Désirer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

désirer — “to desire” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find désirer in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short dialogues that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. A first sentence to fix the verb in your memory: “Je désire un café chaud.” — “I desire a hot coffee.”

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for désirer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Example sentences with désirer

In the present tense

  • “Je désire un café chaud tous les jours.” — “I desire a hot coffee.”
  • “Tu désires un café chaud souvent.” — “You desire a hot coffee.”
  • “Il désire un café chaud chaque matin.” — “He desires a hot coffee.”
  • “Nous désirons un café chaud le week-end.” — “We desire a hot coffee.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai désiré un café chaud hier.” — “I have desired a hot coffee.”
  • “Tu as désiré un café chaud ce matin.” — “You have desired a hot coffee.”
  • “Il a désiré un café chaud la semaine dernière.” — “He has desired a hot coffee.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je désirais un café chaud quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to desire a hot coffee.”
  • “Nous désirions un café chaud quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to desire a hot coffee.”
  • “Tu désireras un café chaud demain.” — “You will desire a hot coffee tomorrow.”
  • “Ils désireront un café chaud demain.” — “They will desire a hot coffee tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je désirerais un café chaud si je pouvais.” — “I would desire a hot coffee if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je désire un café chaud.” — “It is important that I desire a hot coffee.”
  • “Désire un café chaud !” — “Desire a hot coffee!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'avais désiré un café chaud avant la fête.” — “I had desired a hot coffee before the party.”

All forms above come from the verified tables. The gerund is en désirant and the past participle is désiré; the perfect tenses use avoir + désiré, as in ai désiré.

Désirer in context

Dialogue 1: every day

Marie and Paul talk about what they do every day. Notice how désirer changes with the person, and how the passé composé appears when they talk about yesterday.

Marie: “Tu désires un café chaud tous les jours ?” — “You desire a hot coffee.” Paul: “Je désire un café chaud tous les jours.” — “I desire a hot coffee.” Marie: “Tu as désiré un café chaud hier ?” — “You have desired a hot coffee.” Paul: “J'ai désiré un café chaud hier.” — “I have desired a hot coffee.” Marie: “Nous désirerons un café chaud demain ?” — “We will desire a hot coffee tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous désirerons un café chaud demain.” — “We will desire a hot coffee tomorrow.”

Dialogue 2: making plans

Paul and Marie make plans for the weekend. The conditional appears for polite suggestions, and the imperative for a direct request.

Paul: “Je désirerais un café chaud si je pouvais.” — “I would desire a hot coffee if I could.” Marie: “Tu désires un café chaud souvent ?” — “You desire a hot coffee.” Paul: “Je désire un café chaud souvent.” — “I desire a hot coffee.” Marie: “Désire un café chaud !” — “Desire a hot coffee!” Paul: “Il faut que je désire un café chaud.” — “It is important that I desire a hot coffee.” Marie: “Nous avons désiré un café chaud hier.” — “We have desired a hot coffee.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: désire becomes désires, désires becomes désire, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — désire*, désires, désire, désirons, désirez, *désirent — in memory.

Common mistakes with désirer

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je désirer un café chaud.”

Right: “Je désire un café chaud.”

The infinitive désirer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form désire.

Mistake 2: Confusing désirer with espérer

Wrong: “Je désire une bonne nouvelle aujourd’hui.” (meant as “espérer”)

Right: “Je désire un café chaud.”

désirer means “to desire” and espérer means “to hope”. They appear in similar situations, but they are different actions — check the meaning before you choose the verb.

Mistake 3: Using être for the passé composé

Wrong: “Je suis désiré un café chaud.”

Right: “J'ai désiré un café chaud.”

With désirer the passé composé is formed with avoir: ai désiré.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je désire un café chaud.”

Right: “Il faut que je désire un café chaud.”

After il faut que French needs the subjunctive: désire, not the indicative désire.

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu désire un café chaud.”

Right: “Tu désires un café chaud.”

After tu you need désires, not the je form désire.

Quiz: désirer in everyday use

  1. What is the je form of désirer in the Present indicative?

    • A) désirez
    • B) désires
    • C) désirent
    • D) désire

  2. What is the ils/elles form of désirer in the Present indicative?

    • A) désire
    • B) désires
    • C) désirent
    • D) désirons

  3. What is the tu form of désirer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?

    • A) as désiré
    • B) ai désiré
    • C) avons désiré
    • D) avez désiré

  4. What is the nous form of désirer in the Imperfect?

    • A) désiriez
    • B) désirions
    • C) désirait
    • D) désiraient

  5. What is the il/elle form of désirer in the Future?

    • A) désirerez
    • B) désirera
    • C) désirerons
    • D) désirerai

  6. What is the je form of désirer in the Conditional?

    • A) désireraient
    • B) désirerions
    • C) désirerais
    • D) désirerait

  7. What is the tu form of désirer in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) désires
    • B) désiriez
    • C) désirions
    • D) désire

  8. What is the tu form of désirer in the Imperative (affirmative)?

    • A) désire
    • B) désirons
    • C) désireront
    • D) désirez

  9. What is the past participle of désirer?

    • A) désiré
    • B) désire
    • C) en désirant
    • D) désirais

  10. What does désirer mean in English?

  • A) to go
  • B) to desire
  • C) to have
  • D) to be

Answer key

  1. D) désire — the je form of désirer in the present indicative is désire.
  2. C) désirent — the ils/elles form of désirer in the present indicative is désirent.
  3. A) as désiré — the tu form of désirer in the present perfect (passé composé) is as désiré.
  4. B) désirions — the nous form of désirer in the imperfect is désirions.
  5. B) désirera — the il/elle form of désirer in the future is désirera.
  6. C) désirerais — the je form of désirer in the conditional is désirerais.
  7. A) désires — the tu form of désirer in the present subjunctive is désires.
  8. A) désire — the tu form of désirer in the imperative (affirmative) is désire.
  9. A) désiré — the past participle of désirer is désiré; perfect tenses use avoir + désiré.
  10. B) to desire — désirer means “to desire” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does désirer mean in English?

désirer means “to desire”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je désire un café chaud.” (“I desire a hot coffee.”).

Which auxiliary does désirer take in the passé composé?

désirer takes avoir: ai désiré. Because the auxiliary is avoir, the participle normally stays invariable.

What is the hardest form of désirer to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — désire*, désires, désire, désirons, désirez, *désirent. Say them in order every day, and use the dialogues above to practise them in real sentences.

Where can I see the full conjugation of désirer?

On the full conjugation page for désirer, which has every tense, and on the désirer present page, which goes deep on one tense.

Say it yourself

Cover the French sentences above and translate the English back into French. Start with the present tense: “I desire a hot coffee.” should become “Je désire un café chaud”. Then try the passé composé: “I have desired a hot coffee.” should become “J'ai désiré un café chaud”. Finally, try the future: “I will desire a hot coffee tomorrow.” should become “Je désirerai un café chaud”. If you get a form wrong, check it against the full conjugation page and say the correct form aloud three times before moving on.

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