (plural/formal) will explain |
| ils/elles | they will explain |
Future perfect
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I will have explained |
| tu | you will have explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she will have explained |
| nous | we will have explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) will have explained |
| ils/elles | they will have explained |
Near future
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I am going to explain |
| tu | you are going to explain |
| il/elle/on | he/she is going to explain |
| nous | we are going to explain |
| vous | you (plural/formal) are going to explain |
| ils/elles | they are going to explain |
Recent past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I have just explained |
| tu | you have just explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she has just explained |
| nous | we have just explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) have just explained |
| ils/elles | they have just explained |
Simple past (literary)
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I explained |
| tu | you explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she explained |
| nous | we explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) explained |
| ils/elles | they explained |
Past anterior (literary)
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I had explained |
| tu | you had explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she had explained |
| nous | we had explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) had explained |
| ils/elles | they had explained |
Conditional
Conditional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I would explain |
| tu | you would explain |
| il/elle/on | he/she would explain |
| nous | we would explain |
| vous | you (plural/formal) would explain |
| ils/elles | they would explain |
Past conditional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I would have explained |
| tu | you would have explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she would have explained |
| nous | we would have explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) would have explained |
| ils/elles | they would have explained |
Past conditional, second form (literary)
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | I would have explained |
| tu | you would have explained |
| il/elle/on | he/she would have explained |
| nous | we would have explained |
| vous | you (plural/formal) would have explained |
| ils/elles | they would have explained |
Subjunctive
Present subjunctive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | (that) I explain |
| tu | (that) you explain |
| il/elle/on | (that) he/she explains |
| nous | (that) we explain |
| vous | (that) you (plural/formal) explain |
| ils/elles | (that) they explain |
Past subjunctive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | (that) I have explained |
| tu | (that) you have explained |
| il/elle/on | (that) he/she has explained |
| nous | (that) we have explained |
| vous | (that) you (plural/formal) have explained |
| ils/elles | (that) they have explained |
Imperfect subjunctive (literary)
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | (that) I explained |
| tu | (that) you explained |
| il/elle/on | (that) he/she explained |
| nous | (that) we explained |
| vous | (that) you (plural/formal) explained |
| ils/elles | (that) they explained |
Pluperfect subjunctive (literary)
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| je | (that) I had explained |
| tu | (that) you had explained |
| il/elle/on | (that) he/she had explained |
| nous | (that) we had explained |
| vous | (that) you (plural/formal) had explained |
| ils/elles | (that) they had explained |
Imperative
Imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| tu | explain! |
| nous | let's explain! |
| vous | explain! (plural/formal) |
Past imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| tu | have explained by then! |
| nous | let's have explained by then! |
| vous | have explained by then! (plural/formal) |
Additional forms
- Gerund
- Present participle
- Past participle
- / / /
- Past infinitive
- Perfect participle
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all French entries.