Allumer Conjugation in French
allumer means “to turn on, to light” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 171 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'allume la lampe tous les jours.” — “I turn on the lamp every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: allumer
- English: to turn on, to light
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en allumant
- Past participle: allumé
- 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 allumer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for allumer. 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 | allume |
| tu | allumes |
| il/elle | allume |
| nous | allumons |
| vous | allumez |
| ils/elles | allument |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | allumai |
| tu | allumas |
| il/elle | alluma |
| nous | allumâmes |
| vous | allumâtes |
| ils/elles | allumèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | allumais |
| tu | allumais |
| il/elle | allumait |
| nous | allumions |
| vous | allumiez |
| ils/elles | allumaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | allumerai |
| tu | allumeras |
| il/elle | allumera |
| nous | allumerons |
| vous | allumerez |
| ils/elles | allumeront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | allumerais |
| tu | allumerais |
| il/elle | allumerait |
| nous | allumerions |
| vous | allumeriez |
| ils/elles | allumeraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai allumé |
| tu | as allumé |
| il/elle | a allumé |
| nous | avons allumé |
| vous | avez allumé |
| ils/elles | ont allumé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais allumé |
| tu | avais allumé |
| il/elle | avait allumé |
| nous | avions allumé |
| vous | aviez allumé |
| ils/elles | avaient allumé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai allumé |
| tu | auras allumé |
| il/elle | aura allumé |
| nous | aurons allumé |
| vous | aurez allumé |
| ils/elles | auront allumé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais allumé |
| tu | aurais allumé |
| il/elle | aurait allumé |
| nous | aurions allumé |
| vous | auriez allumé |
| ils/elles | auraient allumé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | allume |
| tu | allumes |
| il/elle | allume |
| nous | allumions |
| vous | allumiez |
| ils/elles | allument |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | allumasse |
| tu | allumasses |
| il/elle | allumât |
| nous | allumassions |
| vous | allumassiez |
| ils/elles | allumassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | allume |
| nous | allumons |
| vous | allumez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | allume |
| nous | allumons |
| vous | allumez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en allumant |
| Past participle | allumé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'allume la lampe tous les jours.” — “I turn on the lamp every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu allumas la lampe la semaine dernière.” — “You turned on the lamp last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il allumait la lampe ce matin.” — “He used to turn on the lamp this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous allumerons la lampe.” — “We will turn on the lamp.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous allumeriez la lampe.” — “You would turn on the lamp.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont allumé la lampe hier.” — “They have turned on the lamp yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais allumé la lampe hier.” — “I had turned on the lamp yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras allumé la lampe la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have turned on the lamp next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait allumé la lampe ce matin.” — “He would have turned on the lamp this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous allumions la lampe tous les jours.” — “It is important that We turn on the lamp 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 allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous allumassiez la lampe hier.” — “It was necessary that You turn on the lamp yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Allumez la lampe !” — “Turn on the lamp!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With allumer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne allume pas la lampe !” — “Do not turn on the lamp!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en allumant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En allumant, je commence la journée.” — “While turning on, I start the day.” The past participle allumé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai allumé — “I have turned on the lamp yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with allumer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'allume la lampe à la maison.” — “I turn on the lamp at home.”
- “Tu allumas la lampe ce matin.” — “You turned on the lamp this morning.”
- “Il allumait la lampe avec Paul.” — “He used to turn on the lamp with Paul.”
- “J'allumerai la lampe demain.” — “I will turn on the lamp tomorrow.”
- “Tu allumerais la lampe tous les jours.” — “You would turn on the lamp every day.”
- “Il a allumé la lampe la semaine dernière.” — “He has turned on the lamp last week.”
- “J'avais allumé la lampe ce matin.” — “I had turned on the lamp this morning.”
- “Tu auras allumé la lampe demain.” — “You will have turned on the lamp tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il allume la lampe tous les jours.” — “It is important that He turn on the lamp every day.”
- “Allume la lampe !” — “Turn on the lamp!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je allumer la lampe.”
✓ Right: “J'allume la lampe tous les jours.”
The infinitive allumer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form allume.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je allumes la lampe.”
✓ Right: “J'allume la lampe tous les jours.”
allumes is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is allume — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “J'allume la lampe hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai allumé la lampe hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai allumé here, not the present allume.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je allumons la lampe.”
✓ Right: “J'allume la lampe tous les jours.”
allumons is the nous form. The je form is allume — the two persons never share a form in the present of allumer.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis allumé la lampe hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai allumé la lampe hier.”
allumer takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai allumé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous allumons la lampe.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous allumions la lampe.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use allumions here, not the indicative allumons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on allumer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of allumer in the Present indicative?
- A) allumais
- B) allumai
- C) avais allumé
- D) allume
What is the il/elle form of allumer in the Passé simple?
- A) allume
- B) alluma
- C) allumèrent
- D) allumas
What is the nous form of allumer in the Imperfect?
- A) allumait
- B) allumais
- C) allumerons
- D) allumions
What is the tu form of allumer in the Future?
- A) allumes
- B) allumeront
- C) allumasses
- D) allumeras
What is the je form of allumer in the Conditional?
- A) aurais allumé
- B) allumerais
- C) allumasse
- D) allumais
What is the il/elle form of allumer in the Present subjunctive?
- A) aura allumé
- B) allume
- C) aurait allumé
- D) allumât
What is the nous form of allumer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) avons allumé
- B) ai allumé
- C) avez allumé
- D) allumions
What is the gerund of allumer?
- A) baissant
- B) peignant
- C) en allumant
- D) calmant
What is the past participle of allumer?
- A) allumé
- B) dessiné
- C) analysé
- D) conclu
What does allumer mean in English?
- A) build
- B) turn on
- C) get ready
- D) conclude
Answer key
- D) allume — the je form of allumer in the present indicative is allume. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) alluma — the il/elle form of allumer in the passé simple is alluma. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) allumions — the nous form of allumer in the imperfect is allumions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) allumeras — the tu form of allumer in the future is allumeras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) allumerais — the je form of allumer in the conditional is allumerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) allume — the il/elle form of allumer in the present subjunctive is allume. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) avons allumé — the nous form of allumer in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons allumé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) en allumant — the gerund of allumer is en allumant; 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) allumé — the past participle of allumer is allumé; perfect tenses use avoir + allumé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) turn on — allumer means “to turn on” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn allumer in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — j'allume, tu allumes, il allume, nous allumons, vous allumez, ils allument — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai allumé shows the pattern, and the participle allumé 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 allumer with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does allumer mean in English?
allumer means “to turn on, to light”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is allumer regular or irregular?
allumer is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. allumer 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 allumer?
The gerund is en allumant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is allumé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai allumé.
How do I say “I turn on” in French?
Say “J'allume la lampe tous les jours.” — “I turn on the lamp every day.” The je form of the present is allume, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce allumer?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for allumer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- allumer in the present tense
- allumer examples and quiz
- Éteindre conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Adopter 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 Conjugator — practise allumer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise allumer with the interactive tool.
- Stem Change Finder — practise allumer with the interactive tool.