Gagner Conjugation in French
gagner means “win” in English, and it is a verb French learners meet early — it sits in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French. You use it for talking about sport, for describing work and money, and for winning a competition. Because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of gagner — 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 gagne le match.” — “I win the match.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: gagner
- English: win
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — it is regular in every tense
- Gerund: en gagnant
- Past participle: gagné
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for gagner, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for gagner. 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 | gagne |
| tu | gagnes |
| il/elle | gagne |
| nous | gagnons |
| vous | gagnez |
| ils/elles | gagnent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | gagnai |
| tu | gagnas |
| il/elle | gagna |
| nous | gagnâmes |
| vous | gagnâtes |
| ils/elles | gagnèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | gagnais |
| tu | gagnais |
| il/elle | gagnait |
| nous | gagnions |
| vous | gagniez |
| ils/elles | gagnaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | gagnerai |
| tu | gagneras |
| il/elle | gagnera |
| nous | gagnerons |
| vous | gagnerez |
| ils/elles | gagneront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | gagnerais |
| tu | gagnerais |
| il/elle | gagnerait |
| nous | gagnerions |
| vous | gagneriez |
| ils/elles | gagneraient |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | gagne |
| tu | gagnes |
| il/elle | gagne |
| nous | gagnions |
| vous | gagniez |
| ils/elles | gagnent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | gagnasse |
| tu | gagnasses |
| il/elle | gagnât |
| nous | gagnassions |
| vous | gagnassiez |
| ils/elles | gagnassent |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai gagné |
| tu | as gagné |
| il/elle | a gagné |
| nous | avons gagné |
| vous | avez gagné |
| ils/elles | ont gagné |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais gagné |
| tu | avais gagné |
| il/elle | avait gagné |
| nous | avions gagné |
| vous | aviez gagné |
| ils/elles | avaient gagné |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai gagné |
| tu | auras gagné |
| il/elle | aura gagné |
| nous | aurons gagné |
| vous | aurez gagné |
| ils/elles | auront gagné |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais gagné |
| tu | aurais gagné |
| il/elle | aurait gagné |
| nous | aurions gagné |
| vous | auriez gagné |
| ils/elles | auraient gagné |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | gagne |
| nous | gagnons |
| vous | gagnez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | gagne |
| nous | gagnons |
| vous | gagnez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en gagnant |
| Past participle | gagné |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Je gagne de l'argent.” — “I win some money.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. For example: “Je gagnai de l'argent hier.” — “I won some money yesterday.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and background description. For example: “Je gagnais de l'argent avant.” — “I used to win some money before.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, predictions and plans. For example: “Je gagnerai de l'argent demain.” — “I will win some money tomorrow.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, polite requests and hypothetical situations. For example: “Je gagnerais de l'argent un jour.” — “I would win some money one day.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “Bien que je gagne de l'argent” — “Although I win some money.”
Imperfect subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is used for the past subjunctive: wishes and hypotheticals about the past, in formal and literary French. For example: “Bien que je gagnasse de l'argent” — “Although I win some money.”
Present perfect
The present perfect is used for recent past actions and life experience; this is the everyday spoken past tense, the passé composé. For example: “J'ai gagné de l'argent cette semaine.” — “I have won some money this week.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'avais gagné de l'argent avant la fête.” — “I had won some money before the party.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “J'aurai gagné de l'argent pour demain.” — “I will have won some money by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “J'aurais gagné de l'argent hier.” — “I would have won some money yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “gagne de l'argent !” — “Win some money!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Ne gagne pas de l'argent !” — “Don't win some money!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en gagnant is used after en for an action in progress, and the past participle gagné builds the perfect tenses with avoir. For example: “J'ai gagné un prix cette semaine.” — “I have won a prize this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with gagner, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je gagne le match.” — “I win the match.”
- “Tu gagnas de l'argent hier.” — “You won some money yesterday.”
- “Il gagnait un prix avant.” — “He used to win a prize before.”
- “Je gagnerai souvent demain.” — “I will win often tomorrow.”
- “Tu gagnerais le match un jour.” — “You would win the match one day.”
- “Il a gagné de l'argent cette semaine.” — “He has won some money this week.”
- “J'avais gagné un prix avant la fête.” — “I had won a prize before the party.”
- “Tu auras gagné souvent pour demain.” — “You will have won often by tomorrow.”
- “Bien que il gagne le match” — “Although he wins the match.”
- “gagne de l'argent !” — “Win some money!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je gagner le match.”
✓ Right: “Je gagne le match.”
The infinitive gagner never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form gagne.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je gagnons de l'argent.”
✓ Right: “Je gagne de l'argent.”
gagnons is the nous form. With je the present form is gagne — check the person in the table before you speak.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Hier, je gagne le match.”
✓ Right: “Hier, j'ai gagné le match.”
The present gagne describes now. For something finished yesterday, use the passé composé ai gagné.
4. Using the passé simple in everyday speech
✗ Wrong: “Hier, je gagnai un prix.” (in casual conversation)
✓ Right: “Hier, j'ai gagné un prix.”
The passé simple gagnai belongs in novels and formal writing. In everyday speech, say the passé composé ai gagné.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Bien que je gagne le match.”
✓ Right: “Bien que je gagne le match.”
After bien que French needs the subjunctive, so use gagne here, not the indicative gagne.
6. Using the imperfect for a single finished action
✗ Wrong: “Je gagnais souvent avant.” (said of one finished moment)
✓ Right: “J'ai gagné souvent avant.”
The imperfect gagnais describes something ongoing or repeated in the past. For one finished action, use the passé composé ai gagné.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on gagner. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of gagner in the Present indicative?
- A) gagnez
- B) gagnent
- C) gagnes
- D) gagne
What is the il/elle form of gagner in the Passé simple?
- A) gagnai
- B) gagnâtes
- C) gagna
- D) gagnas
What is the nous form of gagner in the Imperfect?
- A) gagnions
- B) gagnaient
- C) gagniez
- D) gagnait
What is the tu form of gagner in the Future?
- A) gagneront
- B) gagneras
- C) gagnera
- D) gagnerez
What is the je form of gagner in the Conditional?
- A) gagnerait
- B) gagnerais
- C) gagnerions
- D) gagneriez
What is the il/elle form of gagner in the Present subjunctive?
- A) gagniez
- B) gagnions
- C) gagnes
- D) gagne
What is the je form of gagner in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) gagnasses
- B) gagnassiez
- C) gagnasse
- D) gagnassent
What is the gerund of gagner?
- A) buvant
- B) gagnant
- C) dormant
What is the past participle of gagner?
- A) gagné
- B) bu
- C) dormi
What does gagner mean in English?
- A) drink
- B) open
- C) win
- D) sleep
Answer key
- D) gagne — The je form of gagner in the present indicative is gagne.
- C) gagna — The il/elle form of gagner in the passé simple is gagna.
- A) gagnions — The nous form of gagner in the imperfect is gagnions.
- B) gagneras — The tu form of gagner in the future is gagneras.
- B) gagnerais — The je form of gagner in the conditional is gagnerais.
- D) gagne — The il/elle form of gagner in the present subjunctive is gagne.
- C) gagnasse — The je form of gagner in the imperfect subjunctive is gagnasse.
- B) gagnant — The gerund of gagner is en gagnant; it is used after en for actions in progress.
- A) gagné — The past participle of gagner is gagné; perfect tenses use avoir + gagné.
- C) win — gagner means “win” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does gagner mean in English?
gagner means “win”. You use it for talking about sport, for describing work and money, and for winning a competition. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is gagner regular or irregular?
gagner is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none — it is regular in every tense. The gerund is en gagnant and the past participle is gagné.
What are the gerund and past participle of gagner?
The gerund is en gagnant — use it after en for actions in progress. The past participle is gagné — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in ai gagné.
How do I say “I win” in French?
Say “Je gagne le match.” — “I win the match.” The je form of the present is gagne, and it is the form you will use most often.
What is the difference between gagner and perdre?
gagner means “win” while perdre means “lose” — they describe different actions, so they are not interchangeable. Compare the full table for perdre and check the meaning in context before you choose.
Related pages
- Gagner Present Tense Conjugation in French
- Gagner Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French
- Perdre conjugation
- Jouer conjugation
- Réussir conjugation
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages and tools.
- Verb Conjugator — practise gagner with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise gagner with the interactive tool.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise gagner with the interactive tool.