Tourner Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

tourner — “to turn” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find tourner 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 tourne à gauche au carrefour.” — “I turn to the left at the crossroads.”

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

Example sentences with tourner

In the present tense

  • “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour tous les jours.” — “I turn to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Tu tournes à gauche au carrefour souvent.” — “You turn to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Il tourne à gauche au carrefour chaque matin.” — “He turns to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Nous tournons à gauche au carrefour le week-end.” — “We turn to the left at the crossroads.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai tourné à gauche au carrefour hier.” — “I have turned to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Tu as tourné à gauche au carrefour ce matin.” — “You have turned to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Il a tourné à gauche au carrefour la semaine dernière.” — “He has turned to the left at the crossroads.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je tournais à gauche au carrefour quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to turn to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Nous tournions à gauche au carrefour quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to turn to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Tu tourneras à gauche au carrefour demain.” — “You will turn to the left at the crossroads tomorrow.”
  • “Ils tourneront à gauche au carrefour demain.” — “They will turn to the left at the crossroads tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je tournerais à gauche au carrefour si je pouvais.” — “I would turn to the left at the crossroads if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je tourne à gauche au carrefour.” — “It is important that I turn to the left at the crossroads.”
  • “Tourne à gauche au carrefour !” — “Turn to the left at the crossroads!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'avais tourné à gauche au carrefour avant la fête.” — “I had turned to the left at the crossroads before the party.”

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

Tourner in context

Dialogue 1: every day

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

Marie: “Tu tournes à gauche au carrefour tous les jours ?” — “You turn to the left at the crossroads.” Paul: “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour tous les jours.” — “I turn to the left at the crossroads.” Marie: “Tu as tourné à gauche au carrefour hier ?” — “You have turned to the left at the crossroads.” Paul: “J'ai tourné à gauche au carrefour hier.” — “I have turned to the left at the crossroads.” Marie: “Nous tournerons à gauche au carrefour demain ?” — “We will turn to the left at the crossroads tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous tournerons à gauche au carrefour demain.” — “We will turn to the left at the crossroads 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 tournerais à gauche au carrefour si je pouvais.” — “I would turn to the left at the crossroads if I could.” Marie: “Tu tournes à gauche au carrefour souvent ?” — “You turn to the left at the crossroads.” Paul: “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour souvent.” — “I turn to the left at the crossroads.” Marie: “Tourne à gauche au carrefour !” — “Turn to the left at the crossroads!” Paul: “Il faut que je tourne à gauche au carrefour.” — “It is important that I turn to the left at the crossroads.” Marie: “Nous avons tourné à gauche au carrefour hier.” — “We have turned to the left at the crossroads.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: tourne becomes tournes, tournes becomes tourne, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — tourne*, tournes, tourne, tournons, tournez, *tournent — in memory.

Common mistakes with tourner

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je tourner à gauche au carrefour.”

Right: “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour.”

The infinitive tourner never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form tourne.

Mistake 2: Confusing tourner with traverser

Wrong: “Je tourne la rue avec prudence.” (meant as “traverser”)

Right: “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour.”

tourner means “to turn” and traverser means “to cross”. 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 tourné à gauche au carrefour.”

Right: “J'ai tourné à gauche au carrefour.”

With tourner the passé composé is formed with avoir: ai tourné.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je tourne à gauche au carrefour.”

Right: “Il faut que je tourne à gauche au carrefour.”

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

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu tourne à gauche au carrefour.”

Right: “Tu tournes à gauche au carrefour.”

After tu you need tournes, not the je form tourne.

Quiz: tourner in everyday use

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

    • A) tournez
    • B) tourne
    • C) tournons
    • D) tournes

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

    • A) tournes
    • B) tournez
    • C) tournons
    • D) tournent

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

    • A) avons tourné
    • B) ai tourné
    • C) as tourné
    • D) ont tourné

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

    • A) tournaient
    • B) tournais
    • C) tournions
    • D) tourniez

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

    • A) tournerons
    • B) tournera
    • C) tournerai
    • D) tournerez

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

    • A) tournerais
    • B) tournerions
    • C) tournerait
    • D) tourneraient

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

    • A) tourne
    • B) tournent
    • C) tournes
    • D) tournions

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

    • A) tournez
    • B) aurez tourné
    • C) tournons
    • D) tourne

  9. What is the past participle of tourner?

    • A) tourne
    • B) en tournant
    • C) tourné
    • D) tournais

  10. What does tourner mean in English?

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

Answer key

  1. B) tourne — the je form of tourner in the present indicative is tourne.
  2. D) tournent — the ils/elles form of tourner in the present indicative is tournent.
  3. C) as tourné — the tu form of tourner in the present perfect (passé composé) is as tourné.
  4. C) tournions — the nous form of tourner in the imperfect is tournions.
  5. B) tournera — the il/elle form of tourner in the future is tournera.
  6. A) tournerais — the je form of tourner in the conditional is tournerais.
  7. C) tournes — the tu form of tourner in the present subjunctive is tournes.
  8. D) tourne — the tu form of tourner in the imperative (affirmative) is tourne.
  9. C) tourné — the past participle of tourner is tourné; perfect tenses use avoir + tourné.
  10. A) to turn — tourner means “to turn” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does tourner mean in English?

tourner means “to turn”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour.” (“I turn to the left at the crossroads.”).

Which auxiliary does tourner take in the passé composé?

tourner takes avoir: ai tourné. Because the auxiliary is avoir, the participle normally stays invariable.

What is the hardest form of tourner to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — tourne*, tournes, tourne, tournons, tournez, *tournent. 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 tourner?

On the full conjugation page for tourner, which has every tense, and on the tourner 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 turn to the left at the crossroads.” should become “Je tourne à gauche au carrefour”. Then try the passé composé: “I have turned to the left at the crossroads.” should become “J'ai tourné à gauche au carrefour”. Finally, try the future: “I will turn to the left at the crossroads tomorrow.” should become “Je tournerai à gauche au carrefour”. 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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