Créer Conjugation in French
créer means “to create” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 91 in VerbFlow’s French list. It is a non-reflexive, regular -er 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 crée le projet tous les jours.” — “I create the project every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: créer
- English: to create
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en créant
- Past participle: créé
- 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 créer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for créer. 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 | crée |
| tu | crées |
| il/elle | crée |
| nous | créons |
| vous | créez |
| ils/elles | créent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | créai |
| tu | créas |
| il/elle | créa |
| nous | créâmes |
| vous | créâtes |
| ils/elles | créèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | créais |
| tu | créais |
| il/elle | créait |
| nous | créions |
| vous | créiez |
| ils/elles | créaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | créerai |
| tu | créeras |
| il/elle | créera |
| nous | créerons |
| vous | créerez |
| ils/elles | créeront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | créerais |
| tu | créerais |
| il/elle | créerait |
| nous | créerions |
| vous | créeriez |
| ils/elles | créeraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai créé |
| tu | as créé |
| il/elle | a créé |
| nous | avons créé |
| vous | avez créé |
| ils/elles | ont créé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais créé |
| tu | avais créé |
| il/elle | avait créé |
| nous | avions créé |
| vous | aviez créé |
| ils/elles | avaient créé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai créé |
| tu | auras créé |
| il/elle | aura créé |
| nous | aurons créé |
| vous | aurez créé |
| ils/elles | auront créé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais créé |
| tu | aurais créé |
| il/elle | aurait créé |
| nous | aurions créé |
| vous | auriez créé |
| ils/elles | auraient créé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | crée |
| tu | crées |
| il/elle | crée |
| nous | créions |
| vous | créiez |
| ils/elles | créent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | créasse |
| tu | créasses |
| il/elle | créât |
| nous | créassions |
| vous | créassiez |
| ils/elles | créassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | crée |
| nous | créons |
| vous | créez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | crée |
| nous | créons |
| vous | créez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en créant |
| Past participle | créé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Je crée le projet tous les jours.” — “I create the project every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu créas le projet la semaine dernière.” — “You created the project last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il créait le projet ce matin.” — “He used to create the project this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous créerons le projet.” — “We will create the project.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous créeriez le projet.” — “You would create the project.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont créé le projet hier.” — “They have created the project yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais créé le projet hier.” — “I had created the project yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras créé le projet la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have created the project next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait créé le projet ce matin.” — “He would have created the project this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous créions le projet tous les jours.” — “It is important that We create the project 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 créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous créassiez le projet hier.” — “It was necessary that You create the project yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Créez le projet !” — “Create the project!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With créer this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne crée pas le projet !” — “Do not create the project!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en créant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En créant, je commence la journée.” — “While creating, I start the day.” The past participle créé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai créé — “I have created the project yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with créer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je crée le projet à la maison.” — “I create the project at home.”
- “Tu créas le projet ce matin.” — “You created the project this morning.”
- “Il créait le projet avec Paul.” — “He used to create the project with Paul.”
- “Je créerai le projet demain.” — “I will create the project tomorrow.”
- “Tu créerais le projet tous les jours.” — “You would create the project every day.”
- “Il a créé le projet la semaine dernière.” — “He has created the project last week.”
- “J'avais créé le projet ce matin.” — “I had created the project this morning.”
- “Tu auras créé le projet demain.” — “You will have created the project tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il crée le projet tous les jours.” — “It is important that He create the project every day.”
- “Crée le projet !” — “Create the project!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je créer le projet.”
✓ Right: “Je crée le projet tous les jours.”
The infinitive créer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form crée.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je crées le projet.”
✓ Right: “Je crée le projet tous les jours.”
crées is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is crée — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Je crée le projet hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai créé le projet hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai créé here, not the present crée.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je créons le projet.”
✓ Right: “Je crée le projet tous les jours.”
créons is the nous form. The je form is crée — the two persons never share a form in the present of créer.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis créé le projet hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai créé le projet hier.”
créer takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai créé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous créons le projet.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous créions le projet.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use créions here, not the indicative créons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on créer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of créer in the Present indicative?
- A) créez
- B) crées
- C) crée
- D) ai créé
What is the il/elle form of créer in the Passé simple?
- A) créâtes
- B) créerait
- C) créa
- D) aura créé
What is the nous form of créer in the Imperfect?
- A) avons créé
- B) créions
- C) créais
- D) créait
What is the tu form of créer in the Future?
- A) créais
- B) créerons
- C) avais créé
- D) créeras
What is the je form of créer in the Conditional?
- A) avais créé
- B) crée
- C) créerais
- D) créasse
What is the il/elle form of créer in the Present subjunctive?
- A) créions
- B) aura créé
- C) créiez
- D) crée
What is the nous form of créer in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) ont créé
- B) avions créé
- C) avons créé
- D) créions
What is the gerund of créer?
- A) en créant
- B) dessinant
- C) avouant
- D) conclusant
What is the past participle of créer?
- A) créé
- B) réparé
- C) préparé
- D) cessé
What does créer mean in English?
- A) create
- B) load
- C) add
- D) convince
Answer key
- C) crée — the je form of créer in the present indicative is crée. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) créa — the il/elle form of créer in the passé simple is créa. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) créions — the nous form of créer in the imperfect is créions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) créeras — the tu form of créer in the future is créeras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) créerais — the je form of créer in the conditional is créerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- D) crée — the il/elle form of créer in the present subjunctive is crée. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) avons créé — the nous form of créer in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons créé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) en créant — the gerund of créer is en créant; 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.
- A) créé — the past participle of créer is créé; perfect tenses use avoir + créé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- A) create — créer means “to create” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn créer in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — je crée, tu crées, il crée, nous créons, vous créez, ils créent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai créé shows the pattern, and the participle créé 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 créer with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does créer mean in English?
créer means “to create”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is créer regular or irregular?
créer is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. créer 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.
What are the gerund and past participle of créer?
The gerund is en créant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is créé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai créé.
How do I say “I create” in French?
Say “Je crée le projet tous les jours.” — “I create the project every day.” The je form of the present is crée, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce créer?
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for créer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- créer in the present tense
- créer examples and quiz
- Construire conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Amener 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.
- Conditional Conjugator — practise créer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Practice — practise créer with the interactive tool.
- Past Participle Finder — practise créer with the interactive tool.