Appeler Conjugation in French
appeler means “to call” in English, and it is one of the first verbs French learners meet — it sits at number 47 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French verbs. You use it whenever you talk about calling Marie every evening, and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of appeler — 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'appelle Marie tous les soirs tous les jours.” — “I call Marie every evening every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: appeler
- English: to call
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: appelant
- Past participle: appelé
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
- Ending: -er verbs; pattern er in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for appeler, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read appeler in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about appeler
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. Learn those forms as a set rather than guessing them from the infinitive, because the regular pattern will not produce them.
- The perfect tenses use avoir: the present perfect is formed with avoir in the present plus the past participle appelé. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is appelant and the participle is appelé: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for appeler. 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 | appelle |
| tu | appelles |
| il/elle | appelle |
| nous | appelons |
| vous | appelez |
| ils/elles | appellent |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With appeler 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'appelle le médecin ce matin tous les jours.” — “I call the doctor this morning every day.”
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appelai |
| tu | appelas |
| il/elle | appela |
| nous | appelâmes |
| vous | appelâtes |
| ils/elles | appelèrent |
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written and literary French. For example: “Tu appelas le médecin ce matin hier.” — “You called the doctor this morning yesterday.”
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appelais |
| tu | appelais |
| il/elle | appelait |
| nous | appelions |
| vous | appeliez |
| ils/elles | appelaient |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Il appelait le médecin ce matin autrefois.” — “He used to call the doctor this morning in the past.”
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appellerai |
| tu | appelleras |
| il/elle | appellera |
| nous | appellerons |
| vous | appellerez |
| ils/elles | appelleront |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “J'appellerai le médecin ce matin demain.” — “I will call the doctor this morning tomorrow.”
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appellerais |
| tu | appellerais |
| il/elle | appellerait |
| nous | appellerions |
| vous | appelleriez |
| ils/elles | appelleraient |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Tu appellerais le médecin ce matin un jour.” — “You would call the doctor this morning one day.”
Present perfect (passé composé)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai appelé |
| tu | as appelé |
| il/elle | a appelé |
| nous | avons appelé |
| vous | avez appelé |
| ils/elles | ont appelé |
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. For example: “Il a appelé le médecin ce matin cette semaine.” — “He has called the doctor this morning this week.”
Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais appelé |
| tu | avais appelé |
| il/elle | avait appelé |
| nous | avions appelé |
| vous | aviez appelé |
| ils/elles | avaient appelé |
The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'avais appelé le médecin ce matin avant la fête.” — “I had called the doctor this morning before the party.”
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai appelé |
| tu | auras appelé |
| il/elle | aura appelé |
| nous | aurons appelé |
| vous | aurez appelé |
| ils/elles | auront appelé |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tu auras appelé le médecin ce matin pour demain.” — “You will have called the doctor this morning by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais appelé |
| tu | aurais appelé |
| il/elle | aurait appelé |
| nous | aurions appelé |
| vous | auriez appelé |
| ils/elles | auraient appelé |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Il aurait appelé le médecin ce matin hier.” — “He would have called the doctor this morning yesterday.”
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appelle |
| tu | appelles |
| il/elle | appelle |
| nous | appelions |
| vous | appeliez |
| ils/elles | appellent |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With appeler 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 j'appelle le médecin ce matin.” — “It is important that I call the doctor this morning.”
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appelasse |
| tu | appelasses |
| il/elle | appelât |
| nous | appelassions |
| vous | appelassiez |
| ils/elles | appelassent |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in formal written French for past wishes and hypotheticals after que. For example: “Il est important que tu appelasses le médecin ce matin.” — “It is important that you call the doctor this morning.”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | appelle |
| nous | appelons |
| vous | appelez |
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With appeler 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: “Appelle le médecin ce matin !” — “Call the doctor this morning!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | appelle |
| nous | appelons |
| vous | appelez |
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With appeler 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 appelle pas le médecin ce matin.” — “Do not call the doctor this morning.”
Gerund
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en appelant |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, usually after en. For example: “En appelant Marie tous les soirs, je passe un bon moment.” — “While calling Marie every evening, I have a good time.”
Past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Past participle | appelé |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “J'ai appelé Marie tous les soirs cette semaine.” — “I have called Marie every evening this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with appeler, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'appelle Marie tous les soirs tous les jours.” — “I call Marie every evening every day.”
- “Tu appelas le médecin ce matin hier.” — “You called the doctor this morning yesterday.”
- “Il appelait mes amis à Paris autrefois.” — “He used to call my friends in Paris in the past.”
- “J'appellerai Marie tous les soirs demain.” — “I will call Marie every evening tomorrow.”
- “Tu appellerais le médecin ce matin un jour.” — “You would call the doctor this morning one day.”
- “Il a appelé mes amis à Paris cette semaine.” — “He has called my friends in Paris this week.”
- “J'avais appelé Marie tous les soirs avant la fête.” — “I had called Marie every evening before the party.”
- “Tu auras appelé le médecin ce matin pour demain.” — “You will have called the doctor this morning by tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il appelle mes amis à Paris.” — “It is important that he call my friends in Paris.”
- “Appelle Marie tous les soirs !” — “Call Marie every evening!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je appeler Marie tous les soirs.”
✓ Right: “Je appelle Marie tous les soirs.”
The infinitive appeler never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form appelle.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Je appellent Marie tous les soirs.”
✓ Right: “Je appelle Marie tous les soirs.”
appellent is the ils/elles form, not the je form. Match the verb to the subject every time: je goes with appelle.
3. Using the passé simple for a present habit
✗ Wrong: “Je appelai Marie tous les soirs tous les jours.”
✓ Right: “Je appelle Marie tous les soirs tous les jours.”
The passé simple appelai describes one finished past action. For something that happens every day, use the present appelle.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que je appelle Marie tous les soirs.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que je appelle Marie tous les soirs.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use appelle here, not the indicative appelle.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis appelé Marie tous les soirs.”
✓ Right: “Je ai appelé Marie tous les soirs.”
The passé composé of appeler is formed with avoir plus the past participle appelé: the je form is ai appelé. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
6. Dropping a written accent
✗ Wrong: “appelle” written without its accent
✓ Right: “appelle”
Accents are part of the spelling in French. Write the form exactly as it appears in the table, accent included, or it looks like a different word.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on appeler. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of appeler in the Present indicative?
- A) appelez
- B) appelle
- C) appelles
- D) appelons
What is the il/elle form of appeler in the Passé simple?
- A) appelâmes
- B) appela
- C) appelai
- D) appelas
What is the nous form of appeler in the Imperfect?
- A) appeliez
- B) appelions
- C) appelais
- D) appelait
What is the tu form of appeler in the Future?
- A) appellerai
- B) appellera
- C) appellerons
- D) appelleras
What is the je form of appeler in the Conditional?
- A) appellerions
- B) appelleriez
- C) appellerais
- D) appellerait
What is the il/elle form of appeler in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) a appelé
- B) ai appelé
- C) as appelé
- D) avons appelé
What is the il/elle form of appeler in the Present subjunctive?
- A) appeliez
- B) appelle
- C) appelles
- D) appelions
What is the je form of appeler in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) appelât
- B) appelassions
- C) appelasse
- D) appelasses
What is the gerund of appeler?
- A) en appelant
- B) en permettant
- C) en regardant
- D) en cherchant
What does appeler mean in English?
- A) to look for
- B) to call
- C) to allow
- D) to look at
Answer key
- B) appelle — the je form of appeler in the Present indicative is appelle. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) appela — the il/elle form of appeler in the Passé simple is appela. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) appelions — the nous form of appeler in the Imperfect is appelions. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) appelleras — the tu form of appeler in the Future is appelleras. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) appellerais — the je form of appeler in the Conditional is appellerais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) a appelé — the il/elle form of appeler in the Present perfect (passé composé) is a appelé. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) appelle — the il/elle form of appeler in the Present subjunctive is appelle. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) appelasse — the je form of appeler in the Imperfect subjunctive is appelasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) en appelant — the gerund of appeler is en appelant; it is used after en for actions happening at the same time as another action. The other options are the gerunds of neighbouring verbs.
- B) to call — appeler means “to call” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does appeler mean in English?
appeler means “to call”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is appeler regular or irregular?
appeler is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The gerund is appelant and the past participle is appelé.
What are the gerund and past participle of appeler?
The gerund is appelant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as another action. The past participle is appelé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in ai appelé.
Which auxiliary does appeler take in the passé composé?
appeler takes avoir in the passé composé: the je form is ai appelé. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avoir plus the past participle appelé.
How do I say “I call” in French?
Say “J'appelle Marie tous les soirs tous les jours.” — “I call Marie every evening every day.” The je form of the present is appelle, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of appeler — every tense of appeler in one place.
- Appeler in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Appeler examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Permettre conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Regarder conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Chercher conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- French irregular verbs — every common irregular French verb, grouped by pattern.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise appeler with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise appeler with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise appeler with the interactive tool.