Key facts

Mener

To lead · to lead/to conduct

B1Irregular
Stem
men
Past participle
mené

Examples

Je mène l'enquête.

I lead the investigation.

Il ne mène pas le groupe.

He doesn't lead the group.

Nous menions le projet.

We were leading the project.

Nous avons mené le match.

We led the match.

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.

Group 1
Jemène
Ilead
Tumènes
Youlead
Ilmène
Heleads
Nousmenons
Welead
Vousmenez
Youlead
Ilsmènent
Theylead

Futur proche

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

Jevais mener
Iam going to lead
Tuvas mener
Youare going to lead
Ilva mener
Heis going to lead
Nousallons mener
Weare going to lead
Vousallez mener
Youare going to lead
Ilsvont mener
Theyare going to lead

Passé récent

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

Jeviens de mener
Ihave just led
Tuviens de mener
Youhave just led
Ilvient de mener
Hehas just led
Nousvenons de mener
Wehave just led
Vousvenez de mener
Youhave just led
Ilsviennent de mener
Theyhave just led

Passé composé

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

J'ai mené
Ihave led
Tuas mené
Youhave led
Ila mené
Hehas led
Nousavons mené
Wehave led
Vousavez mené
Youhave led
Ilsont mené
Theyhave led

Conditionnel présent

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

Jemènerais
Iwould lead
Tumènerais
Youwould lead
Ilmènerait
Hewould lead
Nousmènerions
Wewould lead
Vousmèneriez
Youwould lead
Ilsmèneraient
Theywould lead

Futur simple

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

Jemènerai
Iwill lead
Tumèneras
Youwill lead
Ilmènera
Hewill lead
Nousmènerons
Wewill lead
Vousmènerez
Youwill lead
Ilsmèneront
Theywill lead

Imparfait

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

Jemenais
Iwas leading
Tumenais
Youwere leading
Ilmenait
Hewas leading
Nousmenions
Were leading
Vousmeniez
Youwere leading
Ilsmenaient
Theywere leading

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)mène
Youlead
(Nous)menons
Welead
(Vous)menez
Youlead

Participe présent

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

menant
leading

Gérondif présent

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

en menant
leading

Similar conjugation models (Irregular)

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