Changer Conjugation in French
changer means “to change” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 78 in VerbFlow’s French list. It is a non-reflexive, irregular, -ger (e-insertion) spelling change -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 change le plan tous les jours.” — “I change the plan every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: changer
- English: to change
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Irregular, -ger (e-insertion) spelling change
- Irregular in: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: en changeant
- Past participle: changé
- 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 changer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for changer. 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 | change |
| tu | changes |
| il/elle | change |
| nous | changeons |
| vous | changez |
| ils/elles | changent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | changeai |
| tu | changeas |
| il/elle | changea |
| nous | changeâmes |
| vous | changeâtes |
| ils/elles | changèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | changeais |
| tu | changeais |
| il/elle | changeait |
| nous | changeions |
| vous | changeiez |
| ils/elles | changeaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | changerai |
| tu | changeras |
| il/elle | changera |
| nous | changerons |
| vous | changerez |
| ils/elles | changeront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | changerais |
| tu | changerais |
| il/elle | changerait |
| nous | changerions |
| vous | changeriez |
| ils/elles | changeraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai changé |
| tu | as changé |
| il/elle | a changé |
| nous | avons changé |
| vous | avez changé |
| ils/elles | ont changé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais changé |
| tu | avais changé |
| il/elle | avait changé |
| nous | avions changé |
| vous | aviez changé |
| ils/elles | avaient changé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai changé |
| tu | auras changé |
| il/elle | aura changé |
| nous | aurons changé |
| vous | aurez changé |
| ils/elles | auront changé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais changé |
| tu | aurais changé |
| il/elle | aurait changé |
| nous | aurions changé |
| vous | auriez changé |
| ils/elles | auraient changé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | change |
| tu | changes |
| il/elle | change |
| nous | changeions |
| vous | changeiez |
| ils/elles | changent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | changeasse |
| tu | changeasses |
| il/elle | changeât |
| nous | changeassions |
| vous | changeassiez |
| ils/elles | changeassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | change |
| nous | changeons |
| vous | changez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | change |
| nous | changeons |
| vous | changez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en changeant |
| Past participle | changé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With changer this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Je change le plan tous les jours.” — “I change the plan every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu changeas le plan la semaine dernière.” — “You changed the plan last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il changeait le plan ce matin.” — “He used to change the plan this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous changerons le plan.” — “We will change the plan.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous changeriez le plan.” — “You would change the plan.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont changé le plan hier.” — “They have changed the plan yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais changé le plan hier.” — “I had changed the plan yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras changé le plan la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have changed the plan next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait changé le plan ce matin.” — “He would have changed the plan this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With changer this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Il est important que nous changeions le plan tous les jours.” — “It is important that We change the plan 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 changer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous changeassiez le plan hier.” — “It was necessary that You change the plan yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With changer this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Changez le plan !” — “Change the plan!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With changer this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ne change pas le plan !” — “Do not change the plan!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en changeant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En changeant, je commence la journée.” — “While changing, I start the day.” The past participle changé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai changé — “I have changed the plan yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with changer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je change le plan à la maison.” — “I change the plan at home.”
- “Tu changeas le plan ce matin.” — “You changed the plan this morning.”
- “Il changeait le plan avec Paul.” — “He used to change the plan with Paul.”
- “Je changerai le plan demain.” — “I will change the plan tomorrow.”
- “Tu changerais le plan tous les jours.” — “You would change the plan every day.”
- “Il a changé le plan la semaine dernière.” — “He has changed the plan last week.”
- “J'avais changé le plan ce matin.” — “I had changed the plan this morning.”
- “Tu auras changé le plan demain.” — “You will have changed the plan tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il change le plan tous les jours.” — “It is important that He change the plan every day.”
- “Change le plan !” — “Change the plan!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je changer le plan.”
✓ Right: “Je change le plan tous les jours.”
The infinitive changer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form change.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je changes le plan.”
✓ Right: “Je change le plan tous les jours.”
changes is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is change — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Je change le plan hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai changé le plan hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai changé here, not the present change.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je changeons le plan.”
✓ Right: “Je change le plan tous les jours.”
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.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis changé le plan hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai changé le plan hier.”
changer takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai changé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous changeons le plan.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous changeions le plan.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use changeions here, not the indicative changeons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on changer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of changer in the Present indicative?
- A) changeai
- B) aurai changé
- C) change
- D) avais changé
What is the il/elle form of changer in the Passé simple?
- A) changea
- B) aura changé
- C) changeâmes
- D) changeai
What is the nous form of changer in the Imperfect?
- A) avons changé
- B) changeions
- C) changeait
- D) avions changé
What is the tu form of changer in the Future?
- A) changerai
- B) changeas
- C) changeras
- D) avais changé
What is the je form of changer in the Conditional?
- A) changerait
- B) ai changé
- C) changerais
- D) changerions
What is the il/elle form of changer in the Present subjunctive?
- A) changeiez
- B) changera
- C) change
- D) avait changé
What is the nous form of changer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) changerons
- B) ont changé
- C) avons changé
- D) ai changé
What is the gerund of changer?
- A) allumant
- B) dessinant
- C) en changeant
- D) admettant
What is the past participle of changer?
- A) enlevé
- B) convaincu
- C) changé
- D) aperçu
What does changer mean in English?
- A) attend
- B) conclude
- C) change
- D) consider
Answer key
- 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.
- A) changea — the il/elle form of changer in the passé simple is changea. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) changeions — the nous form of changer in the imperfect is changeions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) changeras — the tu form of changer in the future is changeras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) changerais — the je form of changer in the conditional is changerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) change — the il/elle form of changer in the present subjunctive is change. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) avons changé — the nous form of changer in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons changé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) en changeant — the gerund of changer is en changeant; 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) changé — the past participle of changer is changé; perfect tenses use avoir + changé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- C) change — changer means “to change” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn changer in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — je change, tu changes, il change, nous changeons, vous changez, ils changent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai changé shows the pattern, and the participle changé 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 changer with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
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, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is changer regular or irregular?
changer is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. 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.
What are the gerund and past participle of changer?
The gerund is en changeant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is changé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai changé.
How do I say “I change” in French?
Say “Je change le plan tous les jours.” — “I change the plan every day.” The je form of the present is change, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce changer?
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.
Related pages
- changer in the present tense
- changer examples and quiz
- Charger conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Casser 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.
- Perfect Tenses Builder — practise changer with the interactive tool.
- Tense Comparison — practise changer with the interactive tool.
- Pronunciation Guide — practise changer with the interactive tool.