Key facts

Écouter

To listen · to listen to

A1Regular
Stem
écout
Past participle
écouté

Examples

J'écoute la radio.

I use the bike.

Il n'écoute pas son père.

He doesn't use oil.

Nous écoutions le prof.

We were using water.

Nous avons écouté la chanson.

We used the bus.

Présent

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

Group 1
J'écoute
Ilisten
Tuécoutes
Youlisten
Ilécoute
Helistens
Nousécoutons
Welisten
Vousécoutez
Youlisten
Ilsécoutent
Theylisten

Futur proche

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

Jevais écouter
Iam going to listen
Tuvas écouter
Youare going to listen
Ilva écouter
Heis going to listen
Nousallons écouter
Weare going to listen
Vousallez écouter
Youare going to listen
Ilsvont écouter
Theyare going to listen

Passé récent

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

Jeviens d'écouter
Ihave just listened
Tuviens d'écouter
Youhave just listened
Ilvient d'écouter
Hehas just listened
Nousvenons d'écouter
Wehave just listened
Vousvenez d'écouter
Youhave just listened
Ilsviennent d'écouter
Theyhave just listened

Passé composé

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

J'ai écouté
Ihave listened
Tuas écouté
Youhave listened
Ila écouté
Hehas listened
Nousavons écouté
Wehave listened
Vousavez écouté
Youhave listened
Ilsont écouté
Theyhave listened

Conditionnel présent

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

J'écouterais
Iwould listen
Tuécouterais
Youwould listen
Ilécouterait
Hewould listen
Nousécouterions
Wewould listen
Vousécouteriez
Youwould listen
Ilsécouteraient
Theywould listen

Futur simple

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

J'écouterai
Iwill listen
Tuécouteras
Youwill listen
Ilécoutera
Hewill listen
Nousécouterons
Wewill listen
Vousécouterez
Youwill listen
Ilsécouteront
Theywill listen

Imparfait

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

J'écoutais
Iwas listening
Tuécoutais
Youwere listening
Ilécoutait
Hewas listening
Nousécoutions
Were listening
Vousécoutiez
Youwere listening
Ilsécoutaient
Theywere listening

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)écoute
Youlisten
(Nous)écoutons
Welisten
(Vous)écoutez
Youlisten

Participe présent

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

écoutant
listening

Gérondif présent

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

en écoutant
listening

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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Écouter | Verbs | Croissant Verbs