Apercevoir Conjugation in French
apercevoir means “to notice, to see” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 177 in VerbFlow’s French list. It is a non-reflexive, irregular -ir 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'aperçois Marie tous les jours.” — “I notice Marie every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: apercevoir
- English: to notice, to see
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Irregular
- Irregular in: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: en apercevant
- Past participle: aperçu
- 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 apercevoir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for apercevoir. 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 | aperçois |
| tu | aperçois |
| il/elle | aperçoit |
| nous | apercevons |
| vous | apercevez |
| ils/elles | aperçoivent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aperçus |
| tu | aperçus |
| il/elle | aperçut |
| nous | aperçûmes |
| vous | aperçûtes |
| ils/elles | aperçurent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apercevais |
| tu | apercevais |
| il/elle | apercevait |
| nous | apercevions |
| vous | aperceviez |
| ils/elles | apercevaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apercevrai |
| tu | apercevras |
| il/elle | apercevra |
| nous | apercevrons |
| vous | apercevrez |
| ils/elles | apercevront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apercevrais |
| tu | apercevrais |
| il/elle | apercevrait |
| nous | apercevrions |
| vous | apercevriez |
| ils/elles | apercevraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai aperçu |
| tu | as aperçu |
| il/elle | a aperçu |
| nous | avons aperçu |
| vous | avez aperçu |
| ils/elles | ont aperçu |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais aperçu |
| tu | avais aperçu |
| il/elle | avait aperçu |
| nous | avions aperçu |
| vous | aviez aperçu |
| ils/elles | avaient aperçu |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai aperçu |
| tu | auras aperçu |
| il/elle | aura aperçu |
| nous | aurons aperçu |
| vous | aurez aperçu |
| ils/elles | auront aperçu |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais aperçu |
| tu | aurais aperçu |
| il/elle | aurait aperçu |
| nous | aurions aperçu |
| vous | auriez aperçu |
| ils/elles | auraient aperçu |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aperçoive |
| tu | aperçoives |
| il/elle | aperçoive |
| nous | apercevions |
| vous | aperceviez |
| ils/elles | aperçoivent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aperçusse |
| tu | aperçusses |
| il/elle | aperçût |
| nous | aperçussions |
| vous | aperçussiez |
| ils/elles | aperçussent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | aperçois |
| nous | apercevons |
| vous | apercevez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | aperçois |
| nous | apercevons |
| vous | apercevez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en apercevant |
| Past participle | aperçu |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With apercevoir this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “J'aperçois Marie tous les jours.” — “I notice Marie every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With apercevoir this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Tu aperçus Marie la semaine dernière.” — “You noticed Marie last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Il apercevait Marie ce matin.” — “He used to notice Marie this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Nous apercevrons Marie.” — “We will notice Marie.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Vous apercevriez Marie.” — “You would notice Marie.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Ils ont aperçu Marie hier.” — “They have noticed Marie yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “J'avais aperçu Marie hier.” — “I had noticed Marie yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Tu auras aperçu Marie la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have noticed Marie next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Il aurait aperçu Marie ce matin.” — “He would have noticed Marie this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With apercevoir this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Il est important que nous apercevions Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that We notice 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 apercevoir this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -ir pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous aperçussiez Marie hier.” — “It was necessary that You notice Marie yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With apercevoir this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Apercevez Marie !” — “Notice Marie!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With apercevoir this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ne aperçois pas Marie !” — “Do not notice Marie!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en apercevant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En apercevant, je commence la journée.” — “While noticing, I start the day.” The past participle aperçu is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai aperçu — “I have noticed Marie yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with apercevoir, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'aperçois Marie à la maison.” — “I notice Marie at home.”
- “Tu aperçus Marie ce matin.” — “You noticed Marie this morning.”
- “Il apercevait Marie avec Paul.” — “He used to notice Marie with Paul.”
- “J'apercevrai Marie demain.” — “I will notice Marie tomorrow.”
- “Tu apercevrais Marie tous les jours.” — “You would notice Marie every day.”
- “Il a aperçu Marie la semaine dernière.” — “He has noticed Marie last week.”
- “J'avais aperçu Marie ce matin.” — “I had noticed Marie this morning.”
- “Tu auras aperçu Marie demain.” — “You will have noticed Marie tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il aperçoive Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that He notice Marie every day.”
- “Aperçois Marie !” — “Notice Marie!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je apercevoir Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'aperçois Marie tous les jours.”
The infinitive apercevoir never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form aperçois.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je aperçois Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'aperçois Marie tous les jours.”
aperçois is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is aperçois — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “J'aperçois Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai aperçu Marie hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai aperçu here, not the present aperçois.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je apercevons Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'aperçois Marie tous les jours.”
apercevoir is irregular in present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative: those tenses do not follow the regular -ir pattern, so learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. The other tenses follow the regular pattern.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis aperçu Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai aperçu Marie hier.”
apercevoir takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai aperçu, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous apercevons Marie.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous apercevions Marie.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use apercevions here, not the indicative apercevons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on apercevoir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of apercevoir in the Present indicative?
- A) aurai aperçu
- B) aurais aperçu
- C) apercevons
- D) aperçois
What is the il/elle form of apercevoir in the Passé simple?
- A) aperçûmes
- B) apercevra
- C) aperçut
- D) aperçus
What is the nous form of apercevoir in the Imperfect?
- A) apercevaient
- B) apercevais
- C) apercevions
- D) apercevrions
What is the tu form of apercevoir in the Future?
- A) apercevais
- B) avais aperçu
- C) apercevrai
- D) apercevras
What is the je form of apercevoir in the Conditional?
- A) apercevraient
- B) apercevais
- C) apercevrais
- D) aperçoive
What is the il/elle form of apercevoir in the Present subjunctive?
- A) aperceviez
- B) aura aperçu
- C) aperçoive
- D) aurait aperçu
What is the nous form of apercevoir in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) ai aperçu
- B) apercevions
- C) a aperçu
- D) avons aperçu
What is the gerund of apercevoir?
- A) dessinant
- B) commentant
- C) ajoutant
- D) en apercevant
What is the past participle of apercevoir?
- A) avoué
- B) peint
- C) aperçu
- D) préparé
What does apercevoir mean in English?
- A) notice
- B) accuse
- C) announce
- D) admit
Answer key
- D) aperçois — the je form of apercevoir in the present indicative is aperçois. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) aperçut — the il/elle form of apercevoir in the passé simple is aperçut. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) apercevions — the nous form of apercevoir in the imperfect is apercevions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) apercevras — the tu form of apercevoir in the future is apercevras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) apercevrais — the je form of apercevoir in the conditional is apercevrais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) aperçoive — the il/elle form of apercevoir in the present subjunctive is aperçoive. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) avons aperçu — the nous form of apercevoir in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons aperçu. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) en apercevant — the gerund of apercevoir is en apercevant; 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.
- C) aperçu — the past participle of apercevoir is aperçu; perfect tenses use avoir + aperçu. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- A) notice — apercevoir means “to notice” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn apercevoir in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — j'aperçois, tu aperçois, il aperçoit, nous apercevons, vous apercevez, ils aperçoivent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai aperçu shows the pattern, and the participle aperçu 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 apercevoir with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does apercevoir mean in English?
apercevoir means “to notice, to see”. It is a non-reflexive, irregular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is apercevoir regular or irregular?
apercevoir is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. apercevoir is irregular in present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative: those tenses do not follow the regular -ir pattern, so learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. The other tenses follow the regular pattern.
What are the gerund and past participle of apercevoir?
The gerund is en apercevant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is aperçu — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai aperçu.
How do I say “I notice” in French?
Say “J'aperçois Marie tous les jours.” — “I notice Marie every day.” The je form of the present is aperçois, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce apercevoir?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for apercevoir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- apercevoir in the passé composé tense
- apercevoir examples and quiz
- Appartenir conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Comparer 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.
- Past Participle Finder — practise apercevoir with the interactive tool.
- Imperfect Conjugator — practise apercevoir with the interactive tool.
- Ser Vs Estar Quiz — practise apercevoir with the interactive tool.