Permettre Conjugation in French
permettre means “to allow” in English, and it is one of the first verbs French learners meet — it sits at number 84 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French verbs. You use it whenever you talk about allowing Marie to leave, 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 permettre — 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 permets à Marie de partir tous les jours.” — “I allow Marie to leave every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: permettre
- English: to allow
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: permettant
- Past participle: permis
- 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 permettre, 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 permettre in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about permettre
- 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 permis. 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 permettant and the participle is permis: 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 permettre. 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 | permets |
| tu | permets |
| il/elle | permet |
| nous | permettons |
| vous | permettez |
| ils/elles | permettent |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With permettre 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 permets à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre tous les jours.” — “I allow my brother to use my book every day.”
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | permis |
| tu | permis |
| il/elle | permit |
| nous | permîmes |
| vous | permîtes |
| ils/elles | permirent |
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written and literary French. With permettre 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 permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre hier.” — “You allowed my brother to use my book yesterday.”
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | permettais |
| tu | permettais |
| il/elle | permettait |
| nous | permettions |
| vous | permettiez |
| ils/elles | permettaient |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Il permettait à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre autrefois.” — “He used to allow my brother to use my book in the past.”
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | permettrai |
| tu | permettras |
| il/elle | permettra |
| nous | permettrons |
| vous | permettrez |
| ils/elles | permettront |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Je permettrai à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre demain.” — “I will allow my brother to use my book tomorrow.”
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | permettrais |
| tu | permettrais |
| il/elle | permettrait |
| nous | permettrions |
| vous | permettriez |
| ils/elles | permettraient |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Tu permettrais à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre un jour.” — “You would allow my brother to use my book one day.”
Present perfect (passé composé)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai permis |
| tu | as permis |
| il/elle | a permis |
| nous | avons permis |
| vous | avez permis |
| ils/elles | ont permis |
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. For example: “Il a permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre cette semaine.” — “He has allowed my brother to use my book this week.”
Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais permis |
| tu | avais permis |
| il/elle | avait permis |
| nous | avions permis |
| vous | aviez permis |
| ils/elles | avaient permis |
The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'avais permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre avant la fête.” — “I had allowed my brother to use my book before the party.”
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai permis |
| tu | auras permis |
| il/elle | aura permis |
| nous | aurons permis |
| vous | aurez permis |
| ils/elles | auront permis |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tu auras permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre pour demain.” — “You will have allowed my brother to use my book by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais permis |
| tu | aurais permis |
| il/elle | aurait permis |
| nous | aurions permis |
| vous | auriez permis |
| ils/elles | auraient permis |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Il aurait permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre hier.” — “He would have allowed my brother to use my book yesterday.”
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | permette |
| tu | permettes |
| il/elle | permette |
| nous | permettions |
| vous | permettiez |
| ils/elles | permettent |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With permettre 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 permette à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre.” — “It is important that I allow my brother to use my book.”
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | permisse |
| tu | permisses |
| il/elle | permît |
| nous | permissions |
| vous | permissiez |
| ils/elles | permissent |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in formal written French for past wishes and hypotheticals after que. For example: “Il est important que tu permisses à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre.” — “It is important that you allow my brother to use my book.”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | permets |
| nous | permettons |
| vous | permettez |
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With permettre 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: “Permets à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre !” — “Allow my brother to use my book!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | permets |
| nous | permettons |
| vous | permettez |
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With permettre 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 permets pas à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre.” — “Do not allow my brother to use my book.”
Gerund
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en permettant |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, usually after en. For example: “En permettant à Marie de partir, je passe un bon moment.” — “While allowing Marie to leave, I have a good time.”
Past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Past participle | permis |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “J'ai permis à Marie de partir cette semaine.” — “I have allowed Marie to leave this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with permettre, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je permets à Marie de partir tous les jours.” — “I allow Marie to leave every day.”
- “Tu permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre hier.” — “You allowed my brother to use my book yesterday.”
- “Il permettait de sortir ce soir autrefois.” — “He used to allow going out this evening in the past.”
- “Je permettrai à Marie de partir demain.” — “I will allow Marie to leave tomorrow.”
- “Tu permettrais à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre un jour.” — “You would allow my brother to use my book one day.”
- “Il a permis de sortir ce soir cette semaine.” — “He has allowed going out this evening this week.”
- “J'avais permis à Marie de partir avant la fête.” — “I had allowed Marie to leave before the party.”
- “Tu auras permis à mon frère d'utiliser mon livre pour demain.” — “You will have allowed my brother to use my book by tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il permette de sortir ce soir.” — “It is important that he allow going out this evening.”
- “Permets à Marie de partir !” — “Allow Marie to leave!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je permettre à Marie de partir.”
✓ Right: “Je permets à Marie de partir.”
The infinitive permettre never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form permets.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Je permettent à Marie de partir.”
✓ Right: “Je permets à Marie de partir.”
permettent is the ils/elles form, not the je form. Match the verb to the subject every time: je goes with permets.
3. Using the passé simple for a present habit
✗ Wrong: “Je permis à Marie de partir tous les jours.”
✓ Right: “Je permets à Marie de partir tous les jours.”
The passé simple permis describes one finished past action. For something that happens every day, use the present permets.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que je permets à Marie de partir.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que je permette à Marie de partir.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use permette here, not the indicative permets.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis permis à Marie de partir.”
✓ Right: “Je ai permis à Marie de partir.”
The passé composé of permettre is formed with avoir plus the past participle permis: the je form is ai permis. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
6. Dropping a written accent
✗ Wrong: “permets” written without its accent
✓ Right: “permets”
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 permettre. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of permettre in the Present indicative?
- A) permets
- B) permet
- C) permettons
- D) permettez
What is the il/elle form of permettre in the Passé simple?
- A) permis
- B) permîmes
- C) permîtes
- D) permit
What is the nous form of permettre in the Imperfect?
- A) permettait
- B) permettiez
- C) permettions
- D) permettais
What is the tu form of permettre in the Future?
- A) permettrons
- B) permettras
- C) permettrai
- D) permettra
What is the je form of permettre in the Conditional?
- A) permettrais
- B) permettrait
- C) permettrions
- D) permettriez
What is the il/elle form of permettre in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) ai permis
- B) as permis
- C) avons permis
- D) a permis
What is the il/elle form of permettre in the Present subjunctive?
- A) permettions
- B) permettiez
- C) permette
- D) permettes
What is the je form of permettre in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) permisse
- B) permisses
- C) permît
- D) permissions
What is the gerund of permettre?
- A) en répondant
- B) en permettant
- C) en regardant
- D) en cherchant
What does permettre mean in English?
- A) to look for
- B) to answer
- C) to allow
- D) to look at
Answer key
- A) permets — the je form of permettre in the Present indicative is permets. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) permit — the il/elle form of permettre in the Passé simple is permit. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) permettions — the nous form of permettre in the Imperfect is permettions. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) permettras — the tu form of permettre in the Future is permettras. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) permettrais — the je form of permettre in the Conditional is permettrais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) a permis — the il/elle form of permettre in the Present perfect (passé composé) is a permis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) permette — the il/elle form of permettre in the Present subjunctive is permette. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) permisse — the je form of permettre in the Imperfect subjunctive is permisse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) en permettant — the gerund of permettre is en permettant; it is used after en for actions happening at the same time as another action. The other options are the gerunds of neighbouring verbs.
- C) to allow — permettre means “to allow” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does permettre mean in English?
permettre means “to allow”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is permettre regular or irregular?
permettre is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The gerund is permettant and the past participle is permis.
What are the gerund and past participle of permettre?
The gerund is permettant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as another action. The past participle is permis — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in ai permis.
Which auxiliary does permettre take in the passé composé?
permettre takes avoir in the passé composé: the je form is ai permis. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avoir plus the past participle permis.
How do I say “I allow” in French?
Say “Je permets à Marie de partir tous les jours.” — “I allow Marie to leave every day.” The je form of the present is permets, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of permettre — every tense of permettre in one place.
- Permettre in the passé composé tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Permettre examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Regarder conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Chercher conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Répondre 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 permettre with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise permettre with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise permettre with the interactive tool.