French Verb Conjugations
| Present | Imperfect | Future | Conditional | Subjunctive | Imperfect subj. | |||
| je | zigzague | zigzaguais | zigzaguerai | zigzaguerais | zigzague | zigzaguasse | ||
| tu | zigzagues | zigzaguais | zigzagueras | zigzaguerais | zigzagues | zigzaguasses | ||
| il | zigzague | zigzaguait | zigzaguera | zigzaguerait | zigzague | zigzaguât | ||
| nous | zigzaguons | zigzaguions | zigzaguerons | zigzaguerions | zigzaguions | zigzaguassions | ||
| vous | zigzaguez | zigzaguiez | zigzaguerez | zigzagueriez | zigzaguiez | zigzaguassiez | ||
| ils | zigzaguent | zigzaguaient | zigzagueront | zigzagueraient | zigzaguent | zigzaguassent | ||
| Passé composé | Past perfect | Future perfect | Past conditional | Past subjunctive | Pluperfect subj. | |||
| j’ | ai zigzagué | avais zigzagué | aurai zigzagué | aurais zigzagué | aie zigzagué | eusse zigzagué | ||
| tu | as zigzagué | avais zigzagué | auras zigzagué | aurais zigzagué | aies zigzagué | eusses zigzagué | ||
| il | a zigzagué | avait zigzagué | aura zigzagué | aurait zigzagué | ait zigzagué | eût zigzagué | ||
| nous | avons zigzagué | avions zigzagué | aurons zigzagué | aurions zigzagué | ayons zigzagué | eussions zigzagué | ||
| vous | avez zigzagué | aviez zigzagué | aurez zigzagué | auriez zigzagué | ayez zigzagué | eussiez zigzagué | ||
| ils | ont zigzagué | avaient zigzagué | auront zigzagué | auraient zigzagué | aient zigzagué | eussent zigzagué | ||
| Passé simple | Past anterior | Imperative | Participles | |||||
| je / j’ | zigzaguai | eus zigzagué | (tu) | zigzague | Present | zigzaguant | ||
| tu | zigzaguas | eus zigzagué | (nous) | zigzaguons | Past | zigzagué | ||
| il | zigzagua | eut zigzagué | (vous) | zigzaguez | Perfect | ayant zigzagué | ||
| nous | zigzaguâmes | eûmes zigzagué | Past imperative | |||||
| vous | zigzaguâtes | eûtes zigzagué | (tu) | aie zigzagué | Past infinitive | |||
| ils | zigzaguèrent | eurent zigzagué | (nous) | ayons zigzagué | avoir zigzagué | |||
| (vous) | ayez zigzagué | |||||||
Zigzaguer is a regular -er verb.

The passé composé is the most important French past tense, and just to make things interesting, it has three possible English equivalents.


The mountain of French verb conjugations you have to learn can be overwhelming – even just in the classroom where you have plenty of time to think about the correct response. Once you start talking to people in the real world, trying to figure out the appropriate verb conjugation can leave you speechless – literally. So what’s the solution? Learn, then practice, practice, practice!
Inverting subjects and verbs is easy enough – vous voyez => voyez-vous, but where do object, adverbial, and reflexive pronouns go? And what about negation? Take a look at this lesson to learn about all the possibilities.