Skip to content
fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

casser

to break

  • #159 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: cassé
  • Present participle: cassant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use casser

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

  1. Present

    Mon fils casse tout ce qu'il touche en ce moment.

    My son breaks everything he touches at the moment.

  2. Past

    J'ai cassé mon téléphone en tombant de vélo.

    I broke my phone falling off my bike.

  3. Imperfect

    Le vent cassait des branches toute la nuit.

    The wind was snapping branches all night.

  4. Future

    Tu casseras la chaise si tu te balances comme ça.

    You'll break the chair if you rock like that.

  5. Conditional

    Je casserais bien la croûte, pas toi ?

    I could do with a bite to eat, couldn't you?

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'ai peur que le chat casse le vase.

    I'm afraid the cat will break the vase.

  7. Imperative

    Casse les œufs dans le bol, je bats le reste.

    Break the eggs into the bowl, I'll whisk the rest.

Good to know

  • Casser les pieds à quelqu'un is to get on someone's nerves; casser la croûte, to have a bite to eat.

Verbs like this one

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