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FRENCH VERB

détester

to hate

  • #91 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: détesté
  • Present participle: détestant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use détester

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

  1. Present

    Je déteste faire la queue à la poste.

    I hate queuing at the post office.

  2. Past

    J'ai détesté ce film, mais mon ami a adoré.

    I hated that film, but my friend loved it.

  3. Imperfect

    Petit, je détestais les épinards, maintenant j'adore.

    As a kid I hated spinach, now I love it.

  4. Future

    Tu détesteras le bruit de ce quartier la nuit.

    You'll hate the noise of this neighbourhood at night.

  5. Conditional

    Je détesterais vivre loin de la mer.

    I'd hate to live far from the sea.

  6. Present subjunctive

    C'est dommage que tu détestes autant les voyages en avion.

    It's a shame you hate flying so much.

  7. Imperative

    Ne déteste pas les lundis, ils passent vite !

    Don't hate Mondays, they go by fast!

Good to know

  • Détester + infinitive : je déteste attendre. Je déteste ça is I hate that.

Verbs like this one

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