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FRENCH VERB

douter

to doubt

  • #485 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: douté
  • Present participle: doutant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use douter

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

  1. Present

    Je doute qu'il reste des places pour ce soir.

    I doubt there are any seats left for tonight.

  2. Past

    Je n'ai jamais douté de toi, tu sais.

    I never doubted you, you know.

  3. Imperfect

    On se doutait bien qu'il allait démissionner.

    We suspected he was going to resign.

  4. Future

    Après ça, personne ne doutera plus de ton talent.

    After that, no one will doubt your talent any more.

  5. Conditional

    Je douterais aussi, à ta place.

    I'd have doubts too, in your shoes.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il est normal que tu doutes avant une telle décision.

    It's normal to have doubts before such a decision.

  7. Imperative

    Ne doute pas de toi, tu es prête.

    Don't doubt yourself, you're ready.

Good to know

  • Douter de is to doubt something; se douter de is to suspect it : je m'en doutais, I thought as much.

Verbs like this one

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