Monter Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

monter — “to go up” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find monter 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 monte dans le train à huit heures.” — “I get on the train at eight o’clock.”

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

Example sentences with monter

In the present tense

  • “Je monte dans le train à huit heures tous les jours.” — “I get on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Tu montes dans le train à huit heures souvent.” — “You get on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Il monte dans le train à huit heures chaque matin.” — “He gets on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Nous montons dans le train à huit heures le week-end.” — “We get on the train at eight o’clock.”

In the passé composé

  • “Je suis monté dans le train à huit heures hier.” — “I have got on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Tu es monté dans le train à huit heures ce matin.” — “You have got on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Il est monté dans le train à huit heures la semaine dernière.” — “He has got on the train at eight o’clock.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je montais dans le train à huit heures quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to get on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Nous montions dans le train à huit heures quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to get on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Tu monteras dans le train à huit heures demain.” — “You will get on the train at eight o’clock tomorrow.”
  • “Ils monteront dans le train à huit heures demain.” — “They will get on the train at eight o’clock tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je monterais dans le train à huit heures si je pouvais.” — “I would get on the train at eight o’clock if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je monte dans le train à huit heures.” — “It is important that I get on the train at eight o’clock.”
  • “Monte dans le train à huit heures !” — “Get on the train at eight o’clock!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'étais monté dans le train à huit heures avant la fête.” — “I had got on the train at eight o’clock before the party.”

All forms above come from the verified tables. The gerund is en montant and the past participle is monté; the perfect tenses use être + monté, as in suis monté.

Monter in context

Dialogue 1: every day

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

Marie: “Tu montes dans le train à huit heures tous les jours ?” — “You get on the train at eight o’clock.” Paul: “Je monte dans le train à huit heures tous les jours.” — “I get on the train at eight o’clock.” Marie: “Tu es monté dans le train à huit heures hier ?” — “You have got on the train at eight o’clock.” Paul: “Je suis monté dans le train à huit heures hier.” — “I have got on the train at eight o’clock.” Marie: “Nous monterons dans le train à huit heures demain ?” — “We will get on the train at eight o’clock tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous monterons dans le train à huit heures demain.” — “We will get on the train at eight o’clock 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 monterais dans le train à huit heures si je pouvais.” — “I would get on the train at eight o’clock if I could.” Marie: “Tu montes dans le train à huit heures souvent ?” — “You get on the train at eight o’clock.” Paul: “Je monte dans le train à huit heures souvent.” — “I get on the train at eight o’clock.” Marie: “Monte dans le train à huit heures !” — “Get on the train at eight o’clock!” Paul: “Il faut que je monte dans le train à huit heures.” — “It is important that I get on the train at eight o’clock.” Marie: “Nous sommes monté dans le train à huit heures hier.” — “We have got on the train at eight o’clock.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: monte becomes montes, montes becomes monte, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — monte*, montes, monte, montons, montez, *montent — in memory.

Common mistakes with monter

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je monter dans le train à huit heures.”

Right: “Je monte dans le train à huit heures.”

The infinitive monter never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form monte.

Mistake 2: Confusing monter with descendre

Wrong: “Je monte les escaliers lentement.” (meant as “descendre”)

Right: “Je monte dans le train à huit heures.”

monter means “to go up” and descendre means “to go down”. They appear in similar situations, but they are different actions — check the meaning before you choose the verb.

Mistake 3: Using avoir for the passé composé

Wrong: “J’ai monté dans le train à huit heures.”

Right: “Je suis monté dans le train à huit heures.”

With monter the passé composé is formed with être: suis monté.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je monte dans le train à huit heures.”

Right: “Il faut que je monte dans le train à huit heures.”

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

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu monte dans le train à huit heures.”

Right: “Tu montes dans le train à huit heures.”

After tu you need montes, not the je form monte.

Quiz: monter in everyday use

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

    • A) montons
    • B) montent
    • C) montes
    • D) monte

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

    • A) montes
    • B) montent
    • C) montez
    • D) monte

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

    • A) sommes monté
    • B) es monté
    • C) suis monté
    • D) sont monté

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

    • A) montaient
    • B) montais
    • C) montiez
    • D) montions

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

    • A) monterez
    • B) monterons
    • C) monterai
    • D) montera

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

    • A) monteriez
    • B) monteraient
    • C) monterais
    • D) monterions

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

    • A) montes
    • B) montiez
    • C) montions
    • D) montent

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

    • A) montons
    • B) monte
    • C) monta
    • D) montez

  9. What is the past participle of monter?

    • A) montais
    • B) monte
    • C) en montant
    • D) monté

  10. What does monter mean in English?

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

Answer key

  1. D) monte — the je form of monter in the present indicative is monte.
  2. B) montent — the ils/elles form of monter in the present indicative is montent.
  3. B) es monté — the tu form of monter in the present perfect (passé composé) is es monté.
  4. D) montions — the nous form of monter in the imperfect is montions.
  5. D) montera — the il/elle form of monter in the future is montera.
  6. C) monterais — the je form of monter in the conditional is monterais.
  7. A) montes — the tu form of monter in the present subjunctive is montes.
  8. B) monte — the tu form of monter in the imperative (affirmative) is monte.
  9. D) monté — the past participle of monter is monté; perfect tenses use être + monté.
  10. C) to go up — monter means “to go up” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does monter mean in English?

monter means “to go up”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je monte dans le train à huit heures.” (“I get on the train at eight o’clock.”).

Which auxiliary does monter take in the passé composé?

monter takes être: suis monté. Because the auxiliary is être, the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

What is the hardest form of monter to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — monte*, montes, monte, montons, montez, *montent. 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 monter?

On the full conjugation page for monter, which has every tense, and on the monter 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 get on the train at eight o’clock.” should become “Je monte dans le train à huit heures”. Then try the passé composé: “I have got on the train at eight o’clock.” should become “Je suis monté dans le train à huit heures”. Finally, try the future: “I will get on the train at eight o’clock tomorrow.” should become “Je monterai dans le train à huit heures”. 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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