Skip to content
fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

interdire

to forbid

  • #397 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: interdit
  • Present participle: interdisant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use interdire

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

  1. Present

    J'interdis les téléphones à table, chez moi.

    I ban phones at the table, in my house.

  2. Past

    La ville a interdit les voitures dans le centre.

    The city banned cars from the centre.

  3. Imperfect

    Mes parents m'interdisaient de sortir le soir.

    My parents forbade me from going out at night.

  4. Future

    Ils interdiront la baignade s'il y a des méduses.

    They'll ban swimming if there are jellyfish.

  5. Conditional

    Moi, j'interdirais les trottinettes sur les trottoirs.

    I'd ban scooters on the pavements.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne veux pas qu'on nous interdise de chanter.

    I don't want them to forbid us from singing.

  7. Imperative

    Interdisez-lui les bonbons avant le repas.

    Forbid him sweets before the meal.

Good to know

  • Interdire quelque chose à quelqu'un; interdit de fumer is no smoking.
  • Unlike dire, interdire makes vous interdisez, not interdites.

Verbs like this one

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