Mettre Conjugation in French
mettre means “to put” in English, and it is one of the first verbs French learners meet — it sits at number 20 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French verbs. You use it whenever you talk about putting a coat in winter, and 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 mettre — 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 mets un manteau en hiver tous les jours.” — “I put a coat in winter every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: mettre
- English: to put
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: mettant
- Past participle: mis
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
- Ending: -re verbs; pattern mettre in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for mettre, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read mettre in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about mettre
- It is irregular in 5 tense(s): present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. Learn those forms as a set rather than guessing them from the infinitive, because the regular pattern will not produce them.
- The perfect tenses use avoir: the present perfect is formed with avoir in the present plus the past participle mis. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is mettant and the participle is mis: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for mettre. 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 | mets |
| tu | mets |
| il/elle | met |
| nous | mettons |
| vous | mettez |
| ils/elles | mettent |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With mettre this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Je mets le livre sur la table tous les jours.” — “I put the book on the table every day.”
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | mis |
| tu | mis |
| il/elle | mit |
| nous | mîmes |
| vous | mîtes |
| ils/elles | mirent |
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written and literary French. With mettre this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Tu mis le livre sur la table hier.” — “You put the book on the table yesterday.”
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | mettais |
| tu | mettais |
| il/elle | mettait |
| nous | mettions |
| vous | mettiez |
| ils/elles | mettaient |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Il mettait le livre sur la table autrefois.” — “He used to put the book on the table in the past.”
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | mettrai |
| tu | mettras |
| il/elle | mettra |
| nous | mettrons |
| vous | mettrez |
| ils/elles | mettront |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Je mettrai le livre sur la table demain.” — “I will put the book on the table tomorrow.”
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | mettrais |
| tu | mettrais |
| il/elle | mettrait |
| nous | mettrions |
| vous | mettriez |
| ils/elles | mettraient |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Tu mettrais le livre sur la table un jour.” — “You would put the book on the table one day.”
Present perfect (passé composé)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai mis |
| tu | as mis |
| il/elle | a mis |
| nous | avons mis |
| vous | avez mis |
| ils/elles | ont mis |
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. For example: “Il a mis le livre sur la table cette semaine.” — “He has put the book on the table this week.”
Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais mis |
| tu | avais mis |
| il/elle | avait mis |
| nous | avions mis |
| vous | aviez mis |
| ils/elles | avaient mis |
The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'avais mis le livre sur la table avant la fête.” — “I had put the book on the table before the party.”
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai mis |
| tu | auras mis |
| il/elle | aura mis |
| nous | aurons mis |
| vous | aurez mis |
| ils/elles | auront mis |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tu auras mis le livre sur la table pour demain.” — “You will have put the book on the table by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais mis |
| tu | aurais mis |
| il/elle | aurait mis |
| nous | aurions mis |
| vous | auriez mis |
| ils/elles | auraient mis |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Il aurait mis le livre sur la table hier.” — “He would have put the book on the table yesterday.”
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | mette |
| tu | mettes |
| il/elle | mette |
| nous | mettions |
| vous | mettiez |
| ils/elles | mettent |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With mettre this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Il est important que je mette le livre sur la table.” — “It is important that I put the book on the table.”
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | misse |
| tu | misses |
| il/elle | mît |
| nous | missions |
| vous | missiez |
| ils/elles | missent |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in formal written French for past wishes and hypotheticals after que. For example: “Il est important que tu misses le livre sur la table.” — “It is important that you put the book on the table.”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | mets |
| nous | mettons |
| vous | mettez |
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With mettre this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Mets le livre sur la table !” — “Put the book on the table!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | mets |
| nous | mettons |
| vous | mettez |
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With mettre this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ne mets pas le livre sur la table.” — “Do not put the book on the table.”
Gerund
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en mettant |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, usually after en. For example: “En mettant un manteau en hiver, je passe un bon moment.” — “While putting a coat in winter, I have a good time.”
Past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Past participle | mis |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “J'ai mis un manteau en hiver cette semaine.” — “I have put a coat in winter this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with mettre, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je mets un manteau en hiver tous les jours.” — “I put a coat in winter every day.”
- “Tu mis le livre sur la table hier.” — “You put the book on the table yesterday.”
- “Il mettait mes chaussures avant de sortir autrefois.” — “He used to put my shoes before going out in the past.”
- “Je mettrai un manteau en hiver demain.” — “I will put a coat in winter tomorrow.”
- “Tu mettrais le livre sur la table un jour.” — “You would put the book on the table one day.”
- “Il a mis mes chaussures avant de sortir cette semaine.” — “He has put my shoes before going out this week.”
- “J'avais mis un manteau en hiver avant la fête.” — “I had put a coat in winter before the party.”
- “Tu auras mis le livre sur la table pour demain.” — “You will have put the book on the table by tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il mette mes chaussures avant de sortir.” — “It is important that he put my shoes before going out.”
- “Mets un manteau en hiver !” — “Put a coat in winter!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je mettre un manteau en hiver.”
✓ Right: “Je mets un manteau en hiver.”
The infinitive mettre never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form mets.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Je mettent un manteau en hiver.”
✓ Right: “Je mets un manteau en hiver.”
mettent is the ils/elles form, not the je form. Match the verb to the subject every time: je goes with mets.
3. Using the passé simple for a present habit
✗ Wrong: “Je mis un manteau en hiver tous les jours.”
✓ Right: “Je mets un manteau en hiver tous les jours.”
The passé simple mis describes one finished past action. For something that happens every day, use the present mets.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que je mets un manteau en hiver.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que je mette un manteau en hiver.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use mette here, not the indicative mets.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis mis un manteau en hiver.”
✓ Right: “Je ai mis un manteau en hiver.”
The passé composé of mettre is formed with avoir plus the past participle mis: the je form is ai mis. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
6. Dropping a written accent
✗ Wrong: “mets” written without its accent
✓ Right: “mets”
Accents are part of the spelling in French. Write the form exactly as it appears in the table, accent included, or it looks like a different word.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on mettre. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of mettre in the Present indicative?
- A) met
- B) mettons
- C) mettez
- D) mets
What is the il/elle form of mettre in the Passé simple?
- A) mîmes
- B) mîtes
- C) mit
- D) mis
What is the nous form of mettre in the Imperfect?
- A) mettiez
- B) mettions
- C) mettais
- D) mettait
What is the tu form of mettre in the Future?
- A) mettras
- B) mettrai
- C) mettra
- D) mettrons
What is the je form of mettre in the Conditional?
- A) mettrait
- B) mettrions
- C) mettriez
- D) mettrais
What is the il/elle form of mettre in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) as mis
- B) avons mis
- C) a mis
- D) ai mis
What is the il/elle form of mettre in the Present subjunctive?
- A) mettiez
- B) mette
- C) mettes
- D) mettions
What is the je form of mettre in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) misses
- B) mît
- C) missions
- D) misse
What is the gerund of mettre?
- A) en mettant
- B) en devant
- C) en donnant
- D) en trouvant
What does mettre mean in English?
- A) to put
- B) to must, to owe
- C) to give
- D) to find
Answer key
- D) mets — the je form of mettre in the Present indicative is mets. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) mit — the il/elle form of mettre in the Passé simple is mit. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) mettions — the nous form of mettre in the Imperfect is mettions. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) mettras — the tu form of mettre in the Future is mettras. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) mettrais — the je form of mettre in the Conditional is mettrais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) a mis — the il/elle form of mettre in the Present perfect (passé composé) is a mis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) mette — the il/elle form of mettre in the Present subjunctive is mette. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) misse — the je form of mettre in the Imperfect subjunctive is misse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) en mettant — the gerund of mettre is en mettant; it is used after en for actions happening at the same time as another action. The other options are the gerunds of neighbouring verbs.
- A) to put — mettre means “to put” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does mettre mean in English?
mettre means “to put”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is mettre regular or irregular?
mettre is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The gerund is mettant and the past participle is mis.
What are the gerund and past participle of mettre?
The gerund is mettant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as another action. The past participle is mis — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in ai mis.
Which auxiliary does mettre take in the passé composé?
mettre takes avoir in the passé composé: the je form is ai mis. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avoir plus the past participle mis.
How do I say “I put” in French?
Say “Je mets un manteau en hiver tous les jours.” — “I put a coat in winter every day.” The je form of the present is mets, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of mettre — every tense of mettre in one place.
- Mettre in the passé composé tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Mettre examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Devoir conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Donner conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Trouver conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- French irregular verbs — every common irregular French verb, grouped by pattern.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise mettre with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise mettre with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise mettre with the interactive tool.