Key facts

Courber

To bend · to bend/to bow

C1Regular
Stem
courb
Past participle
courbé

Examples

Je courbe le dos.

I bend my back.

Il ne courbe pas la tête.

He doesn't bow his head.

Nous courbions Lucie.

We were bending Lucie.

Nous avons courbé le pot.

We bent the pot.

Présent

Indicative present — everyday actions, ongoing situations, and habits; the tense you rely on most in conversation.

Group 1
Jecourbe
Ibend
Tucourbes
Youbend
Ilcourbe
Hebends
Nouscourbons
Webend
Vouscourbez
Youbend
Ilscourbent
Theybend

Futur proche

Near future with aller + infinitive — what you are about to do, very soon after the moment of speaking.

Jevais courber
Iam going to bend
Tuvas courber
Youare going to bend
Ilva courber
Heis going to bend
Nousallons courber
Weare going to bend
Vousallez courber
Youare going to bend
Ilsvont courber
Theyare going to bend

Passé récent

Recent past with venir de + infinitive — something that has just finished, still fresh in the speaker’s mind.

Jeviens de courber
Ihave just bent
Tuviens de courber
Youhave just bent
Ilvient de courber
Hehas just bent
Nousvenons de courber
Wehave just bent
Vousvenez de courber
Youhave just bent
Ilsviennent de courber
Theyhave just bent

Passé composé

Compound past with être or avoir + past participle — completed, one-off events and the backbone of spoken storytelling.

J'ai courbé
Ihave bent
Tuas courbé
Youhave bent
Ila courbé
Hehas bent
Nousavons courbé
Wehave bent
Vousavez courbé
Youhave bent
Ilsont courbé
Theyhave bent

Conditionnel présent

Conditional mood — polite requests, imagined outcomes, and what would happen under certain conditions.

Jecourberais
Iwould bend
Tucourberais
Youwould bend
Ilcourberait
Hewould bend
Nouscourberions
Wewould bend
Vouscourberiez
Youwould bend
Ilscourberaient
Theywould bend

Futur simple

Simple future — often more formal or literary than the near future; states intentions farther ahead in time.

Jecourberai
Iwill bend
Tucourberas
Youwill bend
Ilcourbera
Hewill bend
Nouscourberons
Wewill bend
Vouscourberez
Youwill bend
Ilscourberont
Theywill bend

Imparfait

Imperfect — repeated habits in the past, background description, and actions still in progress when something else occurred.

Jecourbais
Iwas bending
Tucourbais
Youwere bending
Ilcourbait
Hewas bending
Nouscourbions
Were bending
Vouscourbiez
Youwere bending
Ilscourbaient
Theywere bending

Impératif présent

Present imperative — direct commands and friendly requests; only tu, nous, and vous person forms exist.

(Tu)courbe
Youbend
(Nous)courbons
Webend
(Vous)courbez
Youbend

Participe présent

Present participle — the -ant form in subordinate clauses, compound tenses, and many fixed expressions.

courbant
bending

Gérondif présent

Gerund with en + present participle — simultaneous action, manner, or cause while something else is going on.

en courbant
bending

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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Courber | Verbs | Croissant Verbs