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FRENCH VERB

éteindre

to switch off

  • #246 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: éteint
  • Present participle: éteignant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use éteindre

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

  1. Present

    J'éteins toujours mon téléphone au cinéma.

    I always switch off my phone at the cinema.

  2. Past

    Tu as éteint le four avant de partir ?

    Did you turn off the oven before leaving?

  3. Imperfect

    Il éteignait la lumière à vingt-deux heures pile.

    He turned the light off at ten sharp.

  4. Future

    J'éteindrai le chauffage en partant.

    I'll turn off the heating when I leave.

  5. Conditional

    Tu éteindrais la télé ? On n'entend rien.

    Would you turn off the TV? We can't hear anything.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que vous éteigniez vos portables pendant l'examen.

    You need to switch off your phones during the exam.

  7. Imperative

    Éteins la lumière en sortant, s'il te plaît.

    Turn off the light on your way out, please.

Good to know

  • Éteindre la lumière, la télé, une cigarette, un feu; the opposite is allumer.

Where you hear éteindre

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

French · Beginner Level 3

  • J'éteins la lumière, et je vais au lit. I switch off the light, and I go to bed.
  • J'ai éteint mon téléphone. I switched off my phone.
  • Je vais éteindre la lumière. I'm going to switch off the light.
30
Opening Day

Beginner Level 3 · éteins

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Verbs like this one

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