Pratiquer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

pratiquer — “to practise” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find pratiquer 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 pratique le piano chaque soir.” — “I practise the piano every evening.”

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

Example sentences with pratiquer

In the present tense

  • “Je pratique le piano chaque soir tous les jours.” — “I practise the piano every evening.”
  • “Tu pratiques le piano chaque soir souvent.” — “You practise the piano every evening.”
  • “Il pratique le piano chaque soir chaque matin.” — “He practises the piano every evening.”
  • “Nous pratiquons le piano chaque soir le week-end.” — “We practise the piano every evening.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai pratiqué le piano chaque soir hier.” — “I have practised the piano every evening.”
  • “Tu as pratiqué le piano chaque soir ce matin.” — “You have practised the piano every evening.”
  • “Il a pratiqué le piano chaque soir la semaine dernière.” — “He has practised the piano every evening.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je pratiquais le piano chaque soir quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to practise the piano every evening.”
  • “Nous pratiquions le piano chaque soir quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to practise the piano every evening.”
  • “Tu pratiqueras le piano chaque soir demain.” — “You will practise the piano every evening tomorrow.”
  • “Ils pratiqueront le piano chaque soir demain.” — “They will practise the piano every evening tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je pratiquerais le piano chaque soir si je pouvais.” — “I would practise the piano every evening if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je pratique le piano chaque soir.” — “It is important that I practise the piano every evening.”
  • “Pratique le piano chaque soir !” — “Practise the piano every evening!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'avais pratiqué le piano chaque soir avant la fête.” — “I had practised the piano every evening before the party.”

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

Pratiquer in context

Dialogue 1: every day

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

Marie: “Tu pratiques le piano chaque soir tous les jours ?” — “You practise the piano every evening.” Paul: “Je pratique le piano chaque soir tous les jours.” — “I practise the piano every evening.” Marie: “Tu as pratiqué le piano chaque soir hier ?” — “You have practised the piano every evening.” Paul: “J'ai pratiqué le piano chaque soir hier.” — “I have practised the piano every evening.” Marie: “Nous pratiquerons le piano chaque soir demain ?” — “We will practise the piano every evening tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous pratiquerons le piano chaque soir demain.” — “We will practise the piano every evening 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 pratiquerais le piano chaque soir si je pouvais.” — “I would practise the piano every evening if I could.” Marie: “Tu pratiques le piano chaque soir souvent ?” — “You practise the piano every evening.” Paul: “Je pratique le piano chaque soir souvent.” — “I practise the piano every evening.” Marie: “Pratique le piano chaque soir !” — “Practise the piano every evening!” Paul: “Il faut que je pratique le piano chaque soir.” — “It is important that I practise the piano every evening.” Marie: “Nous avons pratiqué le piano chaque soir hier.” — “We have practised the piano every evening.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: pratique becomes pratiques, pratiques becomes pratique, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — pratique*, pratiques, pratique, pratiquons, pratiquez, *pratiquent — in memory.

Common mistakes with pratiquer

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je pratiquer le piano chaque soir.”

Right: “Je pratique le piano chaque soir.”

The infinitive pratiquer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form pratique.

Mistake 2: Confusing pratiquer with s'entraîner

Wrong: “Je pratique au gymnase chaque semaine.” (meant as “s'entraîner”)

Right: “Je pratique le piano chaque soir.”

pratiquer means “to practise” and s'entraîner means “to train”. 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 pratiqué le piano chaque soir.”

Right: “J'ai pratiqué le piano chaque soir.”

With pratiquer the passé composé is formed with avoir: ai pratiqué.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je pratique le piano chaque soir.”

Right: “Il faut que je pratique le piano chaque soir.”

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

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu pratique le piano chaque soir.”

Right: “Tu pratiques le piano chaque soir.”

After tu you need pratiques, not the je form pratique.

Quiz: pratiquer in everyday use

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

    • A) pratiquons
    • B) pratiquent
    • C) pratiquez
    • D) pratique

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

    • A) pratiquons
    • B) pratique
    • C) pratiquez
    • D) pratiquent

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

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

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

    • A) pratiquaient
    • B) pratiquais
    • C) pratiquions
    • D) pratiquait

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

    • A) pratiquerons
    • B) pratiquera
    • C) pratiquerai
    • D) pratiquerez

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

    • A) pratiquerait
    • B) pratiqueriez
    • C) pratiquerais
    • D) pratiqueraient

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

    • A) pratiques
    • B) pratique
    • C) pratiquions
    • D) pratiquiez

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

    • A) pratique
    • B) pratiquassions
    • C) pratiquons
    • D) pratiquez

  9. What is the past participle of pratiquer?

    • A) pratique
    • B) pratiquais
    • C) pratiqué
    • D) en pratiquant

  10. What does pratiquer mean in English?

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

Answer key

  1. D) pratique — the je form of pratiquer in the present indicative is pratique.
  2. D) pratiquent — the ils/elles form of pratiquer in the present indicative is pratiquent.
  3. B) as pratiqué — the tu form of pratiquer in the present perfect (passé composé) is as pratiqué.
  4. C) pratiquions — the nous form of pratiquer in the imperfect is pratiquions.
  5. B) pratiquera — the il/elle form of pratiquer in the future is pratiquera.
  6. C) pratiquerais — the je form of pratiquer in the conditional is pratiquerais.
  7. A) pratiques — the tu form of pratiquer in the present subjunctive is pratiques.
  8. A) pratique — the tu form of pratiquer in the imperative (affirmative) is pratique.
  9. C) pratiqué — the past participle of pratiquer is pratiqué; perfect tenses use avoir + pratiqué.
  10. D) to practise — pratiquer means “to practise” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does pratiquer mean in English?

pratiquer means “to practise”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je pratique le piano chaque soir.” (“I practise the piano every evening.”).

Which auxiliary does pratiquer take in the passé composé?

pratiquer takes avoir: ai pratiqué. Because the auxiliary is avoir, the participle normally stays invariable.

What is the hardest form of pratiquer to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — pratique*, pratiques, pratique, pratiquons, pratiquez, *pratiquent. 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 pratiquer?

On the full conjugation page for pratiquer, which has every tense, and on the pratiquer 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 practise the piano every evening.” should become “Je pratique le piano chaque soir”. Then try the passé composé: “I have practised the piano every evening.” should become “J'ai pratiqué le piano chaque soir”. Finally, try the future: “I will practise the piano every evening tomorrow.” should become “Je pratiquerai le piano chaque soir”. 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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