Introduction

Réparer means “to repair”, and this page covers exactly one thing: réparer in the present tense. The present is the tense French speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for réparer, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passé composé, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about réparer in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il répare la voiture tous les jours.” — “He repairs the car every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of réparer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Réparer in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je répare
tu répares
il/elle répare
nous réparons
vous réparez
ils/elles réparent
Gerund: en réparant · Past participle: réparé
The gerund is en réparant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En réparant, je commence la journée.” — “While repairing, I start the day.” The past participle is réparé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai réparé is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present tense is only one part of how réparer is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for réparer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of réparer is formed

The present tense of réparer has six forms: je répare, tu répares, il répare, nous réparons, vous réparez, ils réparent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. réparer is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Two things about the present of réparer are worth noticing. First, the nous and vous forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the nous form, and the present subjunctive takes its nous and vous forms from the same stem, so learning réparons and réparez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so répare can mean both “I repair” and “I am repairing” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because réparer is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of réparer

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use réparer in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and réparer is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je répare la voiture à la maison.” — “I repair the car at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about réparer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il répare la voiture ce matin.” — “He repairs the car this morning.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. French often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with réparer in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nous réparons la voiture avec Paul.” — “We repair the car with Paul.”

4. Scheduled future events

French uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu répares la voiture.” — “You repair the car.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and réparer in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils réparent la voiture tous les jours.” — “They repair the car every day.”

Present Tense vs Passé Composé: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passé composé, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passé composé describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as tous les jours or toujours, while the passé composé sentences use hier or la semaine dernière. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Il répare la voiture à la maison.” — “He repairs the car at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a réparé la voiture la semaine dernière.” — “He has repaired the car last week.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Je répare la voiture ce matin.” — “I repair the car this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai réparé la voiture ce matin.” — “I have repaired the car this morning.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Tu répares la voiture avec Paul.” — “You repair the car with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as réparé la voiture avant la fête.” — “You have repaired the car before the party.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

Example sentences: réparer in the present tense

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Je répare la voiture à la maison.” — “I repair the car at home.”
  2. “Tu répares la voiture ce matin.” — “You repair the car this morning.”
  3. “Il répare la voiture avec Paul.” — “He repairs the car with Paul.”
  4. “Nous réparons la voiture.” — “We repair the car.”
  5. “Vous réparez la voiture tous les jours.” — “You repair the car every day.”
  6. “Ils réparent la voiture à la maison.” — “They repair the car at home.”
  7. “Je répare la voiture tous les jours.” — “I repair the car every day.”
  8. “Il répare la voiture avec Paul.” — “He repairs the car with Paul.”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Je répares la voiture.” Right: “Je répare la voiture tous les jours.” Why: The je form is répare, not répares. répares is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous répare la voiture.” Right: “Nous réparons la voiture tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form réparons. répare belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je répare la voiture hier.” Right: “J'ai réparé la voiture hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai réparé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je réparer la voiture.” Right: “Je répare la voiture tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive réparer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form répare.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

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

    • A) répare
    • B) réparai
    • C) aurai réparé
    • D) réparerais

  2. What is the tu form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) répares
    • B) répareras
    • C) répare
    • D) réparez

  3. What is the il/elle form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) réparez
    • B) répare
    • C) réparait
    • D) réparera

  4. What is the nous form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) réparassions
    • B) aurons réparé
    • C) réparions
    • D) réparons

  5. What is the vous form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) réparâtes
    • B) réparez
    • C) réparerez
    • D) répares

  6. What is the ils/elles form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) réparons
    • B) répareraient
    • C) réparent
    • D) avaient réparé

  7. What is the je form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) réparons
    • B) ai réparé
    • C) répare
    • D) aurai réparé

  8. What is the tu form of réparer in the Present indicative?

    • A) auras réparé
    • B) répareras
    • C) répares
    • D) as réparé

Answer key

  1. A) répare — the je form of réparer in the present indicative is répare. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. A) répares — the tu form of réparer in the present indicative is répares. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. B) répare — the il/elle form of réparer in the present indicative is répare. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. D) réparons — the nous form of réparer in the present indicative is réparons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. B) réparez — the vous form of réparer in the present indicative is réparez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. C) réparent — the ils/elles form of réparer in the present indicative is réparent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. C) répare — the je form of réparer in the present indicative is répare. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. C) répares — the tu form of réparer in the present indicative is répares. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does réparer mean in English?

réparer means “to repair”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of réparer formed?

The six present forms are: je répare, tu répares, il répare, nous réparons, vous réparez, ils réparent. réparer is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict.

When do I use the present instead of the passé composé?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passé composé for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

What are the gerund and past participle of réparer?

The gerund is en réparant and the past participle is réparé.

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