Introduction

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

Comparer in the Present Tense — full table

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

How the present tense of comparer is formed

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

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

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about comparer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il compare les livres ce matin.” — “He compares the books 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 comparer 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 comparons les livres avec Paul.” — “We compare the books 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 compares les livres.” — “You compare the books.”

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

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 comparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) comparerai
    • B) compare
    • C) comparez
    • D) ai comparé

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

    • A) comparons
    • B) compares
    • C) compare
    • D) aurais comparé

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

    • A) comparons
    • B) comparent
    • C) a comparé
    • D) compare

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

    • A) aurons comparé
    • B) compare
    • C) comparons
    • D) avons comparé

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

    • A) comparent
    • B) comparerez
    • C) comparâtes
    • D) comparez

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

    • A) comparent
    • B) comparez
    • C) compares
    • D) comparons

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

    • A) aurais comparé
    • B) comparai
    • C) comparerais
    • D) compare

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

    • A) compareras
    • B) compares
    • C) comparas
    • D) comparerais

Answer key

  1. B) compare — the je form of comparer in the present indicative is compare. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. B) compares — the tu form of comparer in the present indicative is compares. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. D) compare — the il/elle form of comparer in the present indicative is compare. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. C) comparons — the nous form of comparer in the present indicative is comparons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. D) comparez — the vous form of comparer in the present indicative is comparez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. A) comparent — the ils/elles form of comparer in the present indicative is comparent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. D) compare — the je form of comparer in the present indicative is compare. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. B) compares — the tu form of comparer in the present indicative is compares. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does comparer mean in English?

comparer means “to compare”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of comparer formed?

The six present forms are: je compare, tu compares, il compare, nous comparons, vous comparez, ils comparent. comparer 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 comparer?

The gerund is en comparant and the past participle is comparé.

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