Accuser Conjugation in French
accuser means “to accuse” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 158 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'accuse Marie tous les jours.” — “I accuse Marie every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: accuser
- English: to accuse
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en accusant
- Past participle: accusé
- 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 accuser, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for accuser. 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 | accuse |
| tu | accuses |
| il/elle | accuse |
| nous | accusons |
| vous | accusez |
| ils/elles | accusent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accusai |
| tu | accusas |
| il/elle | accusa |
| nous | accusâmes |
| vous | accusâtes |
| ils/elles | accusèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accusais |
| tu | accusais |
| il/elle | accusait |
| nous | accusions |
| vous | accusiez |
| ils/elles | accusaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accuserai |
| tu | accuseras |
| il/elle | accusera |
| nous | accuserons |
| vous | accuserez |
| ils/elles | accuseront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accuserais |
| tu | accuserais |
| il/elle | accuserait |
| nous | accuserions |
| vous | accuseriez |
| ils/elles | accuseraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai accusé |
| tu | as accusé |
| il/elle | a accusé |
| nous | avons accusé |
| vous | avez accusé |
| ils/elles | ont accusé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais accusé |
| tu | avais accusé |
| il/elle | avait accusé |
| nous | avions accusé |
| vous | aviez accusé |
| ils/elles | avaient accusé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai accusé |
| tu | auras accusé |
| il/elle | aura accusé |
| nous | aurons accusé |
| vous | aurez accusé |
| ils/elles | auront accusé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais accusé |
| tu | aurais accusé |
| il/elle | aurait accusé |
| nous | aurions accusé |
| vous | auriez accusé |
| ils/elles | auraient accusé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accuse |
| tu | accuses |
| il/elle | accuse |
| nous | accusions |
| vous | accusiez |
| ils/elles | accusent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | accusasse |
| tu | accusasses |
| il/elle | accusât |
| nous | accusassions |
| vous | accusassiez |
| ils/elles | accusassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | accuse |
| nous | accusons |
| vous | accusez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | accuse |
| nous | accusons |
| vous | accusez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en accusant |
| Past participle | accusé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'accuse Marie tous les jours.” — “I accuse Marie every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu accusas Marie la semaine dernière.” — “You accused Marie last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il accusait Marie ce matin.” — “He used to accuse Marie this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous accuserons Marie.” — “We will accuse Marie.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous accuseriez Marie.” — “You would accuse Marie.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont accusé Marie hier.” — “They have accused Marie yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais accusé Marie hier.” — “I had accused Marie yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras accusé Marie la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have accused Marie next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait accusé Marie ce matin.” — “He would have accused Marie this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous accusions Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that We accuse 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 accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous accusassiez Marie hier.” — “It was necessary that You accuse Marie yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Accusez Marie !” — “Accuse Marie!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With accuser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne accuse pas Marie !” — “Do not accuse Marie!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en accusant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En accusant, je commence la journée.” — “While accusing, I start the day.” The past participle accusé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai accusé — “I have accused Marie yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with accuser, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'accuse Marie à la maison.” — “I accuse Marie at home.”
- “Tu accusas Marie ce matin.” — “You accused Marie this morning.”
- “Il accusait Marie avec Paul.” — “He used to accuse Marie with Paul.”
- “J'accuserai Marie demain.” — “I will accuse Marie tomorrow.”
- “Tu accuserais Marie tous les jours.” — “You would accuse Marie every day.”
- “Il a accusé Marie la semaine dernière.” — “He has accused Marie last week.”
- “J'avais accusé Marie ce matin.” — “I had accused Marie this morning.”
- “Tu auras accusé Marie demain.” — “You will have accused Marie tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il accuse Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that He accuse Marie every day.”
- “Accuse Marie !” — “Accuse Marie!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je accuser Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'accuse Marie tous les jours.”
The infinitive accuser never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form accuse.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je accuses Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'accuse Marie tous les jours.”
accuses is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is accuse — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “J'accuse Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai accusé Marie hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai accusé here, not the present accuse.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je accusons Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'accuse Marie tous les jours.”
accusons is the nous form. The je form is accuse — the two persons never share a form in the present of accuser.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis accusé Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai accusé Marie hier.”
accuser takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai accusé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous accusons Marie.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous accusions Marie.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use accusions here, not the indicative accusons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on accuser. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of accuser in the Present indicative?
- A) accuse
- B) ai accusé
- C) accusasse
- D) aurais accusé
What is the il/elle form of accuser in the Passé simple?
- A) accusas
- B) accusa
- C) accusâmes
- D) accusât
What is the nous form of accuser in the Imperfect?
- A) avons accusé
- B) accusions
- C) accusais
- D) aurons accusé
What is the tu form of accuser in the Future?
- A) as accusé
- B) accusas
- C) accusais
- D) accuseras
What is the je form of accuser in the Conditional?
- A) ai accusé
- B) accuserais
- C) accusais
- D) accuseraient
What is the il/elle form of accuser in the Present subjunctive?
- A) aurait accusé
- B) accusent
- C) accuse
- D) aura accusé
What is the nous form of accuser in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) accusions
- B) avons accusé
- C) ai accusé
- D) avez accusé
What is the gerund of accuser?
- A) en accusant
- B) arrangeant
- C) changeant
- D) allumant
What is the past participle of accuser?
- A) enlevé
- B) calmé
- C) consulté
- D) accusé
What does accuser mean in English?
- A) lower
- B) accuse
- C) notice
- D) change
Answer key
- A) accuse — the je form of accuser in the present indicative is accuse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) accusa — the il/elle form of accuser in the passé simple is accusa. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) accusions — the nous form of accuser in the imperfect is accusions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) accuseras — the tu form of accuser in the future is accuseras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) accuserais — the je form of accuser in the conditional is accuserais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) accuse — the il/elle form of accuser in the present subjunctive is accuse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) avons accusé — the nous form of accuser in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons accusé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) en accusant — the gerund of accuser is en accusant; 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.
- D) accusé — the past participle of accuser is accusé; perfect tenses use avoir + accusé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) accuse — accuser means “to accuse” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn accuser in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — j'accuse, tu accuses, il accuse, nous accusons, vous accusez, ils accusent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai accusé shows the pattern, and the participle accusé 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 accuser with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does accuser mean in English?
accuser means “to accuse”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is accuser regular or irregular?
accuser is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. accuser 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 accuser?
The gerund is en accusant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is accusé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai accusé.
How do I say “I accuse” in French?
Say “J'accuse Marie tous les jours.” — “I accuse Marie every day.” The je form of the present is accuse, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce accuser?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for accuser, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- accuser in the present tense
- accuser examples and quiz
- Admirer conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Bouger 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.
- Preterite Vs Imperfect — practise accuser with the interactive tool.
- Past Participle Finder — practise accuser with the interactive tool.
- Subjunctive Conjugator — practise accuser with the interactive tool.