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FRENCH VERB

vieillir

to get old

  • #231 most used
  • Regular -ir verb
  • Past participle: vieilli
  • Present participle: vieillissant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use vieillir

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

  1. Present

    Mes parents vieillissent, je les vois moins souvent.

    My parents are getting old, I see them less often.

  2. Past

    Il a vieilli d'un coup après sa retraite.

    He aged all at once after retiring.

  3. Imperfect

    Le vin vieillissait dans la cave depuis dix ans.

    The wine had been ageing in the cellar for ten years.

  4. Future

    On vieillira ensemble, c'est promis.

    We'll grow old together, that's a promise.

  5. Conditional

    Je vieillirais bien dans un village au soleil.

    I'd happily grow old in a village in the sun.

  6. Present subjunctive

    C'est normal que la peau vieillisse avec le soleil.

    It's normal for skin to age with the sun.

  7. Imperative

    Ne vieillis pas trop vite, petit frère !

    Don't grow up too fast, little brother!

Good to know

  • Il a bien vieilli is he's aged well, and so has a wine; vieillir takes avoir.

Verbs like this one

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