Cesser Conjugation in French
cesser means “to cease” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 217 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 cesse le travail tous les jours.” — “I stop the work every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: cesser
- English: to cease
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en cessant
- Past participle: cessé
- 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 cesser, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for cesser. 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 | cesse |
| tu | cesses |
| il/elle | cesse |
| nous | cessons |
| vous | cessez |
| ils/elles | cessent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cessai |
| tu | cessas |
| il/elle | cessa |
| nous | cessâmes |
| vous | cessâtes |
| ils/elles | cessèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cessais |
| tu | cessais |
| il/elle | cessait |
| nous | cessions |
| vous | cessiez |
| ils/elles | cessaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cesserai |
| tu | cesseras |
| il/elle | cessera |
| nous | cesserons |
| vous | cesserez |
| ils/elles | cesseront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cesserais |
| tu | cesserais |
| il/elle | cesserait |
| nous | cesserions |
| vous | cesseriez |
| ils/elles | cesseraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai cessé |
| tu | as cessé |
| il/elle | a cessé |
| nous | avons cessé |
| vous | avez cessé |
| ils/elles | ont cessé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais cessé |
| tu | avais cessé |
| il/elle | avait cessé |
| nous | avions cessé |
| vous | aviez cessé |
| ils/elles | avaient cessé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai cessé |
| tu | auras cessé |
| il/elle | aura cessé |
| nous | aurons cessé |
| vous | aurez cessé |
| ils/elles | auront cessé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais cessé |
| tu | aurais cessé |
| il/elle | aurait cessé |
| nous | aurions cessé |
| vous | auriez cessé |
| ils/elles | auraient cessé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cesse |
| tu | cesses |
| il/elle | cesse |
| nous | cessions |
| vous | cessiez |
| ils/elles | cessent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | cessasse |
| tu | cessasses |
| il/elle | cessât |
| nous | cessassions |
| vous | cessassiez |
| ils/elles | cessassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | cesse |
| nous | cessons |
| vous | cessez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | cesse |
| nous | cessons |
| vous | cessez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en cessant |
| Past participle | cessé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.” — “I stop the work every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu cessas le travail la semaine dernière.” — “You stopped the work last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il cessait le travail ce matin.” — “He used to stop the work this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous cesserons le travail.” — “We will stop the work.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous cesseriez le travail.” — “You would stop the work.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont cessé le travail hier.” — “They have stopped the work yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais cessé le travail hier.” — “I had stopped the work yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras cessé le travail la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have stopped the work next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait cessé le travail ce matin.” — “He would have stopped the work this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous cessions le travail tous les jours.” — “It is important that We stop the work 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 cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous cessassiez le travail hier.” — “It was necessary that You stop the work yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Cessez le travail !” — “Stop the work!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With cesser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne cesse pas le travail !” — “Do not stop the work!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en cessant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En cessant, je commence la journée.” — “While stopping, I start the day.” The past participle cessé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai cessé — “I have stopped the work yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with cesser, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je cesse le travail à la maison.” — “I stop the work at home.”
- “Tu cessas le travail ce matin.” — “You stopped the work this morning.”
- “Il cessait le travail avec Paul.” — “He used to stop the work with Paul.”
- “Je cesserai le travail demain.” — “I will stop the work tomorrow.”
- “Tu cesserais le travail tous les jours.” — “You would stop the work every day.”
- “Il a cessé le travail la semaine dernière.” — “He has stopped the work last week.”
- “J'avais cessé le travail ce matin.” — “I had stopped the work this morning.”
- “Tu auras cessé le travail demain.” — “You will have stopped the work tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il cesse le travail tous les jours.” — “It is important that He stop the work every day.”
- “Cesse le travail !” — “Stop the work!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je cesser le travail.”
✓ Right: “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.”
The infinitive cesser never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form cesse.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je cesses le travail.”
✓ Right: “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.”
cesses is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is cesse — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Je cesse le travail hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai cessé le travail hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai cessé here, not the present cesse.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je cessons le travail.”
✓ Right: “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.”
cessons is the nous form. The je form is cesse — the two persons never share a form in the present of cesser.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis cessé le travail hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai cessé le travail hier.”
cesser takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai cessé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous cessons le travail.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous cessions le travail.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use cessions here, not the indicative cessons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cesser. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of cesser in the Present indicative?
- A) avais cessé
- B) cesse
- C) cesserai
- D) cessons
What is the il/elle form of cesser in the Passé simple?
- A) cessa
- B) cessera
- C) a cessé
- D) avait cessé
What is the nous form of cesser in the Imperfect?
- A) cessions
- B) aurons cessé
- C) cessâmes
- D) cessassions
What is the tu form of cesser in the Future?
- A) cesseras
- B) cesserons
- C) cesses
- D) aurais cessé
What is the je form of cesser in the Conditional?
- A) aurais cessé
- B) cessasse
- C) cesserais
- D) cesseriez
What is the il/elle form of cesser in the Present subjunctive?
- A) cesse
- B) cesses
- C) cessent
- D) cessait
What is the nous form of cesser in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) avons cessé
- B) cessassions
- C) cessions
- D) avions cessé
What is the gerund of cesser?
- A) brûlant
- B) en cessant
- C) brillant
- D) éteignant
What is the past participle of cesser?
- A) bougé
- B) admiré
- C) cessé
- D) éteint
What does cesser mean in English?
- A) repair
- B) attract
- C) break
- D) stop
Answer key
- 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.
- A) cessa — the il/elle form of cesser in the passé simple is cessa. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) cessions — the nous form of cesser in the imperfect is cessions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) cesseras — the tu form of cesser in the future is cesseras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) cesserais — the je form of cesser in the conditional is cesserais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) cesse — the il/elle form of cesser in the present subjunctive is cesse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) avons cessé — the nous form of cesser in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons cessé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) en cessant — the gerund of cesser is en cessant; 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.
- C) cessé — the past participle of cesser is cessé; perfect tenses use avoir + cessé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- D) stop — cesser means “to stop” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn cesser in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — je cesse, tu cesses, il cesse, nous cessons, vous cessez, ils cessent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai cessé shows the pattern, and the participle cessé 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 cesser with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does cesser mean in English?
cesser means “to cease”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is cesser regular or irregular?
cesser is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. 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.
What are the gerund and past participle of cesser?
The gerund is en cessant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is cessé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai cessé.
How do I say “I stop” in French?
Say “Je cesse le travail tous les jours.” — “I stop the work every day.” The je form of the present is cesse, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce cesser?
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.
Related pages
- cesser in the present tense
- cesser examples and quiz
- Changer conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Réparer 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.
- Imperative Maker — practise cesser with the interactive tool.
- Preterite Vs Imperfect — practise cesser with the interactive tool.
- Verb Translator — practise cesser with the interactive tool.