Apprendre Conjugation in French
apprendre means “learn” in English, and it is a verb French learners meet early — it sits in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French. You use it for talking about learning a language, for describing school, and for learning a new skill. 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 apprendre — 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'apprends le français.” — “I learn French.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: apprendre
- English: learn
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: en apprenant
- Past participle: appris
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for apprendre, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for apprendre. 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 | apprends |
| tu | apprends |
| il/elle | apprend |
| nous | apprenons |
| vous | apprenez |
| ils/elles | apprennent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | appris |
| tu | appris |
| il/elle | apprit |
| nous | apprîmes |
| vous | apprîtes |
| ils/elles | apprirent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apprenais |
| tu | apprenais |
| il/elle | apprenait |
| nous | apprenions |
| vous | appreniez |
| ils/elles | apprenaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apprendrai |
| tu | apprendras |
| il/elle | apprendra |
| nous | apprendrons |
| vous | apprendrez |
| ils/elles | apprendront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apprendrais |
| tu | apprendrais |
| il/elle | apprendrait |
| nous | apprendrions |
| vous | apprendriez |
| ils/elles | apprendraient |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apprenne |
| tu | apprennes |
| il/elle | apprenne |
| nous | apprenions |
| vous | appreniez |
| ils/elles | apprennent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | apprisse |
| tu | apprisses |
| il/elle | apprît |
| nous | apprissions |
| vous | apprissiez |
| ils/elles | apprissent |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai appris |
| tu | as appris |
| il/elle | a appris |
| nous | avons appris |
| vous | avez appris |
| ils/elles | ont appris |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais appris |
| tu | avais appris |
| il/elle | avait appris |
| nous | avions appris |
| vous | aviez appris |
| ils/elles | avaient appris |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai appris |
| tu | auras appris |
| il/elle | aura appris |
| nous | aurons appris |
| vous | aurez appris |
| ils/elles | auront appris |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais appris |
| tu | aurais appris |
| il/elle | aurait appris |
| nous | aurions appris |
| vous | auriez appris |
| ils/elles | auraient appris |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | apprends |
| nous | apprenons |
| vous | apprenez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | apprends |
| nous | apprenons |
| vous | apprenez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en apprenant |
| Past participle | appris |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With apprendre 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'apprends une chanson.” — “I learn a song.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With apprendre 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'appris une chanson hier.” — “I learned a song yesterday.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and background description. For example: “J'apprenais une chanson avant.” — “I used to learn a song before.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, predictions and plans. For example: “J'apprendrai une chanson demain.” — “I will learn a song tomorrow.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, polite requests and hypothetical situations. For example: “J'apprendrais une chanson un jour.” — “I would learn a song one day.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With apprendre 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: “Bien que j'apprenne une chanson” — “Although I learn a song.”
Imperfect subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is used for the past subjunctive: wishes and hypotheticals about the past, in formal and literary French. For example: “Bien que j'apprisse une chanson” — “Although I learn a song.”
Present perfect
The present perfect is used for recent past actions and life experience; this is the everyday spoken past tense, the passé composé. For example: “J'ai appris une chanson cette semaine.” — “I have learned a song this week.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'avais appris une chanson avant la fête.” — “I had learned a song before the party.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “J'aurai appris une chanson pour demain.” — “I will have learned a song by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “J'aurais appris une chanson hier.” — “I would have learned a song yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With apprendre 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: “apprends une chanson !” — “Learn a song!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With apprendre 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 apprends pas une chanson !” — “Don't learn a song!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en apprenant is used after en for an action in progress, and the past participle appris builds the perfect tenses with avoir. For example: “J'ai appris les règles cette semaine.” — “I have learned the rules this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with apprendre, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'apprends le français.” — “I learn French.”
- “Tu appris une chanson hier.” — “You learned a song yesterday.”
- “Il apprenait les règles avant.” — “He used to learn the rules before.”
- “J'apprendrai un métier demain.” — “I will learn a trade tomorrow.”
- “Tu apprendrais le français un jour.” — “You would learn French one day.”
- “Il a appris une chanson cette semaine.” — “He has learned a song this week.”
- “J'avais appris les règles avant la fête.” — “I had learned the rules before the party.”
- “Tu auras appris un métier pour demain.” — “You will have learned a trade by tomorrow.”
- “Bien que il apprenne le français” — “Although he learns French.”
- “apprends une chanson !” — “Learn a song!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je apprendre le français.”
✓ Right: “Je apprends le français.”
The infinitive apprendre never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form apprends.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je apprenons une chanson.”
✓ Right: “Je apprends une chanson.”
apprenons is the nous form. With je the present form is apprends — check the person in the table before you speak.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Hier, je apprends le français.”
✓ Right: “Hier, j'ai appris le français.”
The present apprends describes now. For something finished yesterday, use the passé composé ai appris.
4. Using the passé simple in everyday speech
✗ Wrong: “Hier, je appris les règles.” (in casual conversation)
✓ Right: “Hier, j'ai appris les règles.”
The passé simple appris belongs in novels and formal writing. In everyday speech, say the passé composé ai appris.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Bien que je apprends le français.”
✓ Right: “Bien que je apprenne le français.”
After bien que French needs the subjunctive, so use apprenne here, not the indicative apprends.
6. Using the imperfect for a single finished action
✗ Wrong: “Je apprenais un métier avant.” (said of one finished moment)
✓ Right: “J'ai appris un métier avant.”
The imperfect apprenais describes something ongoing or repeated in the past. For one finished action, use the passé composé ai appris.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on apprendre. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of apprendre in the Present indicative?
- A) apprennent
- B) apprends
- C) apprenons
- D) apprend
What is the il/elle form of apprendre in the Passé simple?
- A) apprit
- B) appris
- C) apprirent
- D) apprîmes
What is the nous form of apprendre in the Imperfect?
- A) apprenait
- B) apprenaient
- C) apprenais
- D) apprenions
What is the tu form of apprendre in the Future?
- A) apprendront
- B) apprendras
- C) apprendrez
- D) apprendrai
What is the je form of apprendre in the Conditional?
- A) apprendriez
- B) apprendrions
- C) apprendraient
- D) apprendrais
What is the il/elle form of apprendre in the Present subjunctive?
- A) apprenne
- B) apprennent
- C) apprennes
- D) appreniez
What is the je form of apprendre in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) apprît
- B) apprisse
- C) apprissiez
- D) apprissent
What is the gerund of apprendre?
- A) buvant
- B) apprenant
- C) dormant
What is the past participle of apprendre?
- A) dormi
- B) bu
- C) appris
What does apprendre mean in English?
- A) open
- B) learn
- C) sleep
- D) drink
Answer key
- B) apprends — The je form of apprendre in the present indicative is apprends.
- A) apprit — The il/elle form of apprendre in the passé simple is apprit.
- D) apprenions — The nous form of apprendre in the imperfect is apprenions.
- B) apprendras — The tu form of apprendre in the future is apprendras.
- D) apprendrais — The je form of apprendre in the conditional is apprendrais.
- A) apprenne — The il/elle form of apprendre in the present subjunctive is apprenne.
- B) apprisse — The je form of apprendre in the imperfect subjunctive is apprisse.
- B) apprenant — The gerund of apprendre is en apprenant; it is used after en for actions in progress.
- C) appris — The past participle of apprendre is appris; perfect tenses use avoir + appris.
- B) learn — apprendre means “learn” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does apprendre mean in English?
apprendre means “learn”. You use it for talking about learning a language, for describing school, and for learning a new skill. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is apprendre regular or irregular?
apprendre is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The gerund is en apprenant and the past participle is appris.
What are the gerund and past participle of apprendre?
The gerund is en apprenant — use it after en for actions in progress. The past participle is appris — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in ai appris.
How do I say “I learn” in French?
Say “J'apprends le français.” — “I learn French.” The je form of the present is apprends, and it is the form you will use most often.
What is the difference between apprendre and enseigner?
apprendre means “learn” while enseigner means “teach” — they describe different actions, so they are not interchangeable. Compare the full table for enseigner and check the meaning in context before you choose.
Related pages
- Apprendre in Passé Composé Tense — French Conjugation Tables
- Apprendre Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French
- Enseigner conjugation
- Étudier conjugation
- Écouter conjugation
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages and tools.
- Verb Conjugator — practise apprendre with the interactive tool.
- Irregular Verb Finder — practise apprendre with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise apprendre with the interactive tool.