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FRENCH VERB

rencontrer

to meet

  • #134 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: rencontré
  • Present participle: rencontrant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use rencontrer

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

  1. Present

    Je rencontre le propriétaire à dix-huit heures.

    I'm meeting the owner at six o'clock.

  2. Past

    J'ai rencontré mon mari dans un train.

    I met my husband on a train.

  3. Imperfect

    À Paris, on rencontrait des gens du monde entier.

    In Paris, we met people from all over the world.

  4. Future

    Tu rencontreras mes parents à Noël.

    You'll meet my parents at Christmas.

  5. Conditional

    On rencontrerait plus de monde dans un club de sport.

    We'd meet more people at a sports club.

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'aimerais que tu rencontres ma meilleure amie.

    I'd like you to meet my best friend.

  7. Imperative

    Rencontrez les voisins, ils sont très sympas.

    Meet the neighbours, they're very nice.

Good to know

  • Rencontrer is to meet someone for the first time or by chance; retrouver is to meet up.

Where you hear rencontrer

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

French · Beginner Level 2

  • Je rencontre beaucoup de gens à l'école. I meet a lot of people at the school.
  • J'ai rencontré Chloé à Paris. I met Chloe in Paris.
  • Tu vas rencontrer mes parents ! You're going to meet my parents!
27
Have You Ever...?

Beginner Level 2 · rencontrer · tu as déjà rencontré

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Verbs like this one

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