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FRENCH VERB

toucher

to touch

  • #165 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: touché
  • Present participle: touchant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use toucher

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

  1. Present

    Je touche mon salaire le vingt-huit du mois.

    I get my salary on the twenty-eighth of the month.

  2. Past

    Son message m'a beaucoup touché, vraiment.

    His message really touched me.

  3. Imperfect

    Le bébé touchait tout ce qui brillait.

    The baby touched everything that shone.

  4. Future

    On touchera la prime en fin d'année.

    We'll get the bonus at the end of the year.

  5. Conditional

    Je ne toucherais pas à ce champignon, on ne sait jamais.

    I wouldn't touch that mushroom, you never know.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne veux pas que le chien touche au gâteau.

    I don't want the dog touching the cake.

  7. Imperative

    Ne touche pas à la plaque, elle est brûlante !

    Don't touch the hob, it's burning hot!

Good to know

  • Toucher is also to receive money : toucher son salaire. Ça me touche is I'm touched.

Verbs like this one

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