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FRENCH VERB

conduire

to drive

  • #168 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: conduit
  • Present participle: conduisant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use conduire

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

  1. Present

    Je ne conduis jamais la nuit.

    I never drive at night.

  2. Past

    Qui a conduit au retour hier soir ?

    Who drove on the way back last night?

  3. Imperfect

    Mon père conduisait toujours trop vite.

    My father always drove too fast.

  4. Future

    C'est toi qui conduiras à l'aller.

    You'll be the one driving on the way there.

  5. Conditional

    Je conduirais bien, mais j'ai bu un verre.

    I'd happily drive, but I've had a drink.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je préfère que ce soit lui qui conduise.

    I'd rather he be the one who drives.

  7. Imperative

    Conduis doucement, la route est mouillée.

    Drive slowly, the road is wet.

Good to know

  • Conduire quelqu'un quelque part is to drive someone somewhere : je te conduis à la gare.

Where you hear conduire

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

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Je conduis très bien ! I drive very well!
  • J'ai conduit pendant dix ans à Chicago. I drove for ten years in Chicago.
  • Vous allez conduire jusqu'au rond-point. You're going to drive to the roundabout.
6
The Driving Lesson

Beginner Level 3 · conduire · je conduis · vous conduisez

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Packing for Brittany

Beginner Level 3 · je conduirai

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -re verb.