Key facts
Essayer
To try
Examples
J'essaie la veste.
I try the jacket.
Il n'essaie pas de nager.
He doesn't try to swim.
Nous essayions le plat.
We were trying the dish.
Nous avons essayé l'habit.
We tried the garment.
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This verb is highly irregular. Prioritize repetition and active recall.
Présent
Indicative present — everyday actions, ongoing situations, and habits; the tense you rely on most in conversation.
Futur proche
Near future with aller + infinitive — what you are about to do, very soon after the moment of speaking.
Passé récent
Recent past with venir de + infinitive — something that has just finished, still fresh in the speaker’s mind.
Passé composé
Compound past with être or avoir + past participle — completed, one-off events and the backbone of spoken storytelling.
Conditionnel présent
Conditional mood — polite requests, imagined outcomes, and what would happen under certain conditions.
Futur simple
Simple future — often more formal or literary than the near future; states intentions farther ahead in time.
Imparfait
Imperfect — repeated habits in the past, background description, and actions still in progress when something else occurred.
Impératif présent
Present imperative — direct commands and friendly requests; only tu, nous, and vous person forms exist.
Participe présent
Present participle — the -ant form in subordinate clauses, compound tenses, and many fixed expressions.
Gérondif présent
Gerund with en + present participle — simultaneous action, manner, or cause while something else is going on.
Similar conjugation models (Irregular)
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