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FRENCH VERB

pousser

to push

  • #156 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: poussé
  • Present participle: poussant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use pousser

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

  1. Present

    Les tomates poussent bien sur ce balcon.

    The tomatoes grow well on this balcony.

  2. Past

    Quelqu'un m'a poussé dans le métro, j'ai failli tomber.

    Someone pushed me in the metro, I nearly fell.

  3. Imperfect

    À l'époque, rien ne poussait dans ce jardin.

    Back then nothing grew in that garden.

  4. Future

    Je pousserai la voiture, toi tu tournes le volant.

    I'll push the car, you turn the wheel.

  5. Conditional

    On pousserait les tables pour faire de la place ?

    Shall we push the tables aside to make room?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tu pousses plus fort, elle est coincée.

    You need to push harder, it's stuck.

  7. Imperative

    Poussez, ne tirez pas, c'est écrit dessus !

    Push, don't pull, it's written on it!

Good to know

  • Pousser is also to grow, for plants and hair : mes cheveux poussent vite.
  • Poussez is written on the doors you push; tirez on the ones you pull.

Verbs like this one

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