Guérir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

guérir — “to recover” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find guérir 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: “Je guéris lentement après l’opération.” — “I recover slowly after the operation.”

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

Example sentences with guérir

In the present tense

  • “Je guéris lentement après l’opération tous les jours.” — “I recover slowly after the operation.”
  • “Tu guéris lentement après l’opération souvent.” — “You recover slowly after the operation.”
  • “Il guérit lentement après l’opération chaque matin.” — “He recovers slowly after the operation.”
  • “Nous guérissons lentement après l’opération le week-end.” — “We recover slowly after the operation.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai guéri lentement après l’opération hier.” — “I have recovered slowly after the operation.”
  • “Tu as guéri lentement après l’opération ce matin.” — “You have recovered slowly after the operation.”
  • “Il a guéri lentement après l’opération la semaine dernière.” — “He has recovered slowly after the operation.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je guérissais lentement après l’opération quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to recover slowly after the operation.”
  • “Nous guérissions lentement après l’opération quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to recover slowly after the operation.”
  • “Tu guériras lentement après l’opération demain.” — “You will recover slowly after the operation tomorrow.”
  • “Ils guériront lentement après l’opération demain.” — “They will recover slowly after the operation tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je guérirais lentement après l’opération si je pouvais.” — “I would recover slowly after the operation if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je guérisse lentement après l’opération.” — “It is important that I recover slowly after the operation.”
  • “Guéris lentement après l’opération !” — “Recover slowly after the operation!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'avais guéri lentement après l’opération avant la fête.” — “I had recovered slowly after the operation before the party.”

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

Guérir in context

Dialogue 1: every day

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

Marie: “Tu guéris lentement après l’opération tous les jours ?” — “You recover slowly after the operation.” Paul: “Je guéris lentement après l’opération tous les jours.” — “I recover slowly after the operation.” Marie: “Tu as guéri lentement après l’opération hier ?” — “You have recovered slowly after the operation.” Paul: “J'ai guéri lentement après l’opération hier.” — “I have recovered slowly after the operation.” Marie: “Nous guérirons lentement après l’opération demain ?” — “We will recover slowly after the operation tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous guérirons lentement après l’opération demain.” — “We will recover slowly after the operation 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: “Je guérirais lentement après l’opération si je pouvais.” — “I would recover slowly after the operation if I could.” Marie: “Tu guéris lentement après l’opération souvent ?” — “You recover slowly after the operation.” Paul: “Je guéris lentement après l’opération souvent.” — “I recover slowly after the operation.” Marie: “Guéris lentement après l’opération !” — “Recover slowly after the operation!” Paul: “Il faut que je guérisse lentement après l’opération.” — “It is important that I recover slowly after the operation.” Marie: “Nous avons guéri lentement après l’opération hier.” — “We have recovered slowly after the operation.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: guéris becomes guéris, guéris becomes guérit, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — guéris*, guéris, guérit, guérissons, guérissez, *guérissent — in memory.

Common mistakes with guérir

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je guérir lentement après l’opération.”

Right: “Je guéris lentement après l’opération.”

The infinitive guérir never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form guéris.

Mistake 2: Confusing guérir with mourir

Wrong: “Je guéris de rire.” (meant as “mourir”)

Right: “Je guéris lentement après l’opération.”

guérir means “to recover” and mourir means “to die”. 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 guéri lentement après l’opération.”

Right: “J'ai guéri lentement après l’opération.”

With guérir the passé composé is formed with avoir: ai guéri.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je guéris lentement après l’opération.”

Right: “Il faut que je guérisse lentement après l’opération.”

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

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu guéris lentement après l’opération.”

Right: “Tu guéris lentement après l’opération.”

After tu you need guéris, not the je form guéris.

Quiz: guérir in everyday use

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

    • A) guérit
    • B) guéris
    • C) guérissent
    • D) guérissons

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

    • A) guérissons
    • B) guéris
    • C) guérissent
    • D) guérissez

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

    • A) ont guéri
    • B) a guéri
    • C) avons guéri
    • D) as guéri

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

    • A) guérissait
    • B) guérissiez
    • C) guérissais
    • D) guérissions

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

    • A) guériras
    • B) guérira
    • C) guérirai
    • D) guérirez

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

    • A) guéririez
    • B) guérirait
    • C) guérirais
    • D) guériraient

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

    • A) guérisse
    • B) guérisses
    • C) guérissent
    • D) guérissions

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

    • A) guéris
    • B) auront guéri
    • C) guérissez
    • D) guérissons

  9. What is the past participle of guérir?

    • A) en guérissant
    • B) guérissais
    • C) guéri
    • D) guéris

  10. What does guérir mean in English?

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

Answer key

  1. B) guéris — the je form of guérir in the present indicative is guéris.
  2. C) guérissent — the ils/elles form of guérir in the present indicative is guérissent.
  3. D) as guéri — the tu form of guérir in the present perfect (passé composé) is as guéri.
  4. D) guérissions — the nous form of guérir in the imperfect is guérissions.
  5. B) guérira — the il/elle form of guérir in the future is guérira.
  6. C) guérirais — the je form of guérir in the conditional is guérirais.
  7. B) guérisses — the tu form of guérir in the present subjunctive is guérisses.
  8. A) guéris — the tu form of guérir in the imperative (affirmative) is guéris.
  9. C) guéri — the past participle of guérir is guéri; perfect tenses use avoir + guéri.
  10. A) to recover — guérir means “to recover” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does guérir mean in English?

guérir means “to recover”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je guéris lentement après l’opération.” (“I recover slowly after the operation.”).

Which auxiliary does guérir take in the passé composé?

guérir takes avoir: ai guéri. Because the auxiliary is avoir, the participle normally stays invariable.

What is the hardest form of guérir to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — guéris*, guéris, guérit, guérissons, guérissez, *guérissent. 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 guérir?

On the full conjugation page for guérir, which has every tense, and on the guérir 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 recover slowly after the operation.” should become “Je guéris lentement après l’opération”. Then try the passé composé: “I have recovered slowly after the operation.” should become “J'ai guéri lentement après l’opération”. Finally, try the future: “I will recover slowly after the operation tomorrow.” should become “Je guérirai lentement après l’opération”. 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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