Détruire Conjugation in French
détruire means “to destroy” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 90 in VerbFlow’s French list. It is a non-reflexive, irregular -re 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 détruis la maison tous les jours.” — “I destroy the house every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: détruire
- English: to destroy
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Irregular
- Irregular in: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: en détruisant
- Past participle: détruit
- 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 détruire, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for détruire. 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 | détruis |
| tu | détruis |
| il/elle | détruit |
| nous | détruisons |
| vous | détruisez |
| ils/elles | détruisent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | détruisis |
| tu | détruisis |
| il/elle | détruisit |
| nous | détruisîmes |
| vous | détruisîtes |
| ils/elles | détruisirent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | détruisais |
| tu | détruisais |
| il/elle | détruisait |
| nous | détruisions |
| vous | détruisiez |
| ils/elles | détruisaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | détruirai |
| tu | détruiras |
| il/elle | détruira |
| nous | détruirons |
| vous | détruirez |
| ils/elles | détruiront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | détruirais |
| tu | détruirais |
| il/elle | détruirait |
| nous | détruirions |
| vous | détruiriez |
| ils/elles | détruiraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai détruit |
| tu | as détruit |
| il/elle | a détruit |
| nous | avons détruit |
| vous | avez détruit |
| ils/elles | ont détruit |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais détruit |
| tu | avais détruit |
| il/elle | avait détruit |
| nous | avions détruit |
| vous | aviez détruit |
| ils/elles | avaient détruit |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai détruit |
| tu | auras détruit |
| il/elle | aura détruit |
| nous | aurons détruit |
| vous | aurez détruit |
| ils/elles | auront détruit |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais détruit |
| tu | aurais détruit |
| il/elle | aurait détruit |
| nous | aurions détruit |
| vous | auriez détruit |
| ils/elles | auraient détruit |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | détruise |
| tu | détruises |
| il/elle | détruise |
| nous | détruisions |
| vous | détruisiez |
| ils/elles | détruisent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | détruisisse |
| tu | détruisisses |
| il/elle | détruisît |
| nous | détruisissions |
| vous | détruisissiez |
| ils/elles | détruisissent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | détruis |
| nous | détruisons |
| vous | détruisez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | détruis |
| nous | détruisons |
| vous | détruisez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en détruisant |
| Past participle | détruit |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With détruire 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 détruis la maison tous les jours.” — “I destroy the house every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With détruire 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: “Tu détruisis la maison la semaine dernière.” — “You destroyed the house last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Il détruisait la maison ce matin.” — “He used to destroy the house this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Nous détruirons la maison.” — “We will destroy the house.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Vous détruiriez la maison.” — “You would destroy the house.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Ils ont détruit la maison hier.” — “They have destroyed the house yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “J'avais détruit la maison hier.” — “I had destroyed the house yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Tu auras détruit la maison la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have destroyed the house next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Il aurait détruit la maison ce matin.” — “He would have destroyed the house this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With détruire 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 détruisions la maison tous les jours.” — “It is important that We destroy the house 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 détruire this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -re pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous détruisissiez la maison hier.” — “It was necessary that You destroy the house yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With détruire 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: “Détruisez la maison !” — “Destroy the house!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With détruire 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 détruis pas la maison !” — “Do not destroy the house!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en détruisant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En détruisant, je commence la journée.” — “While destroyying, I start the day.” The past participle détruit is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai détruit — “I have destroyed the house yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with détruire, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je détruis la maison à la maison.” — “I destroy the house at home.”
- “Tu détruisis la maison ce matin.” — “You destroyed the house this morning.”
- “Il détruisait la maison avec Paul.” — “He used to destroy the house with Paul.”
- “Je détruirai la maison demain.” — “I will destroy the house tomorrow.”
- “Tu détruirais la maison tous les jours.” — “You would destroy the house every day.”
- “Il a détruit la maison la semaine dernière.” — “He has destroyed the house last week.”
- “J'avais détruit la maison ce matin.” — “I had destroyed the house this morning.”
- “Tu auras détruit la maison demain.” — “You will have destroyed the house tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il détruise la maison tous les jours.” — “It is important that He destroy the house every day.”
- “Détruis la maison !” — “Destroy the house!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je détruire la maison.”
✓ Right: “Je détruis la maison tous les jours.”
The infinitive détruire never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form détruis.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je détruis la maison.”
✓ Right: “Je détruis la maison tous les jours.”
détruis is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is détruis — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Je détruis la maison hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai détruit la maison hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai détruit here, not the present détruis.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je détruisons la maison.”
✓ Right: “Je détruis la maison tous les jours.”
détruire is irregular in present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative: those tenses do not follow the regular -re pattern, so learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. The other tenses follow the regular pattern.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis détruit la maison hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai détruit la maison hier.”
détruire takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai détruit, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous détruisons la maison.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous détruisions la maison.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use détruisions here, not the indicative détruisons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on détruire. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of détruire in the Present indicative?
- A) détruise
- B) détruirais
- C) détruirai
- D) détruis
What is the il/elle form of détruire in the Passé simple?
- A) détruise
- B) détruirait
- C) détruira
- D) détruisit
What is the nous form of détruire in the Imperfect?
- A) détruisions
- B) avons détruit
- C) détruisaient
- D) détruirions
What is the tu form of détruire in the Future?
- A) auras détruit
- B) détruiront
- C) détruiras
- D) as détruit
What is the je form of détruire in the Conditional?
- A) détruirai
- B) détruirions
- C) détruisis
- D) détruirais
What is the il/elle form of détruire in the Present subjunctive?
- A) détruirait
- B) détruira
- C) détruit
- D) détruise
What is the nous form of détruire in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) a détruit
- B) aurions détruit
- C) détruisîmes
- D) avons détruit
What is the gerund of détruire?
- A) bougeant
- B) en détruisant
- C) coupant
- D) dessinant
What is the past participle of détruire?
- A) préparé
- B) appartenu
- C) admiré
- D) détruit
What does détruire mean in English?
- A) destroy
- B) cause
- C) attend
- D) lower
Answer key
- D) détruis — the je form of détruire in the present indicative is détruis. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) détruisit — the il/elle form of détruire in the passé simple is détruisit. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) détruisions — the nous form of détruire in the imperfect is détruisions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) détruiras — the tu form of détruire in the future is détruiras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) détruirais — the je form of détruire in the conditional is détruirais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) détruise — the il/elle form of détruire in the present subjunctive is détruise. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) avons détruit — the nous form of détruire in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons détruit. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) en détruisant — the gerund of détruire is en détruisant; 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.
- D) détruit — the past participle of détruire is détruit; perfect tenses use avoir + détruit. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- A) destroy — détruire means “to destroy” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn détruire in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — je détruis, tu détruis, il détruit, nous détruisons, vous détruisez, ils détruisent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai détruit shows the pattern, and the participle détruit 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 détruire with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does détruire mean in English?
détruire means “to destroy”. It is a non-reflexive, irregular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is détruire regular or irregular?
détruire is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. détruire is irregular in present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative: those tenses do not follow the regular -re pattern, so learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. The other tenses follow the regular pattern.
What are the gerund and past participle of détruire?
The gerund is en détruisant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is détruit — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai détruit.
How do I say “I destroy” in French?
Say “Je détruis la maison tous les jours.” — “I destroy the house every day.” The je form of the present is détruis, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce détruire?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for détruire, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- détruire in the passé composé tense
- détruire examples and quiz
- Réparer conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Annoncer 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.
- Reflexive Verb Conjugator — practise détruire with the interactive tool.
- Por Vs Para Quiz — practise détruire with the interactive tool.
- Verb Frequency List — practise détruire with the interactive tool.