Introduction

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

Considérer in the Present Tense — full table

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

How the present tense of considérer is formed

The present tense of considérer has six forms: je considère, tu considères, il considère, nous considérons, vous considérez, ils considèrent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. considérer is a grave-accent verb: the stem vowel é becomes è in the stressed forms of the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative — je considère against nous considérons. The rest of the verb follows the regular -er pattern. 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 considérer 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 considérons and considérez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so considère can mean both “I consider” and “I am considerring” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because considérer 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 considérer are: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. In the tenses not listed there, considérer follows the regular -er pattern.

When to use the present of considérer

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

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about considérer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il considère le projet ce matin.” — “He considers the project 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 considérer 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 considérons le projet avec Paul.” — “We consider the project 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 considères le projet.” — “You consider the project.”

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

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 considérer in the Present indicative?

    • A) ai considéré
    • B) considère
    • C) considérerais
    • D) considérez

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

    • A) considère
    • B) as considéré
    • C) considéreras
    • D) considères

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

    • A) aurait considéré
    • B) considère
    • C) considérez
    • D) avait considéré

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

    • A) aurons considéré
    • B) avions considéré
    • C) considère
    • D) considérons

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

    • A) auriez considéré
    • B) avez considéré
    • C) considères
    • D) considérez

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

    • A) considéreront
    • B) avaient considéré
    • C) ont considéré
    • D) considèrent

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

    • A) considérons
    • B) considérais
    • C) considère
    • D) considérerais

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

    • A) considérez
    • B) considères
    • C) considéreras
    • D) considérasses

Answer key

  1. B) considère — the je form of considérer in the present indicative is considère. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. D) considères — the tu form of considérer in the present indicative is considères. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. B) considère — the il/elle form of considérer in the present indicative is considère. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. D) considérons — the nous form of considérer in the present indicative is considérons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. D) considérez — the vous form of considérer in the present indicative is considérez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. D) considèrent — the ils/elles form of considérer in the present indicative is considèrent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. C) considère — the je form of considérer in the present indicative is considère. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. B) considères — the tu form of considérer in the present indicative is considères. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does considérer mean in English?

considérer means “to consider”. It is a non-reflexive, irregular, grave-accent (é → è) spelling change verb.

How is the present tense of considérer formed?

The six present forms are: je considère, tu considères, il considère, nous considérons, vous considérez, ils considèrent. considérer is a grave-accent verb: the stem vowel é becomes è in the stressed forms of the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative — je considère against nous considérons. The rest of the verb follows the regular -er pattern.

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 considérer?

The gerund is en considérant and the past participle is considéré.

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