Skip to content
fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

avancer

to move forward

  • #266 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: avancé
  • Present participle: avançant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use avancer

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

  1. Present

    Le projet avance bien depuis la rentrée.

    The project has been moving along well since September.

  2. Past

    On a avancé le rendez-vous à neuf heures.

    We moved the appointment forward to nine.

  3. Imperfect

    La file avançait tellement lentement qu'on est partis.

    The queue was moving so slowly that we left.

  4. Future

    Tu avanceras plus vite avec une bonne méthode.

    You'll make faster progress with a good method.

  5. Conditional

    On avancerait mieux si tout le monde écoutait.

    We'd get on better if everyone listened.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut qu'on avance, le train part dans dix minutes.

    We need to get a move on, the train leaves in ten minutes.

  7. Imperative

    Avancez un peu, s'il vous plaît, il y a de la place.

    Move forward a bit, please, there's room.

Good to know

  • Avancer is also to make progress : le projet avance. Ma montre avance means my watch is fast.

Verbs like this one

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