Entrer Conjugation in French

entrer means “to enter” in English, and it is a verb French learners meet early and use often. This page gives you the complete conjugation of entrer — 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: “J'entre dans la salle de classe.” — “I enter into the classroom.” Learning the forms on this page first, before you try to use the verb in conversation, saves you from guessing later: French spelling and endings change with the person and the tense, and entrer is no exception. Work through the tables one tense at a time, say each form aloud, and then test yourself with the quiz at the end.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: entrer
  • English: to enter
  • Verb type: Regular -er verb
  • Irregular in: — (regular in every tense)
  • Gerund: en entrant
  • Past participle: entré
  • Auxiliary: être (all perfect tenses are formed with être + the past participle)

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

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for entrer. 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 entre
tu entres
il/elle entre
nous entrons
vous entrez
ils/elles entrent

Passé simple

Person Form
je entrai
tu entras
il/elle entra
nous entrâmes
vous entrâtes
ils/elles entrèrent

Imperfect

Person Form
je entrais
tu entrais
il/elle entrait
nous entrions
vous entriez
ils/elles entraient

Future

Person Form
je entrerai
tu entreras
il/elle entrera
nous entrerons
vous entrerez
ils/elles entreront

Conditional

Person Form
je entrerais
tu entrerais
il/elle entrerait
nous entrerions
vous entreriez
ils/elles entreraient

Present perfect (passé composé)

Person Form
je suis entré
tu es entré
il/elle est entré
nous sommes entré
vous êtes entré
ils/elles sont entré

Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)

Person Form
je étais entré
tu étais entré
il/elle était entré
nous étions entré
vous étiez entré
ils/elles étaient entré

Future perfect

Person Form
je serai entré
tu seras entré
il/elle sera entré
nous serons entré
vous serez entré
ils/elles seront entré

Conditional perfect

Person Form
je serais entré
tu serais entré
il/elle serait entré
nous serions entré
vous seriez entré
ils/elles seraient entré

Present subjunctive

Person Form
je entre
tu entres
il/elle entre
nous entrions
vous entriez
ils/elles entrent

Imperfect subjunctive

Person Form
je entrasse
tu entrasses
il/elle entrât
nous entrassions
vous entrassiez
ils/elles entrassent

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tu entre
nous entrons
vous entrez

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tu entre
nous entrons
vous entrez

Gerund and past participle

Form French
Gerund en entrant
Past participle entré

When to use each tense

Present indicative

The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “J'entre dans la salle de classe.” — “I enter into the classroom.”

Passé simple

The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. For example: “Tu entras dans la salle de classe.” — “You entered into the classroom one day.”

Imperfect

The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and background description. For example: “Il entrait dans la salle de classe quand j’étais jeune.” — “He used to enter into the classroom.”

Future

The future is used for what will happen, predictions and promises. For example: “Nous entrerons dans la salle de classe.” — “We will enter into the classroom tomorrow.”

Conditional

The conditional is used for what would happen, polite requests and hypothetical situations. For example: “Vous entreriez dans la salle de classe.” — “You would enter into the classroom if you could.”

Present perfect (passé composé)

The present perfect (passé composé) is used for recent past actions and completed events. With entrer it is formed with être + the past participle entré. For example: “Ils sont entré dans la salle de classe hier.” — “They have entered into the classroom.”

Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)

The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'étais entré dans la salle de classe avant la fête.” — “I had entered into the classroom before the party.”

Future perfect

The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tu seras entré dans la salle de classe.” — “You will have entered into the classroom by tomorrow evening.”

Conditional perfect

The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Il serait entré dans la salle de classe.” — “He would have entered into the classroom if he had been able to.”

Present subjunctive

The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “Il faut que je entre dans la salle de classe.” — “It is important that I enter into the classroom.”

Imperfect subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is used for the past subjunctive: wishes and hypotheticals about the past, mainly in formal writing. For example: “Il fallait que je entrasse dans la salle de classe.” — “It was important that I enter into the classroom.”

Imperative (affirmative)

The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Entre dans la salle de classe !” — “Enter into the classroom!”

Imperative (negative)

The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Entre dans la salle de classe !” — “Do not enter into the classroom!”

Gerund and past participle

The gerund is en entrant — “while entering” — used after en to say how something happens. The past participle is entré, used with être for the perfect tenses, as in suis entré.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with entrer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.

  1. “J'entre dans la salle de classe.” — “I enter into the classroom.”
  2. “Tu entres dans la salle de classe.” — “You enter into the classroom.”
  3. “Il entrait dans la salle de classe.” — “He used to enter into the classroom.”
  4. “Nous entrerons dans la salle de classe.” — “We will enter into the classroom tomorrow.”
  5. “J'entrerais dans la salle de classe.” — “I would enter into the classroom if I could.”
  6. “Tu es entré dans la salle de classe.” — “You have entered into the classroom.”
  7. “Il était entré dans la salle de classe.” — “He had entered into the classroom before the party.”
  8. “Nous serons entré dans la salle de classe.” — “We will have entered into the classroom by tomorrow evening.”
  9. “Il faut que je entre dans la salle de classe.” — “It is important that I enter into the classroom.”
  10. “Entre dans la salle de classe !” — “Enter into the classroom!”

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Je entrer dans la salle de classe.”

✓ Right: “J'entre dans la salle de classe.”

The infinitive entrer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form entre.

2. Confusing entrer with rentrer

✗ Wrong: “J'entre à la maison le soir.” (meant as “rentrer”)

✓ Right: “J'entre dans la salle de classe.”

entrer means “to enter”; rentrer means “to return (home)”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.

3. Using avoir for the passé composé

✗ Wrong: “J’ai entré dans la salle de classe.”

✓ Right: “Je suis entré dans la salle de classe.”

With entrer the passé composé is formed with être, not avoir: suis entré.

4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

✗ Wrong: “Il faut que je entre dans la salle de classe.”

✓ Right: “Il faut que je entre dans la salle de classe.”

After il faut que French needs the subjunctive, so use entre here, not the indicative entre.

5. Forgetting that the participle agrees with être

✗ Wrong: “Elle est entré.” (said of a woman, with the masculine form)

✓ Right: “Elle est entrée.” — the participle agrees in gender and number with the subject when the auxiliary is être; the tables on this page give the masculine singular form entré.

With être the past participle agrees with the subject. The tables give the masculine singular; add -e for a feminine subject and -s for a plural one.

Quiz: test yourself

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

    • A) entrent
    • B) entre
    • C) entrez
    • D) entrons
  2. What is the ils/elles form of entrer in the Present indicative?

    • A) entrent
    • B) entrons
    • C) entrez
    • D) entres
  3. What is the il/elle form of entrer in the Passé simple?

    • A) entrâtes
    • B) entrèrent
    • C) entra
    • D) entras
  4. What is the nous form of entrer in the Imperfect?

    • A) entrions
    • B) entrait
    • C) entriez
    • D) entrais
  5. What is the tu form of entrer in the Future?

    • A) entreront
    • B) entreras
    • C) entrerez
    • D) entrerai
  6. What is the je form of entrer in the Conditional?

    • A) entrerions
    • B) entrerait
    • C) entreraient
    • D) entrerais
  7. What is the il/elle form of entrer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?

    • A) est entré
    • B) êtes entré
    • C) sommes entré
    • D) sont entré
  8. What is the vous form of entrer in the Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)?

    • A) étaient entré
    • B) étais entré
    • C) étiez entré
    • D) étions entré
  9. What is the gerund of entrer?

    • A) entre
    • B) entré
    • C) entrerai
    • D) en entrant
  10. What is the past participle of entrer?

  • A) entre
  • B) en entrant
  • C) entrais
  • D) entré

Answer key

  1. B) entre — the je form of entrer in the present indicative is entre.
  2. A) entrent — the ils/elles form of entrer in the present indicative is entrent.
  3. C) entra — the il/elle form of entrer in the passé simple is entra.
  4. A) entrions — the nous form of entrer in the imperfect is entrions.
  5. B) entreras — the tu form of entrer in the future is entreras.
  6. D) entrerais — the je form of entrer in the conditional is entrerais.
  7. A) est entré — the il/elle form of entrer in the present perfect (passé composé) is est entré.
  8. C) étiez entré — the vous form of entrer in the pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is étiez entré.
  9. D) en entrant — the gerund of entrer is en entrant; it is used after en for actions in progress.
  10. D) entré — the past participle of entrer is entré; perfect tenses use être + entré.

Frequently asked questions

What does entrer mean in English?

entrer means “to enter”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “J'entre dans la salle de classe.” (“I enter into the classroom.”). It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.

Is entrer regular or irregular?

entrer is regular: its endings follow the standard -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is en entrant and the past participle is entré.

What are the gerund and past participle of entrer?

The gerund is en entrant — use it after en for actions in progress. The past participle is entré — use it with être for the perfect tenses, as in suis entré.

What is the difference between entrer and rentrer?

entrer means “to enter”, while rentrer means “to return (home)”. They are easy to mix up because they appear in similar situations, but their meanings are different. If you are unsure, check the full conjugation page for rentrer and compare the meanings in context.

How do I say “I enter” in French?

Say “J'entre dans la salle de classe.” — “I enter into the classroom.” The je form of the present is entre, and it is the form you will use most often.

How to learn entrer

Start with the present tense: entre, entres, entre, entrons, entrez, entrent. Say them in order every day for a week, then add the passé composé — suis entré — and the imperfect — entrais. Next, learn the future (entrerai) and the conditional (entrerais), which share the same stem. Finally, tackle the subjunctive (entre) and the imperative (entre). Write one sentence of your own in each tense, using the examples above as models, and check every form against the tables. When you can produce all six persons of the present without looking, move on to the present-tense quiz.

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