Causer Conjugation in French
causer means “to cause” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 214 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: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.” — “I cause the problem every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: causer
- English: to cause
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en causant
- Past participle: causé
- 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 causer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for causer. 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 | cause |
| tu | causes |
| il/elle | cause |
| nous | causons |
| vous | causez |
| ils/elles | causent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | causai |
| tu | causas |
| il/elle | causa |
| nous | causâmes |
| vous | causâtes |
| ils/elles | causèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | causais |
| tu | causais |
| il/elle | causait |
| nous | causions |
| vous | causiez |
| ils/elles | causaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | causerai |
| tu | causeras |
| il/elle | causera |
| nous | causerons |
| vous | causerez |
| ils/elles | causeront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | causerais |
| tu | causerais |
| il/elle | causerait |
| nous | causerions |
| vous | causeriez |
| ils/elles | causeraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai causé |
| tu | as causé |
| il/elle | a causé |
| nous | avons causé |
| vous | avez causé |
| ils/elles | ont causé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais causé |
| tu | avais causé |
| il/elle | avait causé |
| nous | avions causé |
| vous | aviez causé |
| ils/elles | avaient causé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai causé |
| tu | auras causé |
| il/elle | aura causé |
| nous | aurons causé |
| vous | aurez causé |
| ils/elles | auront causé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais causé |
| tu | aurais causé |
| il/elle | aurait causé |
| nous | aurions causé |
| vous | auriez causé |
| ils/elles | auraient causé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cause |
| tu | causes |
| il/elle | cause |
| nous | causions |
| vous | causiez |
| ils/elles | causent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | causasse |
| tu | causasses |
| il/elle | causât |
| nous | causassions |
| vous | causassiez |
| ils/elles | causassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | cause |
| nous | causons |
| vous | causez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | cause |
| nous | causons |
| vous | causez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en causant |
| Past participle | causé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.” — “I cause the problem every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu causas le problème la semaine dernière.” — “You caused the problem last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il causait le problème ce matin.” — “He used to cause the problem this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous causerons le problème.” — “We will cause the problem.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous causeriez le problème.” — “You would cause the problem.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont causé le problème hier.” — “They have caused the problem yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais causé le problème hier.” — “I had caused the problem yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras causé le problème la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have caused the problem next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait causé le problème ce matin.” — “He would have caused the problem this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous causions le problème tous les jours.” — “It is important that We cause the problem 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 causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous causassiez le problème hier.” — “It was necessary that You cause the problem yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Causez le problème !” — “Cause the problem!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With causer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne cause pas le problème !” — “Do not cause the problem!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en causant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En causant, je commence la journée.” — “While causing, I start the day.” The past participle causé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai causé — “I have caused the problem yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with causer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je cause le problème à la maison.” — “I cause the problem at home.”
- “Tu causas le problème ce matin.” — “You caused the problem this morning.”
- “Il causait le problème avec Paul.” — “He used to cause the problem with Paul.”
- “Je causerai le problème demain.” — “I will cause the problem tomorrow.”
- “Tu causerais le problème tous les jours.” — “You would cause the problem every day.”
- “Il a causé le problème la semaine dernière.” — “He has caused the problem last week.”
- “J'avais causé le problème ce matin.” — “I had caused the problem this morning.”
- “Tu auras causé le problème demain.” — “You will have caused the problem tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il cause le problème tous les jours.” — “It is important that He cause the problem every day.”
- “Cause le problème !” — “Cause the problem!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je causer le problème.”
✓ Right: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.”
The infinitive causer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form cause.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je causes le problème.”
✓ Right: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.”
causes is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is cause — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Je cause le problème hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai causé le problème hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai causé here, not the present cause.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je causons le problème.”
✓ Right: “Je cause le problème tous les jours.”
causons is the nous form. The je form is cause — the two persons never share a form in the present of causer.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis causé le problème hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai causé le problème hier.”
causer takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai causé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous causons le problème.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous causions le problème.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use causions here, not the indicative causons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on causer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of causer in the Present indicative?
- A) causai
- B) aurai causé
- C) cause
- D) causais
What is the il/elle form of causer in the Passé simple?
- A) causas
- B) causa
- C) causâmes
- D) causera
What is the nous form of causer in the Imperfect?
- A) causassions
- B) causerons
- C) causâmes
- D) causions
What is the tu form of causer in the Future?
- A) as causé
- B) auras causé
- C) causeras
- D) causerez
What is the je form of causer in the Conditional?
- A) causerais
- B) causeriez
- C) causerait
- D) ai causé
What is the il/elle form of causer in the Present subjunctive?
- A) cause
- B) causera
- C) aurait causé
- D) causerait
What is the nous form of causer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) avions causé
- B) avons causé
- C) ont causé
- D) as causé
What is the gerund of causer?
- A) en causant
- B) contrôlant
- C) accusant
- D) améliorant
What is the past participle of causer?
- A) changé
- B) causé
- C) construit
- D) avoué
What does causer mean in English?
- A) cut
- B) cause
- C) comment
- D) change
Answer key
- C) 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.
- B) causa — the il/elle form of causer in the passé simple is causa. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) causions — the nous form of causer in the imperfect is causions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) causeras — the tu form of causer in the future is causeras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) causerais — the je form of causer in the conditional is causerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) cause — the il/elle form of causer in the present subjunctive is cause. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) avons causé — the nous form of causer in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons causé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) en causant — the gerund of causer is en causant; 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) causé — the past participle of causer is causé; perfect tenses use avoir + causé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) cause — causer means “to cause” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn causer in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — je cause, tu causes, il cause, nous causons, vous causez, ils causent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai causé shows the pattern, and the participle causé 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 causer with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does causer mean in English?
causer means “to cause”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is causer regular or irregular?
causer is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. 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.
What are the gerund and past participle of causer?
The gerund is en causant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is causé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai causé.
How do I say “I cause” in French?
Say “Je cause le problème tous les jours.” — “I cause the problem every day.” The je form of the present is cause, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce causer?
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.
Related pages
- causer in the present tense
- causer examples and quiz
- Cesser conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Détruire 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.
- Reflexive Verb Conjugator — practise causer with the interactive tool.
- Por Vs Para Quiz — practise causer with the interactive tool.
- Verb Frequency List — practise causer with the interactive tool.