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FRENCH VERB

se débrouiller

to manage, to get by

  • #285 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: débrouillé
  • Present participle: se débrouillant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use se débrouiller

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

  1. Present

    Je me débrouille en espagnol, mais sans plus.

    I get by in Spanish, but nothing more.

  2. Past

    Elle s'est débrouillée toute seule pour trouver un appartement.

    She managed to find a flat all by herself.

  3. Imperfect

    Sans voiture, on se débrouillait avec le bus.

    Without a car, we got by with the bus.

  4. Future

    Ne t'en fais pas, je me débrouillerai.

    Don't worry, I'll manage.

  5. Conditional

    Tu te débrouillerais comment sans ton téléphone ?

    How would you manage without your phone?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que vous vous débrouilliez sans moi demain.

    You'll have to manage without me tomorrow.

  7. Imperative

    Débrouille-toi, je ne peux pas tout faire.

    Sort it out yourself, I can't do everything.

Good to know

  • Je me débrouille en français is I get by in French; débrouille-toi ! is sort it out yourself.

Verbs like this one

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