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FRENCH VERB

hésiter

to hesitate

  • #205 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: hésité
  • Present participle: hésitant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use hésiter

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

  1. Present

    J'hésite entre le poulet et le poisson.

    I'm hesitating between the chicken and the fish.

  2. Past

    Elle n'a pas hésité une seconde, elle a dit oui.

    She didn't hesitate for a second, she said yes.

  3. Imperfect

    On hésitait encore quand le serveur est revenu.

    We were still hesitating when the waiter came back.

  4. Future

    Je n'hésiterai pas à vous appeler si besoin.

    I won't hesitate to call you if needed.

  5. Conditional

    Moi, je n'hésiterais pas, je prendrais la rouge.

    I wouldn't hesitate, I'd take the red one.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je comprends que tu hésites, c'est beaucoup d'argent.

    I understand you're hesitating, it's a lot of money.

  7. Imperative

    N'hésitez pas à poser des questions.

    Don't hesitate to ask questions.

Good to know

  • Hésiter à faire quelque chose; "n'hésitez pas" is "feel free".

Where you hear hésiter

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

French · Beginner Level 2

  • J'hésite entre les deux. I can't decide between the two.
  • J'ai hésité, et puis j'ai frappé. I hesitated, and then I knocked.
  • Vous n'allez pas hésiter, d'accord ? You're not going to hesitate, OK?
8
No Hot Water

Beginner Level 2 · N'hésitez pas !

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Verbs like this one

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