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FRENCH VERB

plaisanter

to joke

  • #305 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: plaisanté
  • Present participle: plaisantant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use plaisanter

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

  1. Present

    Je plaisante, bien sûr que tu peux venir.

    I'm joking, of course you can come.

  2. Past

    On a plaisanté toute la soirée avec les voisins.

    We joked all evening with the neighbours.

  3. Imperfect

    Mon grand-père plaisantait même à l'hôpital.

    My grandfather joked even in hospital.

  4. Future

    Tu plaisanteras moins quand tu verras la facture.

    You'll joke less when you see the bill.

  5. Conditional

    Je ne plaisanterais pas avec ça, c'est sérieux.

    I wouldn't joke about that, it's serious.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Ça m'étonnerait qu'il plaisante, il avait l'air fâché.

    I doubt he's joking, he looked angry.

  7. Imperative

    Ne plaisante pas avec la santé, va voir un médecin.

    Don't joke about your health, go and see a doctor.

Good to know

  • Je plaisante ! is I'm joking; the everyday word is also rigoler : tu rigoles ?

Verbs like this one

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