Key facts

Opérer

To operate · to operate/to work/to perform/to carry out

B1Irregular
Stem
opér
Past participle
opéré

Examples

J'opère ici.

I operate here.

Il n'opère pas à midi.

He doesn't operate at noon.

Nous opérions le tri.

We were carrying out the sorting.

Nous avons opéré Paul.

We operated on Paul.

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
J'opère
Ioperate
Tuopères
Youoperate
Ilopère
Heoperates
Nousopérons
Weoperate
Vousopérez
Youoperate
Ilsopèrent
Theyoperate

Futur proche

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

Jevais opérer
Iam going to operate
Tuvas opérer
Youare going to operate
Ilva opérer
Heis going to operate
Nousallons opérer
Weare going to operate
Vousallez opérer
Youare going to operate
Ilsvont opérer
Theyare going to operate

Passé récent

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

Jeviens d'opérer
Ihave just operated
Tuviens d'opérer
Youhave just operated
Ilvient d'opérer
Hehas just operated
Nousvenons d'opérer
Wehave just operated
Vousvenez d'opérer
Youhave just operated
Ilsviennent d'opérer
Theyhave just operated

Passé composé

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

J'ai opéré
Ihave operated
Tuas opéré
Youhave operated
Ila opéré
Hehas operated
Nousavons opéré
Wehave operated
Vousavez opéré
Youhave operated
Ilsont opéré
Theyhave operated

Conditionnel présent

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

J'opérerais
Iwould operate
Tuopérerais
Youwould operate
Ilopérerait
Hewould operate
Nousopérerions
Wewould operate
Vousopéreriez
Youwould operate
Ilsopéreraient
Theywould operate

Futur simple

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

J'opérerai
Iwill operate
Tuopéreras
Youwill operate
Ilopérera
Hewill operate
Nousopérerons
Wewill operate
Vousopérerez
Youwill operate
Ilsopéreront
Theywill operate

Imparfait

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

J'opérais
Iwas operating
Tuopérais
Youwere operating
Ilopérait
Hewas operating
Nousopérions
Were operating
Vousopériez
Youwere operating
Ilsopéraient
Theywere operating

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)opère
Youoperate
(Nous)opérons
Weoperate
(Vous)opérez
Youoperate

Participe présent

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

opérant
operating

Gérondif présent

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

en opérant
operating

Similar conjugation models (Irregular)

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