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FRENCH VERB

ralentir

to slow down

  • #262 most used
  • Regular -ir verb
  • Past participle: ralenti
  • Present participle: ralentissant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use ralentir

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

  1. Present

    Les voitures ralentissent à l'entrée du village.

    Cars slow down at the entrance to the village.

  2. Past

    J'ai ralenti en voyant le radar.

    I slowed down when I saw the speed camera.

  3. Imperfect

    Le train ralentissait à chaque petite gare.

    The train slowed down at every little station.

  4. Future

    Tu ralentiras dans les virages, d'accord ?

    You'll slow down on the bends, okay?

  5. Conditional

    Il ralentirait s'il voyait les enfants jouer.

    He'd slow down if he saw the children playing.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que vous ralentissiez en ville, c'est trente.

    You have to slow down in town, it's thirty.

  7. Imperative

    Ralentis, il y a une école juste là.

    Slow down, there's a school right there.

Where you hear ralentir

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

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Au rond-point, on ralentit. At the roundabout, you slow down.
  • J'ai ralenti au feu rouge. I slowed down at the red light.
  • Vous allez ralentir avant le stop. You're going to slow down before the stop sign.
6
The Driving Lesson

Beginner Level 3 · Ralentissez !

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Verbs like this one

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