Key facts

Tenter

To try · to try/to attempt

B1Regular
Stem
tent
Past participle
tenté

Examples

Je tente ma chance.

I try my luck.

Il ne tente pas de tricher.

He doesn't try to cheat.

Nous tentions le coup.

We were trying it out.

Nous avons tenté l'examen.

We attempted the exam.

Présent

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

Group 1
Jetente
Itry
Tutentes
Youtry
Iltente
Hetries
Noustentons
Wetry
Voustentez
Youtry
Ilstentent
Theytry

Futur proche

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

Jevais tenter
Iam going to try
Tuvas tenter
Youare going to try
Ilva tenter
Heis going to try
Nousallons tenter
Weare going to try
Vousallez tenter
Youare going to try
Ilsvont tenter
Theyare going to try

Passé récent

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

Jeviens de tenter
Ihave just tried
Tuviens de tenter
Youhave just tried
Ilvient de tenter
Hehas just tried
Nousvenons de tenter
Wehave just tried
Vousvenez de tenter
Youhave just tried
Ilsviennent de tenter
Theyhave just tried

Passé composé

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

J'ai tenté
Ihave tried
Tuas tenté
Youhave tried
Ila tenté
Hehas tried
Nousavons tenté
Wehave tried
Vousavez tenté
Youhave tried
Ilsont tenté
Theyhave tried

Conditionnel présent

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

Jetenterais
Iwould try
Tutenterais
Youwould try
Iltenterait
Hewould try
Noustenterions
Wewould try
Voustenteriez
Youwould try
Ilstenteraient
Theywould try

Futur simple

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

Jetenterai
Iwill try
Tutenteras
Youwill try
Iltentera
Hewill try
Noustenterons
Wewill try
Voustenterez
Youwill try
Ilstenteront
Theywill try

Imparfait

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

Jetentais
Iwas trying
Tutentais
Youwere trying
Iltentait
Hewas trying
Noustentions
Were trying
Voustentiez
Youwere trying
Ilstentaient
Theywere trying

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)tente
Youtry
(Nous)tentons
Wetry
(Vous)tentez
Youtry

Participe présent

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

tentant
trying

Gérondif présent

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

en tentant
trying

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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