Adopter Conjugation in French
adopter means “to adopt” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 165 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'adopte le projet tous les jours.” — “I adopt the project every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: adopter
- English: to adopt
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en adoptant
- Past participle: adopté
- 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 adopter, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for adopter. 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 | adopte |
| tu | adoptes |
| il/elle | adopte |
| nous | adoptons |
| vous | adoptez |
| ils/elles | adoptent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | adoptai |
| tu | adoptas |
| il/elle | adopta |
| nous | adoptâmes |
| vous | adoptâtes |
| ils/elles | adoptèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | adoptais |
| tu | adoptais |
| il/elle | adoptait |
| nous | adoptions |
| vous | adoptiez |
| ils/elles | adoptaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | adopterai |
| tu | adopteras |
| il/elle | adoptera |
| nous | adopterons |
| vous | adopterez |
| ils/elles | adopteront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | adopterais |
| tu | adopterais |
| il/elle | adopterait |
| nous | adopterions |
| vous | adopteriez |
| ils/elles | adopteraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai adopté |
| tu | as adopté |
| il/elle | a adopté |
| nous | avons adopté |
| vous | avez adopté |
| ils/elles | ont adopté |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais adopté |
| tu | avais adopté |
| il/elle | avait adopté |
| nous | avions adopté |
| vous | aviez adopté |
| ils/elles | avaient adopté |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai adopté |
| tu | auras adopté |
| il/elle | aura adopté |
| nous | aurons adopté |
| vous | aurez adopté |
| ils/elles | auront adopté |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais adopté |
| tu | aurais adopté |
| il/elle | aurait adopté |
| nous | aurions adopté |
| vous | auriez adopté |
| ils/elles | auraient adopté |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | adopte |
| tu | adoptes |
| il/elle | adopte |
| nous | adoptions |
| vous | adoptiez |
| ils/elles | adoptent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | adoptasse |
| tu | adoptasses |
| il/elle | adoptât |
| nous | adoptassions |
| vous | adoptassiez |
| ils/elles | adoptassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | adopte |
| nous | adoptons |
| vous | adoptez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | adopte |
| nous | adoptons |
| vous | adoptez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en adoptant |
| Past participle | adopté |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'adopte le projet tous les jours.” — “I adopt the project every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu adoptas le projet la semaine dernière.” — “You adopted the project last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il adoptait le projet ce matin.” — “He used to adopt the project this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous adopterons le projet.” — “We will adopt the project.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous adopteriez le projet.” — “You would adopt the project.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont adopté le projet hier.” — “They have adopted the project yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais adopté le projet hier.” — “I had adopted the project yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras adopté le projet la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have adopted the project next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait adopté le projet ce matin.” — “He would have adopted the project this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous adoptions le projet tous les jours.” — “It is important that We adopt the project 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 adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous adoptassiez le projet hier.” — “It was necessary that You adopt the project yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Adoptez le projet !” — “Adopt the project!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With adopter this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne adopte pas le projet !” — “Do not adopt the project!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en adoptant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En adoptant, je commence la journée.” — “While adopting, I start the day.” The past participle adopté is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai adopté — “I have adopted the project yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with adopter, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'adopte le projet à la maison.” — “I adopt the project at home.”
- “Tu adoptas le projet ce matin.” — “You adopted the project this morning.”
- “Il adoptait le projet avec Paul.” — “He used to adopt the project with Paul.”
- “J'adopterai le projet demain.” — “I will adopt the project tomorrow.”
- “Tu adopterais le projet tous les jours.” — “You would adopt the project every day.”
- “Il a adopté le projet la semaine dernière.” — “He has adopted the project last week.”
- “J'avais adopté le projet ce matin.” — “I had adopted the project this morning.”
- “Tu auras adopté le projet demain.” — “You will have adopted the project tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il adopte le projet tous les jours.” — “It is important that He adopt the project every day.”
- “Adopte le projet !” — “Adopt the project!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je adopter le projet.”
✓ Right: “J'adopte le projet tous les jours.”
The infinitive adopter never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form adopte.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je adoptes le projet.”
✓ Right: “J'adopte le projet tous les jours.”
adoptes is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is adopte — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “J'adopte le projet hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai adopté le projet hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai adopté here, not the present adopte.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je adoptons le projet.”
✓ Right: “J'adopte le projet tous les jours.”
adoptons is the nous form. The je form is adopte — the two persons never share a form in the present of adopter.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis adopté le projet hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai adopté le projet hier.”
adopter takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai adopté, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous adoptons le projet.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous adoptions le projet.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use adoptions here, not the indicative adoptons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on adopter. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of adopter in the Present indicative?
- A) adopte
- B) adoptais
- C) aurai adopté
- D) adoptent
What is the il/elle form of adopter in the Passé simple?
- A) adopterait
- B) adopta
- C) adoptas
- D) adoptâtes
What is the nous form of adopter in the Imperfect?
- A) adopterions
- B) adoptions
- C) adoptassions
- D) adoptons
What is the tu form of adopter in the Future?
- A) adopteront
- B) adopteras
- C) avais adopté
- D) adoptes
What is the je form of adopter in the Conditional?
- A) adopterais
- B) adopte
- C) aurais adopté
- D) adopterai
What is the il/elle form of adopter in the Present subjunctive?
- A) adopterait
- B) adoptent
- C) adoptes
- D) adopte
What is the nous form of adopter in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) ont adopté
- B) as adopté
- C) avons adopté
- D) aurions adopté
What is the gerund of adopter?
- A) peignant
- B) terminant
- C) apercevant
- D) en adoptant
What is the past participle of adopter?
- A) adopté
- B) peint
- C) assisté
- D) calmé
What does adopter mean in English?
- A) improve
- B) move
- C) break
- D) adopt
Answer key
- A) adopte — the je form of adopter in the present indicative is adopte. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) adopta — the il/elle form of adopter in the passé simple is adopta. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) adoptions — the nous form of adopter in the imperfect is adoptions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) adopteras — the tu form of adopter in the future is adopteras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) adopterais — the je form of adopter in the conditional is adopterais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) adopte — the il/elle form of adopter in the present subjunctive is adopte. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) avons adopté — the nous form of adopter in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons adopté. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) en adoptant — the gerund of adopter is en adoptant; 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.
- A) adopté — the past participle of adopter is adopté; perfect tenses use avoir + adopté. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- D) adopt — adopter means “to adopt” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn adopter in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — j'adopte, tu adoptes, il adopte, nous adoptons, vous adoptez, ils adoptent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai adopté shows the pattern, and the participle adopté 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 adopter with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does adopter mean in English?
adopter means “to adopt”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is adopter regular or irregular?
adopter is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. adopter 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 adopter?
The gerund is en adoptant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is adopté — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai adopté.
How do I say “I adopt” in French?
Say “J'adopte le projet tous les jours.” — “I adopt the project every day.” The je form of the present is adopte, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce adopter?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for adopter, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- adopter in the present tense
- adopter examples and quiz
- Ajouter conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Calmer 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.
- Conditional Helper — practise adopter with the interactive tool.
- Verb Translator — practise adopter with the interactive tool.
- Perfect Tenses Builder — practise adopter with the interactive tool.