Introduction

Causer means “to cause”, and this page covers exactly one thing: causer in the present tense. The present is the tense French speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for causer, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passé composé, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about causer in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il cause le problème tous les jours.” — “He causes the problem every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of causer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Causer in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je cause
tu causes
il/elle cause
nous causons
vous causez
ils/elles causent
Gerund: en causant · Past participle: causé
The gerund is en causant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En causant, je commence la journée.” — “While causing, I start the day.” The past participle is causé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai causé is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present tense is only one part of how causer is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for causer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of causer is formed

The present tense of causer has six forms: je cause, tu causes, il cause, nous causons, vous causez, ils causent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. causer 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. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Two things about the present of causer are worth noticing. First, the nous and vous forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the nous form, and the present subjunctive takes its nous and vous forms from the same stem, so learning causons and causez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so cause can mean both “I cause” and “I am causing” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because causer is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of causer

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use causer in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and causer is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je cause le problème à la maison.” — “I cause the problem at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about causer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il cause le problème ce matin.” — “He causes the problem this morning.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. French often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with causer in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nous causons le problème avec Paul.” — “We cause the problem with Paul.”

4. Scheduled future events

French uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu causes le problème.” — “You cause the problem.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and causer in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils causent le problème tous les jours.” — “They cause the problem every day.”

Present Tense vs Passé Composé: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passé composé, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passé composé describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as tous les jours or toujours, while the passé composé sentences use hier or la semaine dernière. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Il cause le problème à la maison.” — “He causes the problem at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a causé le problème la semaine dernière.” — “He has caused the problem last week.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Je cause le problème ce matin.” — “I cause the problem this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai causé le problème ce matin.” — “I have caused the problem this morning.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Tu causes le problème avec Paul.” — “You cause the problem with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as causé le problème avant la fête.” — “You have caused the problem before the party.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

Example sentences: causer in the present tense

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Je cause le problème à la maison.” — “I cause the problem at home.”
  2. “Tu causes le problème ce matin.” — “You cause the problem this morning.”
  3. “Il cause le problème avec Paul.” — “He causes the problem with Paul.”
  4. “Nous causons le problème.” — “We cause the problem.”
  5. “Vous causez le problème tous les jours.” — “You cause the problem every day.”
  6. “Ils causent le problème à la maison.” — “They cause the problem at home.”
  7. “Je cause le problème tous les jours.” — “I cause the problem every day.”
  8. “Il cause le problème avec Paul.” — “He causes the problem with Paul.”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Je causes le problème.” Right: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.” Why: The je form is cause, not causes. causes is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous cause le problème.” Right: “Nous causons le problème tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form causons. cause belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je cause le problème hier.” Right: “J'ai causé le problème hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai causé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je causer le problème.” Right: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive causer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form cause.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the je form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) causons
    • B) causent
    • C) causerais
    • D) cause

  2. What is the tu form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) causes
    • B) cause
    • C) as causé
    • D) causeras

  3. What is the il/elle form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) aurait causé
    • B) cause
    • C) causez
    • D) aura causé

  4. What is the nous form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) cause
    • B) aurons causé
    • C) causons
    • D) causez

  5. What is the vous form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) causerez
    • B) causez
    • C) avez causé
    • D) causiez

  6. What is the ils/elles form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) causeraient
    • B) causent
    • C) ont causé
    • D) causaient

  7. What is the je form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) cause
    • B) aurai causé
    • C) avais causé
    • D) causais

  8. What is the tu form of causer in the Present indicative?

    • A) causeras
    • B) aurais causé
    • C) causes
    • D) causons

Answer key

  1. D) cause — the je form of causer in the present indicative is cause. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. A) causes — the tu form of causer in the present indicative is causes. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. B) cause — the il/elle form of causer in the present indicative is cause. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. C) causons — the nous form of causer in the present indicative is causons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. B) causez — the vous form of causer in the present indicative is causez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. B) causent — the ils/elles form of causer in the present indicative is causent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. A) cause — the je form of causer in the present indicative is cause. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. C) causes — the tu form of causer in the present indicative is causes. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does causer mean in English?

causer means “to cause”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of causer formed?

The six present forms are: je cause, tu causes, il cause, nous causons, vous causez, ils causent. causer 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.

When do I use the present instead of the passé composé?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passé composé for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

What are the gerund and past participle of causer?

The gerund is en causant and the past participle is causé.

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