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FRENCH VERB

sonner

to ring

  • #257 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: sonné
  • Present participle: sonnant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use sonner

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

  1. Present

    Le téléphone sonne depuis cinq minutes, réponds !

    The phone's been ringing for five minutes, answer it!

  2. Past

    Quelqu'un a sonné, mais je n'ai pas ouvert.

    Someone rang the bell, but I didn't open the door.

  3. Imperfect

    Le réveil sonnait à six heures tous les matins.

    The alarm went off at six every morning.

  4. Future

    La cloche sonnera à midi, comme chaque jour.

    The bell will ring at noon, like every day.

  5. Conditional

    Je sonnerais avant d'entrer, par politesse.

    I'd ring before going in, out of politeness.

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'ai peur que mon téléphone sonne pendant le film.

    I'm afraid my phone will ring during the film.

  7. Imperative

    Sonne deux fois, le premier coup ne marche pas.

    Ring twice, the first ring doesn't work.

Good to know

  • On a sonné means someone rang the doorbell; ça sonne faux is it doesn't ring true.

Verbs like this one

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