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FRENCH VERB

se préparer

to get ready

  • #121 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: préparé
  • Present participle: se préparant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use se préparer

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

  1. Present

    Je me prépare en vingt minutes, promis.

    I'll be ready in twenty minutes, promise.

  2. Past

    Elle s'est préparée en vitesse et a raté son bus quand même.

    She got ready in a rush and still missed her bus.

  3. Imperfect

    On se préparait à sortir quand il a appelé.

    We were getting ready to go out when he called.

  4. Future

    Je me préparerai pendant que tu prends ta douche.

    I'll get ready while you take your shower.

  5. Conditional

    Tu te préparerais plus vite sans ton téléphone.

    You'd get ready faster without your phone.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que les enfants se préparent pour l'école.

    The kids need to get ready for school.

  7. Imperative

    Prépare-toi, on part dans cinq minutes.

    Get ready, we're leaving in five minutes.

Good to know

  • Se préparer à + infinitive : prépare-toi à attendre. Préparer le dîner needs no se.

Verbs like this one

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