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FRENCH VERB

participer

to take part

  • #458 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: participé
  • Present participle: participant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use participer

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

  1. Present

    Je participe à un cours de cuisine le jeudi.

    I take part in a cooking class on Thursdays.

  2. Past

    On a participé au marathon de Paris, en relais.

    We took part in the Paris marathon, as a relay.

  3. Imperfect

    Elle participait à toutes les fêtes du quartier.

    She took part in all the neighbourhood parties.

  4. Future

    Je participerai aux frais, bien sûr.

    I'll chip in for the costs, of course.

  5. Conditional

    Tu participerais à un concours de pâtisserie ?

    Would you enter a baking competition?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tout le monde participe au rangement.

    Everyone needs to help with the tidying up.

  7. Imperative

    Participez, c'est gratuit et il y a des cadeaux !

    Join in, it's free and there are prizes!

Good to know

  • Participer à : always with à. Participer aux frais is to chip in for the costs.

Verbs like this one

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