Skip to content
fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

se détendre

to relax

  • #195 most used
  • Regular -re verb
  • Past participle: détendu
  • Present participle: se détendant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use se détendre

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

  1. Present

    Le week-end, je me détends avec un bon livre.

    At the weekend I relax with a good book.

  2. Past

    On s'est bien détendus pendant les vacances.

    We really relaxed during the holidays.

  3. Imperfect

    Après le travail, il se détendait devant la télé.

    After work he used to relax in front of the TV.

  4. Future

    Tu te détendras quand les examens seront finis.

    You'll relax when the exams are over.

  5. Conditional

    Je me détendrais mieux sans mon téléphone.

    I'd relax better without my phone.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que vous vous détendiez un peu, madame.

    You need to relax a little, madam.

  7. Imperative

    Détends-toi, tout va bien se passer.

    Relax, everything will go fine.

Good to know

  • Détends-toi ! is relax!; une ambiance détendue is a relaxed atmosphere.

Verbs like this one

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