Key facts

Pencher

To lean · to lean/to tilt/to tip/to incline

B1Regular
Stem
pench
Past participle
penché

Examples

Je penche la tête.

I tilt my head.

Il ne penche pas le corps.

He doesn't lean his body.

Nous penchions Lucie.

We were leaning Lucie.

Nous avons penché le pot.

We tilted the jar.

Présent

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

Group 1
Jepenche
Ilean
Tupenches
Youlean
Ilpenche
Heleans
Nouspenchons
Welean
Vouspenchez
Youlean
Ilspenchent
Theylean

Futur proche

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

Jevais pencher
Iam going to lean
Tuvas pencher
Youare going to lean
Ilva pencher
Heis going to lean
Nousallons pencher
Weare going to lean
Vousallez pencher
Youare going to lean
Ilsvont pencher
Theyare going to lean

Passé récent

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

Jeviens de pencher
Ihave just leaned
Tuviens de pencher
Youhave just leaned
Ilvient de pencher
Hehas just leaned
Nousvenons de pencher
Wehave just leaned
Vousvenez de pencher
Youhave just leaned
Ilsviennent de pencher
Theyhave just leaned

Passé composé

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

J'ai penché
Ihave leaned
Tuas penché
Youhave leaned
Ila penché
Hehas leaned
Nousavons penché
Wehave leaned
Vousavez penché
Youhave leaned
Ilsont penché
Theyhave leaned

Conditionnel présent

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

Jepencherais
Iwould lean
Tupencherais
Youwould lean
Ilpencherait
Hewould lean
Nouspencherions
Wewould lean
Vouspencheriez
Youwould lean
Ilspencheraient
Theywould lean

Futur simple

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

Jepencherai
Iwill lean
Tupencheras
Youwill lean
Ilpenchera
Hewill lean
Nouspencherons
Wewill lean
Vouspencherez
Youwill lean
Ilspencheront
Theywill lean

Imparfait

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

Jepenchais
Iwas leaning
Tupenchais
Youwere leaning
Ilpenchait
Hewas leaning
Nouspenchions
Were leaning
Vouspenchiez
Youwere leaning
Ilspenchaient
Theywere leaning

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)penche
Youlean
(Nous)penchons
Welean
(Vous)penchez
Youlean

Participe présent

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

penchant
leaning

Gérondif présent

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

en penchant
leaning

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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