---
title: "Comprendre conjugation: all tenses with examples"
description: "Comprendre in every French tense: je comprends, j'ai compris, je comprendrai, que je comprenne. Full tables, examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips."
canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation/comprendre
---

French conjugation

# Comprendre conjugation

Comprendre (“to understand”) in every tense you need, from the présent to the subjonctif, with example sentences and how it shows up in the TCF and TEF Canada.

[Take the free level test](/tools/french-level-test)[See the tables](#tables)

-   Every tense on one page
-   Tables generated from an open French lexicon
-   Notes for TCF and TEF candidates

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In short

Comprendre (“to understand”) is an irregular verb of the third group. In the présent: je comprends, tu comprends, il/elle comprend, nous comprenons, vous comprenez, ils/elles comprennent. Its passé composé is formed with avoir and the past participle compris, and its futur simple is built on the stem comprendr-.

## Comprendre at a glance

Meaning

to understand

Type

Irregular verb (third group)

Auxiliary

avoir

Past participle

compris

Present participle

comprenant

Future stem

comprendr-

## Comprendre in every tense

### Présent

Present

-   je comprends
-   tu comprends
-   il/elle comprend
-   nous comprenons
-   vous comprenez
-   ils/elles comprennent

[When to use the présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Passé composé

Compound past

-   j'ai compris
-   tu as compris
-   il/elle a compris
-   nous avons compris
-   vous avez compris
-   ils/elles ont compris

[When to use the passé composé](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Imparfait

Imperfect

-   je comprenais
-   tu comprenais
-   il/elle comprenait
-   nous comprenions
-   vous compreniez
-   ils/elles comprenaient

[When to use the imparfait](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Futur simple

Simple future

-   je comprendrai
-   tu comprendras
-   il/elle comprendra
-   nous comprendrons
-   vous comprendrez
-   ils/elles comprendront

[When to use the futur simple](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Conditionnel présent

Present conditional

-   je comprendrais
-   tu comprendrais
-   il/elle comprendrait
-   nous comprendrions
-   vous comprendriez
-   ils/elles comprendraient

[When to use the conditionnel présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Subjonctif présent

Present subjunctive

-   que je comprenne
-   que tu comprennes
-   qu'il/elle comprenne
-   que nous comprenions
-   que vous compreniez
-   qu'ils/elles comprennent

[When to use the subjonctif présent](/blog/le-subjonctif)

### Impératif

Imperative

-   comprends
-   comprenons
-   comprenez

### Passé simple (literary)

Simple past, used in written narrative

-   je compris
-   tu compris
-   il/elle comprit
-   nous comprîmes
-   vous comprîtes
-   ils/elles comprirent

### Participles

Present and past participles

-   Present participle: comprenant
-   Past participle: compris, comprise, compris, comprises

TCF and TEF Canada

## How comprendre shows up in the TCF and TEF

Comprendre conjugates like prendre (ils comprennent, j'ai compris). « Je n'ai pas bien compris, pouvez-vous répéter ? » is a useful sentence for the speaking test.

-   Je n'ai pas bien compris la question. _I didn't quite understand the question._
-   Les candidats comprennent mieux avec un peu d'entraînement. _Candidates understand better with a little practice._

## From conjugation tables to an exam score

Knowing the forms of comprendre is the easy part. The TCF and TEF Canada mark whether you use the right tense, under time pressure, in your own sentences.

-   Check your level
    
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-   Prepare the exam
    
    The [TCF Canada course](/tcf-canada-course) works on grammar inside real writing and speaking tasks, with marked feedback.
    
-   Talk to a teacher
    
    [Book a free 15-minute call](/book) with Adèle to find out what to work on first.
    

Questions

## Comprendre conjugation: questions

### How do you conjugate comprendre in the present tense?

In the présent, comprendre is: je comprends, tu comprends, il/elle comprend, nous comprenons, vous comprenez, ils/elles comprennent.

### What is the passé composé of comprendre?

Comprendre forms the passé composé with avoir and the past participle compris: j'ai compris, tu as compris, il/elle a compris, nous avons compris, vous avez compris, ils/elles ont compris.

### Is comprendre conjugated with être or avoir?

Comprendre takes avoir in the passé composé and the other compound tenses: j'ai compris.

### What is comprendre in the futur simple?

The futur simple of comprendre is built on the stem comprendr-: je comprendrai, tu comprendras, il/elle comprendra, nous comprendrons, vous comprendrez, ils/elles comprendront.

### What is the imperfect of comprendre?

The imparfait of comprendre is: je comprenais, tu comprenais, il/elle comprenait, nous comprenions, vous compreniez, ils/elles comprenaient.

### What is the subjunctive of comprendre?

The subjonctif présent of comprendre is: que je comprenne, que tu comprennes, qu'il/elle comprenne, que nous comprenions, que vous compreniez, qu'ils/elles comprennent.

### What is comprendre in the passé simple?

The passé simple is a literary tense you will read in narratives and biographies but rarely need to write. For comprendre: je compris, tu compris, il/elle comprit, nous comprîmes, vous comprîtes, ils/elles comprirent.

### What is the imperative of comprendre?

The impératif of comprendre has three forms: comprends, comprenons, comprenez (tu, nous and vous).

### What is the past participle of comprendre?

The past participle of comprendre is compris (feminine comprise, plural compris, comprises). Its present participle is comprenant.

## More French verbs

-   [être](/french-conjugation/etre)
-   [avoir](/french-conjugation/avoir)
-   [aller](/french-conjugation/aller)
-   [faire](/french-conjugation/faire)
-   [dire](/french-conjugation/dire)
-   [pouvoir](/french-conjugation/pouvoir)
-   [vouloir](/french-conjugation/vouloir)
-   [devoir](/french-conjugation/devoir)

[All 64 verbs](/french-conjugation)

Conjugation tables are generated from the Lefff (Lexique des formes fléchies du français, Benoît Sagot, Inria), packaged as french-verbs-lefff@3.4.0 and distributed under the [LGPL-LR licence](https://www.labri.fr/perso/clement/lefff/licence-LGPLLR.html). Compound forms are built from its auxiliary and participle forms.

Next step

## Preparing for the TCF or TEF Canada?

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[Book a free call](/book)[See the course](/tcf-canada-course)

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