Introduction

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

Changer in the Present Tense — full table

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

How the present tense of changer is formed

The present tense of changer has six forms: je change, tu changes, il change, nous changeons, vous changez, ils changent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. changer is a -ger verb: an e is inserted after g before a and o, so the g stays soft — je change, nous changeons. Before e and i no e is inserted. The change is spelling only. 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 changer 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 changeons and changez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so change can mean both “I change” and “I am changing” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because changer is irregular in the present, do not try to derive these forms from the infinitive: the table above is the authority, and every form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified tables. The irregular tenses of changer are: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. In the tenses not listed there, changer follows the regular -er pattern.

When to use the present of changer

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

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about changer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il change le plan ce matin.” — “He changes the plan 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 changer 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 changeons le plan avec Paul.” — “We change the plan 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 changes le plan.” — “You change the plan.”

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

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 changer in the Present indicative?

    • A) changent
    • B) change
    • C) changeais
    • D) changeasse

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

    • A) change
    • B) changeons
    • C) changes
    • D) changez

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

    • A) a changé
    • B) changera
    • C) change
    • D) aurait changé

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

    • A) changeions
    • B) changeons
    • C) changerons
    • D) avons changé

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

    • A) changez
    • B) avez changé
    • C) change
    • D) changeons

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

    • A) auront changé
    • B) change
    • C) changent
    • D) avaient changé

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

    • A) changeais
    • B) changes
    • C) change
    • D) aurais changé

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

    • A) changes
    • B) changeasses
    • C) changeras
    • D) change

Answer key

  1. B) change — the je form of changer in the present indicative is change. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. C) changes — the tu form of changer in the present indicative is changes. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. C) change — the il/elle form of changer in the present indicative is change. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. B) changeons — the nous form of changer in the present indicative is changeons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. A) changez — the vous form of changer in the present indicative is changez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. C) changent — the ils/elles form of changer in the present indicative is changent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. C) change — the je form of changer in the present indicative is change. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. A) changes — the tu form of changer in the present indicative is changes. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does changer mean in English?

changer means “to change”. It is a non-reflexive, irregular, -ger (e-insertion) spelling change verb.

How is the present tense of changer formed?

The six present forms are: je change, tu changes, il change, nous changeons, vous changez, ils changent. changer is a -ger verb: an e is inserted after g before a and o, so the g stays soft — je change, nous changeons. Before e and i no e is inserted. The change is spelling only.

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 changer?

The gerund is en changeant and the past participle is changé.

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