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FRENCH VERB

se maquiller

to put on make-up

  • #422 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: maquillé
  • Present participle: se maquillant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu put on make-up!
  2. nous put on make-up! (let’s)
  3. vous put on make-up! (plural, or formal)

How to use se maquiller

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

  1. Present

    Elle se maquille dans le métro, le matin.

    She puts her make-up on in the metro in the morning.

  2. Past

    Je me suis maquillée en cinq minutes, ça se voit ?

    I did my make-up in five minutes, can you tell?

  3. Imperfect

    Ma grand-mère se maquillait même pour aller au marché.

    My grandmother put on make-up even to go to the market.

  4. Future

    Je me maquillerai dans la voiture, on est en retard.

    I'll do my make-up in the car, we're late.

  5. Conditional

    Tu te maquillerais pour une visio ?

    Would you put on make-up for a video call?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que je me maquille, les photos sont à dix heures.

    I need to do my make-up, the photos are at ten.

  7. Imperative

    Maquille-toi si tu veux, mais on part à huit heures.

    Put your make-up on if you like, but we leave at eight.

Good to know

  • Le maquillage is make-up; se démaquiller is to take it off.

Verbs like this one

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