Attirer Conjugation in French
attirer means “to attract” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 191 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'attire Marie tous les jours.” — “I attract Marie every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: attirer
- English: to attract
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en attirant
- Past participle: attiré
- 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 attirer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for attirer. 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 | attire |
| tu | attires |
| il/elle | attire |
| nous | attirons |
| vous | attirez |
| ils/elles | attirent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | attirai |
| tu | attiras |
| il/elle | attira |
| nous | attirâmes |
| vous | attirâtes |
| ils/elles | attirèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | attirais |
| tu | attirais |
| il/elle | attirait |
| nous | attirions |
| vous | attiriez |
| ils/elles | attiraient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | attirerai |
| tu | attireras |
| il/elle | attirera |
| nous | attirerons |
| vous | attirerez |
| ils/elles | attireront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | attirerais |
| tu | attirerais |
| il/elle | attirerait |
| nous | attirerions |
| vous | attireriez |
| ils/elles | attireraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai attiré |
| tu | as attiré |
| il/elle | a attiré |
| nous | avons attiré |
| vous | avez attiré |
| ils/elles | ont attiré |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais attiré |
| tu | avais attiré |
| il/elle | avait attiré |
| nous | avions attiré |
| vous | aviez attiré |
| ils/elles | avaient attiré |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai attiré |
| tu | auras attiré |
| il/elle | aura attiré |
| nous | aurons attiré |
| vous | aurez attiré |
| ils/elles | auront attiré |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais attiré |
| tu | aurais attiré |
| il/elle | aurait attiré |
| nous | aurions attiré |
| vous | auriez attiré |
| ils/elles | auraient attiré |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | attire |
| tu | attires |
| il/elle | attire |
| nous | attirions |
| vous | attiriez |
| ils/elles | attirent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | attirasse |
| tu | attirasses |
| il/elle | attirât |
| nous | attirassions |
| vous | attirassiez |
| ils/elles | attirassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | attire |
| nous | attirons |
| vous | attirez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | attire |
| nous | attirons |
| vous | attirez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en attirant |
| Past participle | attiré |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'attire Marie tous les jours.” — “I attract Marie every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu attiras Marie la semaine dernière.” — “You attracted Marie last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il attirait Marie ce matin.” — “He used to attract Marie this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous attirerons Marie.” — “We will attract Marie.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous attireriez Marie.” — “You would attract Marie.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont attiré Marie hier.” — “They have attracted Marie yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais attiré Marie hier.” — “I had attracted Marie yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras attiré Marie la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have attracted Marie next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait attiré Marie ce matin.” — “He would have attracted Marie this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous attirions Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that We attract 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 attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous attirassiez Marie hier.” — “It was necessary that You attract Marie yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Attirez Marie !” — “Attract Marie!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With attirer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne attire pas Marie !” — “Do not attract Marie!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en attirant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En attirant, je commence la journée.” — “While attracting, I start the day.” The past participle attiré is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai attiré — “I have attracted Marie yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with attirer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'attire Marie à la maison.” — “I attract Marie at home.”
- “Tu attiras Marie ce matin.” — “You attracted Marie this morning.”
- “Il attirait Marie avec Paul.” — “He used to attract Marie with Paul.”
- “J'attirerai Marie demain.” — “I will attract Marie tomorrow.”
- “Tu attirerais Marie tous les jours.” — “You would attract Marie every day.”
- “Il a attiré Marie la semaine dernière.” — “He has attracted Marie last week.”
- “J'avais attiré Marie ce matin.” — “I had attracted Marie this morning.”
- “Tu auras attiré Marie demain.” — “You will have attracted Marie tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il attire Marie tous les jours.” — “It is important that He attract Marie every day.”
- “Attire Marie !” — “Attract Marie!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je attirer Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'attire Marie tous les jours.”
The infinitive attirer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form attire.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je attires Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'attire Marie tous les jours.”
attires is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is attire — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “J'attire Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai attiré Marie hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai attiré here, not the present attire.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je attirons Marie.”
✓ Right: “J'attire Marie tous les jours.”
attirons is the nous form. The je form is attire — the two persons never share a form in the present of attirer.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis attiré Marie hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai attiré Marie hier.”
attirer takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai attiré, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous attirons Marie.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous attirions Marie.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use attirions here, not the indicative attirons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on attirer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of attirer in the Present indicative?
- A) attirent
- B) attire
- C) attirerais
- D) attirons
What is the il/elle form of attirer in the Passé simple?
- A) attirait
- B) attira
- C) attiras
- D) aurait attiré
What is the nous form of attirer in the Imperfect?
- A) attiriez
- B) attirions
- C) attirais
- D) attiraient
What is the tu form of attirer in the Future?
- A) attireras
- B) auras attiré
- C) as attiré
- D) attirasses
What is the je form of attirer in the Conditional?
- A) attirai
- B) attirerais
- C) attirerait
- D) attireraient
What is the il/elle form of attirer in the Present subjunctive?
- A) attires
- B) attire
- C) attiriez
- D) attirerait
What is the nous form of attirer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) avons attiré
- B) attirerons
- C) avions attiré
- D) attirions
What is the gerund of attirer?
- A) créant
- B) accusant
- C) admirant
- D) en attirant
What is the past participle of attirer?
- A) brûlé
- B) attiré
- C) causé
- D) commenté
What does attirer mean in English?
- A) compare
- B) belong
- C) attract
- D) confess
Answer key
- B) attire — the je form of attirer in the present indicative is attire. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) attira — the il/elle form of attirer in the passé simple is attira. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) attirions — the nous form of attirer in the imperfect is attirions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) attireras — the tu form of attirer in the future is attireras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) attirerais — the je form of attirer in the conditional is attirerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) attire — the il/elle form of attirer in the present subjunctive is attire. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) avons attiré — the nous form of attirer in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons attiré. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) en attirant — the gerund of attirer is en attirant; 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.
- B) attiré — the past participle of attirer is attiré; perfect tenses use avoir + attiré. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- C) attract — attirer means “to attract” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn attirer in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — j'attire, tu attires, il attire, nous attirons, vous attirez, ils attirent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai attiré shows the pattern, and the participle attiré 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 attirer with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does attirer mean in English?
attirer means “to attract”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is attirer regular or irregular?
attirer is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. attirer 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 attirer?
The gerund is en attirant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is attiré — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai attiré.
How do I say “I attract” in French?
Say “J'attire Marie tous les jours.” — “I attract Marie every day.” The je form of the present is attire, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce attirer?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for attirer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- attirer in the present tense
- attirer examples and quiz
- Avouer conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Convaincre 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.
- Verb Of The Day — practise attirer with the interactive tool.
- Imperative Maker — practise attirer with the interactive tool.
- Conditional Helper — practise attirer with the interactive tool.