Échouer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

échouer — “to fail” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find échouer 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: “J'échoue à mon premier examen.” — “I fail in my first exam.”

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

Example sentences with échouer

In the present tense

  • “J'échoue à mon premier examen tous les jours.” — “I fail in my first exam.”
  • “Tu échoues à mon premier examen souvent.” — “You fail in my first exam.”
  • “Il échoue à mon premier examen chaque matin.” — “He fails in my first exam.”
  • “Nous échouons à mon premier examen le week-end.” — “We fail in my first exam.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai échoué à mon premier examen hier.” — “I have failed in my first exam.”
  • “Tu as échoué à mon premier examen ce matin.” — “You have failed in my first exam.”
  • “Il a échoué à mon premier examen la semaine dernière.” — “He has failed in my first exam.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “J'échouais à mon premier examen quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to fail in my first exam.”
  • “Nous échouions à mon premier examen quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to fail in my first exam.”
  • “Tu échoueras à mon premier examen demain.” — “You will fail in my first exam tomorrow.”
  • “Ils échoueront à mon premier examen demain.” — “They will fail in my first exam tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “J'échouerais à mon premier examen si je pouvais.” — “I would fail in my first exam if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je échoue à mon premier examen.” — “It is important that I fail in my first exam.”
  • “Échoue à mon premier examen !” — “Fail in my first exam!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'avais échoué à mon premier examen avant la fête.” — “I had failed in my first exam before the party.”

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

Échouer in context

Dialogue 1: every day

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

Marie: “Tu échoues à mon premier examen tous les jours ?” — “You fail in my first exam.” Paul: “J'échoue à mon premier examen tous les jours.” — “I fail in my first exam.” Marie: “Tu as échoué à mon premier examen hier ?” — “You have failed in my first exam.” Paul: “J'ai échoué à mon premier examen hier.” — “I have failed in my first exam.” Marie: “Nous échouerons à mon premier examen demain ?” — “We will fail in my first exam tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous échouerons à mon premier examen demain.” — “We will fail in my first exam 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: “J'échouerais à mon premier examen si je pouvais.” — “I would fail in my first exam if I could.” Marie: “Tu échoues à mon premier examen souvent ?” — “You fail in my first exam.” Paul: “J'échoue à mon premier examen souvent.” — “I fail in my first exam.” Marie: “Échoue à mon premier examen !” — “Fail in my first exam!” Paul: “Il faut que je échoue à mon premier examen.” — “It is important that I fail in my first exam.” Marie: “Nous avons échoué à mon premier examen hier.” — “We have failed in my first exam.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: échoue becomes échoues, échoues becomes échoue, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — échoue*, échoues, échoue, échouons, échouez, *échouent — in memory.

Common mistakes with échouer

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je échouer à mon premier examen.”

Right: “J'échoue à mon premier examen.”

The infinitive échouer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form échoue.

Mistake 2: Confusing échouer with réussir

Wrong: “J'échoue à mon examen de français.” (meant as “réussir”)

Right: “J'échoue à mon premier examen.”

échouer means “to fail” and réussir means “to succeed”. 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 échoué à mon premier examen.”

Right: “J'ai échoué à mon premier examen.”

With échouer the passé composé is formed with avoir: ai échoué.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je échoue à mon premier examen.”

Right: “Il faut que je échoue à mon premier examen.”

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

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu échoue à mon premier examen.”

Right: “Tu échoues à mon premier examen.”

After tu you need échoues, not the je form échoue.

Quiz: échouer in everyday use

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

    • A) échoues
    • B) échouons
    • C) échouez
    • D) échoue

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

    • A) échoues
    • B) échouez
    • C) échouent
    • D) échoue

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

    • A) ai échoué
    • B) avez échoué
    • C) as échoué
    • D) a échoué

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

    • A) échouiez
    • B) échouait
    • C) échouaient
    • D) échouions

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

    • A) échouerons
    • B) échoueras
    • C) échouerez
    • D) échouera

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

    • A) échoueraient
    • B) échouerions
    • C) échouerait
    • D) échouerais

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

    • A) échouiez
    • B) échouions
    • C) échoue
    • D) échoues

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

    • A) avais échoué
    • B) échoue
    • C) échouons
    • D) échouez

  9. What is the past participle of échouer?

    • A) échoué
    • B) échouais
    • C) en échouant
    • D) échoue

  10. What does échouer mean in English?

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

Answer key

  1. D) échoue — the je form of échouer in the present indicative is échoue.
  2. C) échouent — the ils/elles form of échouer in the present indicative is échouent.
  3. C) as échoué — the tu form of échouer in the present perfect (passé composé) is as échoué.
  4. D) échouions — the nous form of échouer in the imperfect is échouions.
  5. D) échouera — the il/elle form of échouer in the future is échouera.
  6. D) échouerais — the je form of échouer in the conditional is échouerais.
  7. D) échoues — the tu form of échouer in the present subjunctive is échoues.
  8. B) échoue — the tu form of échouer in the imperative (affirmative) is échoue.
  9. A) échoué — the past participle of échouer is échoué; perfect tenses use avoir + échoué.
  10. D) to fail — échouer means “to fail” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does échouer mean in English?

échouer means “to fail”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “J'échoue à mon premier examen.” (“I fail in my first exam.”).

Which auxiliary does échouer take in the passé composé?

échouer takes avoir: ai échoué. Because the auxiliary is avoir, the participle normally stays invariable.

What is the hardest form of échouer to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — échoue*, échoues, échoue, échouons, échouez, *échouent. 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 échouer?

On the full conjugation page for échouer, which has every tense, and on the échouer 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 fail in my first exam.” should become “J'échoue à mon premier examen”. Then try the passé composé: “I have failed in my first exam.” should become “J'ai échoué à mon premier examen”. Finally, try the future: “I will fail in my first exam tomorrow.” should become “J'échouerai à mon premier examen”. 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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