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FRENCH VERB

défendre

to defend, to forbid

  • #398 most used
  • Regular -re verb
  • Past participle: défendu
  • Present participle: défendant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use défendre

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

  1. Present

    Elle défend toujours son petit frère à l'école.

    She always defends her little brother at school.

  2. Past

    L'avocat a bien défendu son client hier.

    The lawyer defended his client well yesterday.

  3. Imperfect

    Le médecin lui défendait le sel et le vin.

    The doctor forbade him salt and wine.

  4. Future

    Je te défendrai, quoi qu'il arrive.

    I'll stand up for you, whatever happens.

  5. Conditional

    Tu défendrais ton équipe même si elle avait tort ?

    Would you defend your team even if it were wrong?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que quelqu'un défende cette idée en réunion.

    Someone needs to defend this idea in the meeting.

  7. Imperative

    Défends-toi, ne te laisse pas faire !

    Stand up for yourself, don't let them walk over you!

Good to know

  • Défendre de faire is to forbid, like interdire : il est défendu de fumer. Se défendre, to stand up for yourself.

Verbs like this one

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