Répondre Conjugation in French
répondre means “to answer” in English, and it is one of the first verbs French learners meet — it sits at number 36 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French verbs. You use it whenever you talk about answering to Marie this evening, 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 répondre — 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 réponds à Marie ce soir tous les jours.” — “I answer to Marie this evening every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: répondre
- English: to answer
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: répondant
- Past participle: répondu
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
- Ending: -re verbs; pattern re in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for répondre, 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 répondre in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about répondre
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -re pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use avoir: the present perfect is formed with avoir in the present plus the past participle répondu. 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 répondant and the participle is répondu: 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 répondre. 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 | réponds |
| tu | réponds |
| il/elle | répond |
| nous | répondons |
| vous | répondez |
| ils/elles | répondent |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Je réponds à la question du professeur tous les jours.” — “I answer to the teacher's question every day.”
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | répondis |
| tu | répondis |
| il/elle | répondit |
| nous | répondîmes |
| vous | répondîtes |
| ils/elles | répondirent |
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written and literary French. For example: “Tu répondis à la question du professeur hier.” — “You answered to the teacher's question yesterday.”
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | répondais |
| tu | répondais |
| il/elle | répondait |
| nous | répondions |
| vous | répondiez |
| ils/elles | répondaient |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Il répondait à la question du professeur autrefois.” — “He used to answer to the teacher's question in the past.”
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | répondrai |
| tu | répondras |
| il/elle | répondra |
| nous | répondrons |
| vous | répondrez |
| ils/elles | répondront |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Je répondrai à la question du professeur demain.” — “I will answer to the teacher's question tomorrow.”
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | répondrais |
| tu | répondrais |
| il/elle | répondrait |
| nous | répondrions |
| vous | répondriez |
| ils/elles | répondraient |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Tu répondrais à la question du professeur un jour.” — “You would answer to the teacher's question one day.”
Present perfect (passé composé)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai répondu |
| tu | as répondu |
| il/elle | a répondu |
| nous | avons répondu |
| vous | avez répondu |
| ils/elles | ont répondu |
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. For example: “Il a répondu à la question du professeur cette semaine.” — “He has answered to the teacher's question this week.”
Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais répondu |
| tu | avais répondu |
| il/elle | avait répondu |
| nous | avions répondu |
| vous | aviez répondu |
| ils/elles | avaient répondu |
The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'avais répondu à la question du professeur avant la fête.” — “I had answered to the teacher's question before the party.”
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai répondu |
| tu | auras répondu |
| il/elle | aura répondu |
| nous | aurons répondu |
| vous | aurez répondu |
| ils/elles | auront répondu |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tu auras répondu à la question du professeur pour demain.” — “You will have answered to the teacher's question by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais répondu |
| tu | aurais répondu |
| il/elle | aurait répondu |
| nous | aurions répondu |
| vous | auriez répondu |
| ils/elles | auraient répondu |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Il aurait répondu à la question du professeur hier.” — “He would have answered to the teacher's question yesterday.”
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | réponde |
| tu | répondes |
| il/elle | réponde |
| nous | répondions |
| vous | répondiez |
| ils/elles | répondent |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “Il est important que je réponde à la question du professeur.” — “It is important that I answer to the teacher's question.”
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | répondisse |
| tu | répondisses |
| il/elle | répondît |
| nous | répondissions |
| vous | répondissiez |
| ils/elles | répondissent |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in formal written French for past wishes and hypotheticals after que. For example: “Il est important que tu répondisses à la question du professeur.” — “It is important that you answer to the teacher's question.”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | réponds |
| nous | répondons |
| vous | répondez |
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Réponds à la question du professeur !” — “Answer to the teacher's question!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | réponds |
| nous | répondons |
| vous | répondez |
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Ne réponds pas à la question du professeur.” — “Do not answer to the teacher's question.”
Gerund
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en répondant |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, usually after en. For example: “En répondant à Marie ce soir, je passe un bon moment.” — “While answering to Marie this evening, I have a good time.”
Past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Past participle | répondu |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “J'ai répondu à Marie ce soir cette semaine.” — “I have answered to Marie this evening this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with répondre, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je réponds à Marie ce soir tous les jours.” — “I answer to Marie this evening every day.”
- “Tu répondis à la question du professeur hier.” — “You answered to the teacher's question yesterday.”
- “Il répondait au téléphone tous les jours autrefois.” — “He used to answer on the telephone every day in the past.”
- “Je répondrai à Marie ce soir demain.” — “I will answer to Marie this evening tomorrow.”
- “Tu répondrais à la question du professeur un jour.” — “You would answer to the teacher's question one day.”
- “Il a répondu au téléphone tous les jours cette semaine.” — “He has answered on the telephone every day this week.”
- “J'avais répondu à Marie ce soir avant la fête.” — “I had answered to Marie this evening before the party.”
- “Tu auras répondu à la question du professeur pour demain.” — “You will have answered to the teacher's question by tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il réponde au téléphone tous les jours.” — “It is important that he answer on the telephone every day.”
- “Réponds à Marie ce soir !” — “Answer to Marie this evening!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je répondre à Marie ce soir.”
✓ Right: “Je réponds à Marie ce soir.”
The infinitive répondre never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form réponds.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Je répondent à Marie ce soir.”
✓ Right: “Je réponds à Marie ce soir.”
répondent is the ils/elles form, not the je form. Match the verb to the subject every time: je goes with réponds.
3. Using the passé simple for a present habit
✗ Wrong: “Je répondis à Marie ce soir tous les jours.”
✓ Right: “Je réponds à Marie ce soir tous les jours.”
The passé simple répondis describes one finished past action. For something that happens every day, use the present réponds.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que je réponds à Marie ce soir.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que je réponde à Marie ce soir.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use réponde here, not the indicative réponds.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis répondu à Marie ce soir.”
✓ Right: “Je ai répondu à Marie ce soir.”
The passé composé of répondre is formed with avoir plus the past participle répondu: the je form is ai répondu. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
6. Dropping a written accent
✗ Wrong: “réponds” written without its accent
✓ Right: “réponds”
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 répondre. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of répondre in the Present indicative?
- A) répondez
- B) réponds
- C) répond
- D) répondons
What is the il/elle form of répondre in the Passé simple?
- A) répondis
- B) répondîmes
- C) répondîtes
- D) répondit
What is the nous form of répondre in the Imperfect?
- A) répondais
- B) répondait
- C) répondiez
- D) répondions
What is the tu form of répondre in the Future?
- A) répondra
- B) répondrons
- C) répondras
- D) répondrai
What is the je form of répondre in the Conditional?
- A) répondriez
- B) répondrais
- C) répondrait
- D) répondrions
What is the il/elle form of répondre in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) as répondu
- B) avons répondu
- C) a répondu
- D) ai répondu
What is the il/elle form of répondre in the Present subjunctive?
- A) répondes
- B) répondions
- C) répondiez
- D) réponde
What is the je form of répondre in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) répondisse
- B) répondisses
- C) répondît
- D) répondissions
What is the gerund of répondre?
- A) en écoutant
- B) en attendant
- C) en répondant
- D) en travaillant
What does répondre mean in English?
- A) to wait
- B) to answer
- C) to work
- D) to listen to
Answer key
- B) réponds — the je form of répondre in the Present indicative is réponds. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) répondit — the il/elle form of répondre in the Passé simple is répondit. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) répondions — the nous form of répondre in the Imperfect is répondions. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) répondras — the tu form of répondre in the Future is répondras. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) répondrais — the je form of répondre in the Conditional is répondrais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) a répondu — the il/elle form of répondre in the Present perfect (passé composé) is a répondu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) réponde — the il/elle form of répondre in the Present subjunctive is réponde. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) répondisse — the je form of répondre in the Imperfect subjunctive is répondisse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) en répondant — the gerund of répondre is en répondant; it is used after en for actions happening at the same time as another action. The other options are the gerunds of neighbouring verbs.
- B) to answer — répondre means “to answer” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does répondre mean in English?
répondre means “to answer”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is répondre regular or irregular?
répondre is regular: it follows the ordinary -re pattern in every tense. The gerund is répondant and the past participle is répondu.
What are the gerund and past participle of répondre?
The gerund is répondant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as another action. The past participle is répondu — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in ai répondu.
Which auxiliary does répondre take in the passé composé?
répondre takes avoir in the passé composé: the je form is ai répondu. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avoir plus the past participle répondu.
How do I say “I answer” in French?
Say “Je réponds à Marie ce soir tous les jours.” — “I answer to Marie this evening every day.” The je form of the present is réponds, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of répondre — every tense of répondre in one place.
- Répondre in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Répondre examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Travailler conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Écouter conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Attendre conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- 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 répondre with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise répondre with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise répondre with the interactive tool.