Rentrer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

rentrer — “to return (home)” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find rentrer 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 rentre à la maison le soir.” — “I return home in the evening.”

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

Example sentences with rentrer

In the present tense

  • “Je rentre à la maison le soir tous les jours.” — “I return home in the evening.”
  • “Tu rentres à la maison le soir souvent.” — “You return home in the evening.”
  • “Il rentre à la maison le soir chaque matin.” — “He returns home in the evening.”
  • “Nous rentrons à la maison le soir le week-end.” — “We return home in the evening.”

In the passé composé

  • “Je suis rentré à la maison le soir hier.” — “I have returned home in the evening.”
  • “Tu es rentré à la maison le soir ce matin.” — “You have returned home in the evening.”
  • “Il est rentré à la maison le soir la semaine dernière.” — “He has returned home in the evening.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je rentrais à la maison le soir quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to return home in the evening.”
  • “Nous rentrions à la maison le soir quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to return home in the evening.”
  • “Tu rentreras à la maison le soir demain.” — “You will return home in the evening tomorrow.”
  • “Ils rentreront à la maison le soir demain.” — “They will return home in the evening tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je rentrerais à la maison le soir si je pouvais.” — “I would return home in the evening if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je rentre à la maison le soir.” — “It is important that I return home in the evening.”
  • “Rentre à la maison le soir !” — “Return home in the evening!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'étais rentré à la maison le soir avant la fête.” — “I had returned home in the evening before the party.”

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

Rentrer in context

Dialogue 1: every day

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

Marie: “Tu rentres à la maison le soir tous les jours ?” — “You return home in the evening.” Paul: “Je rentre à la maison le soir tous les jours.” — “I return home in the evening.” Marie: “Tu es rentré à la maison le soir hier ?” — “You have returned home in the evening.” Paul: “Je suis rentré à la maison le soir hier.” — “I have returned home in the evening.” Marie: “Nous rentrerons à la maison le soir demain ?” — “We will return home in the evening tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous rentrerons à la maison le soir demain.” — “We will return home in the 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 rentrerais à la maison le soir si je pouvais.” — “I would return home in the evening if I could.” Marie: “Tu rentres à la maison le soir souvent ?” — “You return home in the evening.” Paul: “Je rentre à la maison le soir souvent.” — “I return home in the evening.” Marie: “Rentre à la maison le soir !” — “Return home in the evening!” Paul: “Il faut que je rentre à la maison le soir.” — “It is important that I return home in the evening.” Marie: “Nous sommes rentré à la maison le soir hier.” — “We have returned home in the evening.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: rentre becomes rentres, rentres becomes rentre, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — rentre*, rentres, rentre, rentrons, rentrez, *rentrent — in memory.

Common mistakes with rentrer

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je rentrer à la maison le soir.”

Right: “Je rentre à la maison le soir.”

The infinitive rentrer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form rentre.

Mistake 2: Confusing rentrer with entrer

Wrong: “Je rentre dans la salle de classe.” (meant as “entrer”)

Right: “Je rentre à la maison le soir.”

rentrer means “to return (home)” and entrer means “to enter”. 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 rentré à la maison le soir.”

Right: “Je suis rentré à la maison le soir.”

With rentrer the passé composé is formed with être: suis rentré.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je rentre à la maison le soir.”

Right: “Il faut que je rentre à la maison le soir.”

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

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu rentre à la maison le soir.”

Right: “Tu rentres à la maison le soir.”

After tu you need rentres, not the je form rentre.

Quiz: rentrer in everyday use

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

    • A) rentrez
    • B) rentre
    • C) rentrons
    • D) rentrent

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

    • A) rentrons
    • B) rentrez
    • C) rentres
    • D) rentrent

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

    • A) sont rentré
    • B) sommes rentré
    • C) es rentré
    • D) êtes rentré

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

    • A) rentrait
    • B) rentrais
    • C) rentrions
    • D) rentriez

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

    • A) rentreront
    • B) rentrerai
    • C) rentrera
    • D) rentrerons

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

    • A) rentrerais
    • B) rentreriez
    • C) rentrerions
    • D) rentreraient

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

    • A) rentrent
    • B) rentrions
    • C) rentres
    • D) rentriez

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

    • A) rentrez
    • B) rentre
    • C) rentrerons
    • D) rentrons

  9. What is the past participle of rentrer?

    • A) rentré
    • B) rentrais
    • C) rentre
    • D) en rentrant

  10. What does rentrer mean in English?

  • A) to be
  • B) to go
  • C) to return (home)
  • D) to have

Answer key

  1. B) rentre — the je form of rentrer in the present indicative is rentre.
  2. D) rentrent — the ils/elles form of rentrer in the present indicative is rentrent.
  3. C) es rentré — the tu form of rentrer in the present perfect (passé composé) is es rentré.
  4. C) rentrions — the nous form of rentrer in the imperfect is rentrions.
  5. C) rentrera — the il/elle form of rentrer in the future is rentrera.
  6. A) rentrerais — the je form of rentrer in the conditional is rentrerais.
  7. C) rentres — the tu form of rentrer in the present subjunctive is rentres.
  8. B) rentre — the tu form of rentrer in the imperative (affirmative) is rentre.
  9. A) rentré — the past participle of rentrer is rentré; perfect tenses use être + rentré.
  10. C) to return (home) — rentrer means “to return (home)” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does rentrer mean in English?

rentrer means “to return (home)”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je rentre à la maison le soir.” (“I return home in the evening.”).

Which auxiliary does rentrer take in the passé composé?

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

What is the hardest form of rentrer to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — rentre*, rentres, rentre, rentrons, rentrez, *rentrent. 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 rentrer?

On the full conjugation page for rentrer, which has every tense, and on the rentrer 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 return home in the evening.” should become “Je rentre à la maison le soir”. Then try the passé composé: “I have returned home in the evening.” should become “Je suis rentré à la maison le soir”. Finally, try the future: “I will return home in the evening tomorrow.” should become “Je rentrerai à la maison le 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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