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FRENCH VERB

siffler

to whistle, to blow the whistle

  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: sifflé
  • Present participle: sifflant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use siffler

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

  1. Present

    Mon père siffle toujours en cuisinant.

    My father always whistles while cooking.

  2. Past

    L'arbitre a sifflé un penalty à la dernière minute.

    The referee blew for a penalty in the last minute.

  3. Imperfect

    Le public sifflait le chanteur depuis dix minutes.

    The crowd had been booing the singer for ten minutes.

  4. Future

    Il sifflera la fin dans trois minutes, tiens bon.

    He'll blow the final whistle in three minutes, hang on.

  5. Conditional

    Je sifflerais bien, mais je ne sais pas.

    I'd whistle, but I don't know how.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Attends que l'arbitre siffle avant de tirer.

    Wait for the referee to whistle before shooting.

  7. Imperative

    Siffle le chien, il est au bout du champ.

    Whistle for the dog, he's at the end of the field.

Good to know

  • L'arbitre siffle la fin du match; siffler quelqu'un is to boo them at a concert or in a stadium; the kettle also siffle.

Where you hear siffler

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Fluency Level 1

  • L'arbitre siffle tout et n'importe quoi. The referee whistles for anything and everything.
  • Il a rien sifflé sur la faute. He whistled nothing on the foul.
  • Il sifflera la fin dans trois minutes. He'll whistle the end in three minutes.
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Watching the Match

Fluency Level 1 · L'arbitre a sifflé quoi, là ? · Rien. Il a rien sifflé. C'était faute, et il a rien sifflé. · Il a rien sifflé.

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Verbs like this one

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