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FRENCH VERB

allumer

to light, to switch on

  • #245 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: allumé
  • Present participle: allumant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I light
  2. tu you light
  3. il, elle, on he/she lights
  4. nous we light
  5. vous you light
  6. ils, elles they light

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I lit
  2. tu you lit
  3. il, elle, on he/she lit
  4. nous we lit
  5. vous you lit
  6. ils, elles they lit

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to light
  2. tu you used to light
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to light
  4. nous we used to light
  5. vous you used to light
  6. ils, elles they used to light

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will light
  2. tu you will light
  3. il, elle, on he/she will light
  4. nous we will light
  5. vous you will light
  6. ils, elles they will light

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would light
  2. tu you would light
  3. il, elle, on he/she would light
  4. nous we would light
  5. vous you would light
  6. ils, elles they would light

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I light
  2. tu (that) you light
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she light
  4. nous (that) we light
  5. vous (that) you light
  6. ils, elles (that) they light

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu light!
  2. nous light! (let’s)
  3. vous light! (plural, or formal)

How to use allumer

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    J'allume le chauffage, il fait froid ici.

    I'm turning on the heating, it's cold in here.

  2. Past

    On a allumé un feu dans la cheminée.

    We lit a fire in the fireplace.

  3. Imperfect

    Il allumait la radio dès son réveil.

    He switched on the radio as soon as he woke up.

  4. Future

    J'allumerai le four dix minutes avant.

    I'll turn the oven on ten minutes before.

  5. Conditional

    Tu allumerais la lampe ? On n'y voit rien.

    Would you switch on the lamp? We can't see a thing.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tu allumes ton téléphone pour le code.

    You need to switch your phone on for the code.

  7. Imperative

    Allume la télé, le match commence.

    Turn on the TV, the match is starting.

Good to know

  • Allumer la lumière, la télé, une bougie; the opposite is éteindre.

Where you hear allumer

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 3

  • J'allume le feu. I'll light the fire.
  • J'ai allumé les bougies. I lit the candles.
  • Je vais allumer la lumière. I'm going to switch on the light.
14
Mamie Jeanne

Beginner Level 3 · J'allume le feu.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.