Introduction

Dessiner means “to draw”, and this page covers exactly one thing: dessiner 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 dessiner, 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 dessiner in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il dessine la maison tous les jours.” — “He draws the house every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of dessiner exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Dessiner in the Present Tense — full table

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

How the present tense of dessiner is formed

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

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

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about dessiner does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il dessine la maison ce matin.” — “He draws the house 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 dessiner 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 dessinons la maison avec Paul.” — “We draw the house 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 dessines la maison.” — “You draw the house.”

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

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 dessiner in the Present indicative?

    • A) dessinasse
    • B) aurai dessiné
    • C) dessinons
    • D) dessine

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

    • A) aurais dessiné
    • B) as dessiné
    • C) dessine
    • D) dessines

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

    • A) dessines
    • B) aurait dessiné
    • C) dessine
    • D) dessinera

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

    • A) aurons dessiné
    • B) dessinerons
    • C) dessinons
    • D) dessinâmes

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

    • A) dessinâtes
    • B) dessinez
    • C) dessinerez
    • D) aurez dessiné

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

    • A) dessinez
    • B) dessine
    • C) dessineront
    • D) dessinent

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

    • A) dessine
    • B) aurai dessiné
    • C) dessinai
    • D) aurais dessiné

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

    • A) dessinasses
    • B) avais dessiné
    • C) auras dessiné
    • D) dessines

Answer key

  1. D) dessine — the je form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessine. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. D) dessines — the tu form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessines. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. C) dessine — the il/elle form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessine. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. C) dessinons — the nous form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessinons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. B) dessinez — the vous form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessinez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. D) dessinent — the ils/elles form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessinent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. A) dessine — the je form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessine. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. D) dessines — the tu form of dessiner in the present indicative is dessines. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does dessiner mean in English?

dessiner means “to draw”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of dessiner formed?

The six present forms are: je dessine, tu dessines, il dessine, nous dessinons, vous dessinez, ils dessinent. dessiner 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 dessiner?

The gerund is en dessinant and the past participle is dessiné.

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