Avouer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

avouer — to confess — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. It is a non-reflexive, regular -er verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. On this page you will find avouer in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the avouer conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the avouer present tense page.

Example sentences with avouer

In the present tense

  • “J'avoue l'erreur tous les jours.” — “I confess the mistake every day.”
  • “Tu avoues l'erreur à la maison.” — “You confess the mistake at home.”
  • “Il avoue l'erreur ce matin.” — “He confesses the mistake this morning.”
  • “Nous avouons l'erreur avec Paul.” — “We confess the mistake with Paul.”
  • “Vous avouez l'erreur.” — “You confess the mistake.”
  • “Ils avouent l'erreur tous les jours.” — “They confess the mistake every day.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai avoué l'erreur hier.” — “I have confessed the mistake yesterday.”
  • “Tu as avoué l'erreur la semaine dernière.” — “You have confessed the mistake last week.”
  • “Il a avoué l'erreur ce matin.” — “He has confessed the mistake this morning.”
  • “Nous avons avoué l'erreur avant la fête.” — “We have confessed the mistake before the party.”
  • “Vous avez avoué l'erreur.” — “You have confessed the mistake.”
  • “Ils ont avoué l'erreur hier.” — “They have confessed the mistake yesterday.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional, the present subjunctive and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “J'avouais l'erreur à la maison.” — “I used to confess the mistake at home.”
  • “Tu avoueras l'erreur bientôt.” — “You will confess the mistake soon.”
  • “Il avouerait l'erreur avec Paul.” — “He would confess the mistake with Paul.”
  • “Il est important que nous avouions l'erreur tous les jours.” — “It is important that We confess the mistake every day.”
  • “Avoue l'erreur !” — “Confess the mistake!”

Avouer in context

J'avoue l'erreur tous les jours. Tu avoues l'erreur à la maison. Il avoue l'erreur ce matin. Nous avouons l'erreur avec Paul. C’est une partie normale de la routine, et c’est pour cela que le présent de avouer est la première forme qu’il convient d’apprendre. Chaque phrase utilise une personne différente, alors lisez-les à voix haute et remarquez comment la forme change — avoue, avoues, avoue, avouons — tandis que le sens reste le même : to confess. J'ai avoué l'erreur hier. Tu as avoué l'erreur la semaine dernière. Il a avoué l'erreur ce matin. Nous avons avoué l'erreur avant la fête. C’était une journée normale, mais c’est justement dans des journées comme celle-ci que le passé composé de avouer apparaît sans cesse : une action terminée, un moment précis, et l’histoire continue. Comparez ces phrases avec celles du présent ci-dessus : le verbe change de temps, mais le sens de base — to confess — ne change pas. C’est la différence entre une habitude et un événement terminé.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Je avouer l'erreur.”

✓ Right: “J'avoue l'erreur tous les jours.”

The infinitive avouer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form avoue.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Je avoues l'erreur.”

✓ Right: “J'avoue l'erreur tous les jours.”

avoues is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is avoue — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “J'avoue l'erreur hier.”

✓ Right: “J'ai avoué l'erreur hier.”

Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai avoué here, not the present avoue.

4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms

✗ Wrong: “Je avouons l'erreur.”

✓ Right: “J'avoue l'erreur tous les jours.”

avouons is the nous form. The je form is avoue — the two persons never share a form in the present of avouer.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on avouer across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of avouer in the Present indicative?

    • A) avoues
    • B) avouerais
    • C) avouasses
    • D) avoueras

  2. What is the je form of avouer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?

    • A) avons avoué
    • B) ai avoué
    • C) avouais
    • D) avouerais

  3. What is the il/elle form of avouer in the Imperfect?

    • A) avouaient
    • B) avouait
    • C) avouions
    • D) avoue

  4. What is the nous form of avouer in the Future?

    • A) aurions avoué
    • B) avouions
    • C) avouerions
    • D) avouerons

  5. What is the tu form of avouer in the Conditional?

    • A) avouerions
    • B) avouerais
    • C) avoues
    • D) as avoué

  6. What is the je form of avouer in the Passé simple?

    • A) avouai
    • B) avouasse
    • C) aurais avoué
    • D) avouerai

  7. What is the nous form of avouer in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) aurions avoué
    • B) avouerions
    • C) avouions
    • D) avons avoué

  8. What is the gerund of avouer?

    • A) changeant
    • B) en avouant
    • C) bougeant
    • D) admirant

  9. What is the past participle of avouer?

    • A) causé
    • B) avoué
    • C) montré
    • D) amélioré

  10. What does avouer mean in English?

  • A) paint
  • B) approach
  • C) notice
  • D) confess

Answer key

  1. A) avoues — the tu form of avouer in the present indicative is avoues. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. B) ai avoué — the je form of avouer in the present perfect (passé composé) is ai avoué. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. B) avouait — the il/elle form of avouer in the imperfect is avouait. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. D) avouerons — the nous form of avouer in the future is avouerons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. B) avouerais — the tu form of avouer in the conditional is avouerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. A) avouai — the je form of avouer in the passé simple is avouai. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. C) avouions — the nous form of avouer in the present subjunctive is avouions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. B) en avouant — the gerund of avouer is en avouant; 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.
  9. B) avoué — the past participle of avouer is avoué; perfect tenses use avoir + avoué. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. D) confess — avouer means “to confess” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does avouer mean in English?

avouer means “to confess”. You use it whenever you talk about to confess in French, in the present, the past and the future.

Is avouer regular or irregular?

avouer is regular. avouer 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 avouer?

The gerund is en avouant and the past participle is avoué. The perfect tenses use avoir + avoué.

Where can I see the full conjugation of avouer?

On the avouer conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The avouer present tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for avouer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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