Introduction

Cesser means “to cease”, and this page covers exactly one thing: cesser 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 cesser, 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 cesser in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il cesse le travail tous les jours.” — “He stops the work every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of cesser exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Cesser in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je cesse
tu cesses
il/elle cesse
nous cessons
vous cessez
ils/elles cessent
Gerund: en cessant · Past participle: cessé
The gerund is en cessant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En cessant, je commence la journée.” — “While stopping, I start the day.” The past participle is cessé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai cessé 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 cesser is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cesser, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of cesser is formed

The present tense of cesser has six forms: je cesse, tu cesses, il cesse, nous cessons, vous cessez, ils cessent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. cesser 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 cesser 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 cessons and cessez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so cesse can mean both “I stop” and “I am stopping” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because cesser 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 cesser

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use cesser 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 cesser is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je cesse le travail à la maison.” — “I stop the work at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about cesser does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il cesse le travail ce matin.” — “He stops the work 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 cesser 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 cessons le travail avec Paul.” — “We stop the work 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 cesses le travail.” — “You stop the work.”

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 cesser in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils cessent le travail tous les jours.” — “They stop the work 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 cesse le travail à la maison.” — “He stops the work at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a cessé le travail la semaine dernière.” — “He has stopped the work 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 cesse le travail ce matin.” — “I stop the work this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai cessé le travail ce matin.” — “I have stopped the work 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 cesses le travail avec Paul.” — “You stop the work with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as cessé le travail avant la fête.” — “You have stopped the work 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: cesser 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 cesse le travail à la maison.” — “I stop the work at home.”
  2. “Tu cesses le travail ce matin.” — “You stop the work this morning.”
  3. “Il cesse le travail avec Paul.” — “He stops the work with Paul.”
  4. “Nous cessons le travail.” — “We stop the work.”
  5. “Vous cessez le travail tous les jours.” — “You stop the work every day.”
  6. “Ils cessent le travail à la maison.” — “They stop the work at home.”
  7. “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.” — “I stop the work every day.”
  8. “Il cesse le travail avec Paul.” — “He stops the work 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 cesses le travail.” Right: “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.” Why: The je form is cesse, not cesses. cesses is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous cesse le travail.” Right: “Nous cessons le travail tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form cessons. cesse belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je cesse le travail hier.” Right: “J'ai cessé le travail hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai cessé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je cesser le travail.” Right: “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive cesser never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form cesse.

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 cesser in the Present indicative?

    • A) aurais cessé
    • B) cesses
    • C) avais cessé
    • D) cesse

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

    • A) cesses
    • B) cessez
    • C) cessais
    • D) cessent

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

    • A) a cessé
    • B) cessent
    • C) cessait
    • D) cesse

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

    • A) cessons
    • B) cessions
    • C) cesses
    • D) avions cessé

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

    • A) cessent
    • B) cessâtes
    • C) cessez
    • D) avez cessé

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

    • A) cessent
    • B) cesses
    • C) cesse
    • D) auraient cessé

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

    • A) avais cessé
    • B) cesse
    • C) cessai
    • D) cessasse

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

    • A) auras cessé
    • B) cesse
    • C) cesses
    • D) cesserais

Answer key

  1. D) cesse — the je form of cesser in the present indicative is cesse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. A) cesses — the tu form of cesser in the present indicative is cesses. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. D) cesse — the il/elle form of cesser in the present indicative is cesse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. A) cessons — the nous form of cesser in the present indicative is cessons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. C) cessez — the vous form of cesser in the present indicative is cessez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. A) cessent — the ils/elles form of cesser in the present indicative is cessent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. B) cesse — the je form of cesser in the present indicative is cesse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. C) cesses — the tu form of cesser in the present indicative is cesses. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does cesser mean in English?

cesser means “to cease”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of cesser formed?

The six present forms are: je cesse, tu cesses, il cesse, nous cessons, vous cessez, ils cessent. cesser 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 cesser?

The gerund is en cessant and the past participle is cessé.

Related pages