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FRENCH VERB

se demander

to wonder

  • #127 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: demandé
  • Present participle: se demandant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use se demander

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

  1. Present

    Je me demande s'il va venir finalement.

    I wonder if he'll come after all.

  2. Past

    On s'est demandé pourquoi le magasin était fermé.

    We wondered why the shop was closed.

  3. Imperfect

    Je me demandais justement où tu étais passé.

    I was just wondering where you'd got to.

  4. Future

    Les gens se demanderont pourquoi on est partis si tôt.

    People will wonder why we left so early.

  5. Conditional

    On se demanderait presque s'il fait exprès.

    You'd almost wonder if he's doing it on purpose.

  6. Present subjunctive

    C'est normal que tu te demandes si c'est le bon choix.

    It's normal that you wonder if it's the right choice.

  7. Imperative

    Demande-toi d'abord si tu en as vraiment besoin.

    First ask yourself whether you really need it.

Good to know

  • Je me demande si is I wonder if; je me demande où, pourquoi, comment.

Verbs like this one

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