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FRENCH VERB

avouer

to admit, to confess

  • #302 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: avoué
  • Present participle: avouant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use avouer

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

  1. Present

    J'avoue, j'ai mangé le dernier croissant.

    I admit it, I ate the last croissant.

  2. Past

    Il a avoué qu'il n'avait rien compris.

    He admitted he hadn't understood a thing.

  3. Imperfect

    Elle n'avouait jamais ses erreurs au bureau.

    She never admitted her mistakes at the office.

  4. Future

    Un jour, tu avoueras que j'avais raison.

    One day you'll admit I was right.

  5. Conditional

    J'avouerais tout si on me le demandait gentiment.

    I'd confess everything if I were asked nicely.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que j'avoue quelque chose à Chloé.

    I have to confess something to Chloé.

  7. Imperative

    Avoue, c'est toi qui as cassé le vase !

    Admit it, you're the one who broke the vase!

Good to know

  • J'avoue ! on its own means "fair enough, you're right".

Verbs like this one

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