Accompagner Conjugation in French
accompagner means “to accompany” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 154 in VerbFlow’s French list. It is a non-reflexive, regular -er verb, and this page gives you its complete conjugation — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “J'accompagne Marie tous les jours.” — “I accompany Marie every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: accompagner
- English: to accompany
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en accompagnant
- Past participle: accompagné
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for accompagner, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for accompagner. Learn the present tense first, then the passé composé and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagne |
| tu | accompagnes |
| il/elle | accompagne |
| nous | accompagnons |
| vous | accompagnez |
| ils/elles | accompagnent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagnai |
| tu | accompagnas |
| il/elle | accompagna |
| nous | accompagnâmes |
| vous | accompagnâtes |
| ils/elles | accompagnèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagnais |
| tu | accompagnais |
| il/elle | accompagnait |
| nous | accompagnions |
| vous | accompagniez |
| ils/elles | accompagnaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagnerai |
| tu | accompagneras |
| il/elle | accompagnera |
| nous | accompagnerons |
| vous | accompagnerez |
| ils/elles | accompagneront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagnerais |
| tu | accompagnerais |
| il/elle | accompagnerait |
| nous | accompagnerions |
| vous | accompagneriez |
| ils/elles | accompagneraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai accompagné |
| tu | as accompagné |
| il/elle | a accompagné |
| nous | avons accompagné |
| vous | avez accompagné |
| ils/elles | ont accompagné |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais accompagné |
| tu | avais accompagné |
| il/elle | avait accompagné |
| nous | avions accompagné |
| vous | aviez accompagné |
| ils/elles | avaient accompagné |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai accompagné |
| tu | auras accompagné |
| il/elle | aura accompagné |
| nous | aurons accompagné |
| vous | aurez accompagné |
| ils/elles | auront accompagné |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais accompagné |
| tu | aurais accompagné |
| il/elle | aurait accompagné |
| nous | aurions accompagné |
| vous | auriez accompagné |
| ils/elles | auraient accompagné |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagne |
| tu | accompagnes |
| il/elle | accompagne |
| nous | accompagnions |
| vous | accompagniez |
| ils/elles | accompagnent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accompagnasse |
| tu | accompagnasses |
| il/elle | accompagnât |
| nous | accompagnassions |
| vous | accompagnassiez |
| ils/elles | accompagnassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | accompagne |
| nous | accompagnons |
| vous | accompagnez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | accompagne |
| nous | accompagnons |
| vous | accompagnez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en accompagnant |
| Past participle | accompagné |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'accompagne Marie tous les jours.” — “I accompany Marie every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu accompagnas Marie la semaine dernière.” — “You accompanied Marie last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il accompagnait Marie ce matin.” — “He used to accompany Marie this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous accompagnerons Marie.” — “We will accompany Marie.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous accompagneriez Marie.” — “You would accompany Marie.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont accompagné Marie hier.” — “They have accompanied Marie yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais accompagné Marie hier.” — “I had accompanied Marie yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras accompagné Marie la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have accompanied Marie next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait accompagné Marie ce matin.” — “He would have accompanied Marie this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous accompagnions Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that We accompany Marie every day.”
Imperfect subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is used for the past subjunctive: wishes and hypotheticals about the past, mostly in formal and literary French. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous accompagnassiez Marie hier.” — “It was necessary that You accompany Marie yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Accompagnez Marie !” — “Accompany Marie!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With accompagner this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne accompagne pas Marie !” — “Do not accompany Marie!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en accompagnant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En accompagnant, je commence la journée.” — “While accompanying, I start the day.” The past participle accompagné is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai accompagné — “I have accompanied Marie yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with accompagner, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'accompagne Marie à la maison.” — “I accompany Marie at home.”
- “Tu accompagnas Marie ce matin.” — “You accompanied Marie this morning.”
- “Il accompagnait Marie avec Paul.” — “He used to accompany Marie with Paul.”
- “J'accompagnerai Marie demain.” — “I will accompany Marie tomorrow.”
- “Tu accompagnerais Marie tous les jours.” — “You would accompany Marie every day.”
- “Il a accompagné Marie la semaine dernière.” — “He has accompanied Marie last week.”
- “J'avais accompagné Marie ce matin.” — “I had accompanied Marie this morning.”
- “Tu auras accompagné Marie demain.” — “You will have accompanied Marie tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il accompagne Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that He accompany Marie every day.”
- “Accompagne Marie !” — “Accompany Marie!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je accompagner Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'accompagne Marie tous les jours.”
The infinitive accompagner never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form accompagne.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je accompagnes Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'accompagne Marie tous les jours.”
accompagnes is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is accompagne — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “J'accompagne Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai accompagné Marie hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai accompagné here, not the present accompagne.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je accompagnons Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'accompagne Marie tous les jours.”
accompagnons is the nous form. The je form is accompagne — the two persons never share a form in the present of accompagner.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis accompagné Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai accompagné Marie hier.”
accompagner takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai accompagné, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous accompagnons Marie.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous accompagnions Marie.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use accompagnions here, not the indicative accompagnons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on accompagner. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of accompagner in the Present indicative?
- A) accompagne
- B) accompagnent
- C) accompagnai
- D) accompagnons
What is the il/elle form of accompagner in the Passé simple?
- A) accompagna
- B) accompagnas
- C) avait accompagné
- D) accompagnâtes
What is the nous form of accompagner in the Imperfect?
- A) aurons accompagné
- B) accompagnions
- C) accompagnerions
- D) avions accompagné
What is the tu form of accompagner in the Future?
- A) accompagnerons
- B) accompagnerai
- C) accompagnerais
- D) accompagneras
What is the je form of accompagner in the Conditional?
- A) accompagneriez
- B) accompagnerait
- C) accompagne
- D) accompagnerais
What is the il/elle form of accompagner in the Present subjunctive?
- A) accompagne
- B) a accompagné
- C) accompagnât
- D) accompagnera
What is the nous form of accompagner in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) accompagnerons
- B) ont accompagné
- C) avons accompagné
- D) accompagnions
What is the gerund of accompagner?
- A) annonçant
- B) dessinant
- C) en accompagnant
- D) détruisant
What is the past participle of accompagner?
- A) appartenu
- B) accompagné
- C) cassé
- D) considéré
What does accompagner mean in English?
- A) attend
- B) add
- C) conclude
- D) accompany
Answer key
- A) accompagne — the je form of accompagner in the present indicative is accompagne. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) accompagna — the il/elle form of accompagner in the passé simple is accompagna. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) accompagnions — the nous form of accompagner in the imperfect is accompagnions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) accompagneras — the tu form of accompagner in the future is accompagneras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) accompagnerais — the je form of accompagner in the conditional is accompagnerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) accompagne — the il/elle form of accompagner in the present subjunctive is accompagne. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) avons accompagné — the nous form of accompagner in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons accompagné. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) en accompagnant — the gerund of accompagner is en accompagnant; it is used with en for actions happening at the same time as the main verb. The other options are the present participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) accompagné — the past participle of accompagner is accompagné; perfect tenses use avoir + accompagné. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- D) accompany — accompagner means “to accompany” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn accompagner in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — j'accompagne, tu accompagnes, il accompagne, nous accompagnons, vous accompagnez, ils accompagnent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai accompagné shows the pattern, and the participle accompagné is the same in every perfect tense. Third, add one new tense a day, always in a sentence, and test yourself the next day before you learn the next one. A verb you can use in a sentence is learnt; a verb you can only recite is not. Use the Verb Quiz and the Verb Conjugator to check what has stuck, and compare accompagner with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does accompagner mean in English?
accompagner means “to accompany”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is accompagner regular or irregular?
accompagner is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. accompagner is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict.
What are the gerund and past participle of accompagner?
The gerund is en accompagnant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is accompagné — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai accompagné.
How do I say “I accompany” in French?
Say “J'accompagne Marie tous les jours.” — “I accompany Marie every day.” The je form of the present is accompagne, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce accompagner?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for accompagner, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- accompagner in the present tense
- accompagner examples and quiz
- Accuser conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Battre conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- French irregular verbs — every common irregular French verb, grouped by pattern.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- Por Vs Para Quiz — practise accompagner with the interactive tool.
- Gerund Finder — practise accompagner with the interactive tool.
- Conditional Conjugator — practise accompagner with the interactive tool.