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FRENCH VERB

commencer

to start

  • #38 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: commencé
  • Present participle: commençant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use commencer

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

  1. Present

    Le film commence dans dix minutes, dépêche-toi !

    The film starts in ten minutes, hurry up!

  2. Past

    J'ai commencé le livre hier soir dans le train.

    I started the book last night on the train.

  3. Imperfect

    Quand on commençait à manger, le téléphone sonnait.

    Just as we were starting to eat, the phone would ring.

  4. Future

    Les cours commenceront le premier septembre.

    Classes will start on the first of September.

  5. Conditional

    Je commencerais par visiter le vieux quartier.

    I'd start by visiting the old quarter.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut qu'on commence avant la pluie.

    We have to start before the rain.

  7. Imperative

    Commencez sans moi, j'arrive dans cinq minutes.

    Start without me, I'll be there in five minutes.

Good to know

  • Commencer à faire quelque chose; commencer par is to start with.

Where you hear commencer

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

French · Beginner Level 2

  • Le cours commence à dix-huit heures. The class starts at six o'clock.
  • J'ai commencé mon nouveau travail lundi. I started my new job on Monday.
  • Je vais commencer le premier septembre. I'm going to start on the first of September.

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Il commence à pleuvoir. It's starting to rain.
  • Tout à coup, il a commencé à pleuvoir. Suddenly, it started to rain.
  • Je commence en janvier. I'm starting in January.
2
The Interview

Beginner Level 2 · commencer

Free 3
Good News

Beginner Level 2 · vous commencez · tu commences

Needs a subscription 16
The Tide

Beginner Level 3 · il a commencé à pleuvoir

Needs a subscription 26
A Talk with Nathalie

Beginner Level 3 · commencer petit

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

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