---
title: "Parler conjugation: all tenses with examples"
description: "Parler in every French tense: je parle, j'ai parlé, je parlerai, que je parle. Full tables, examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips."
canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation/parler
---

French conjugation

# Parler conjugation

Parler (“to speak, to talk”) 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

Parler (“to speak, to talk”) is an -er verb of the first group. In the présent: je parle, tu parles, il/elle parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils/elles parlent. Its passé composé is formed with avoir and the past participle parlé, and its futur simple is built on the stem parler-.

## Parler at a glance

Meaning

to speak, to talk

Type

\-er verb (first group)

Auxiliary

avoir

Past participle

parlé

Present participle

parlant

Future stem

parler-

## Parler in every tense

### Présent

Present

-   je parle
-   tu parles
-   il/elle parle
-   nous parlons
-   vous parlez
-   ils/elles parlent

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

### Passé composé

Compound past

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

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

### Imparfait

Imperfect

-   je parlais
-   tu parlais
-   il/elle parlait
-   nous parlions
-   vous parliez
-   ils/elles parlaient

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

### Futur simple

Simple future

-   je parlerai
-   tu parleras
-   il/elle parlera
-   nous parlerons
-   vous parlerez
-   ils/elles parleront

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

### Conditionnel présent

Present conditional

-   je parlerais
-   tu parlerais
-   il/elle parlerait
-   nous parlerions
-   vous parleriez
-   ils/elles parleraient

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

### Subjonctif présent

Present subjunctive

-   que je parle
-   que tu parles
-   qu'il/elle parle
-   que nous parlions
-   que vous parliez
-   qu'ils/elles parlent

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

### Impératif

Imperative

-   parle
-   parlons
-   parlez

### Passé simple (literary)

Simple past, used in written narrative

-   je parlai
-   tu parlas
-   il/elle parla
-   nous parlâmes
-   vous parlâtes
-   ils/elles parlèrent

### Participles

Present and past participles

-   Present participle: parlant
-   Past participle: parlé, parlée, parlés, parlées

TCF and TEF Canada

## How parler shows up in the TCF and TEF

Parler is the textbook regular -er verb. Its forms je parle, tu parles, ils parlent all sound the same, so listen for the subject rather than the ending.

-   Je parle français au travail et arabe à la maison. _I speak French at work and Arabic at home._
-   Nous avons parlé de nos projets pour l'année prochaine. _We talked about our plans for next year._

## From conjugation tables to an exam score

Knowing the forms of parler 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
    
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-   Talk to a teacher
    
    [Book a free 15-minute call](/book) with Adèle to find out what to work on first.
    

Questions

## Parler conjugation: questions

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

In the présent, parler is: je parle, tu parles, il/elle parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils/elles parlent.

### What is the passé composé of parler?

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

### Is parler conjugated with être or avoir?

Parler takes avoir in the passé composé and the other compound tenses: j'ai parlé.

### What is parler in the futur simple?

The futur simple of parler is built on the stem parler-: je parlerai, tu parleras, il/elle parlera, nous parlerons, vous parlerez, ils/elles parleront.

### What is the imperfect of parler?

The imparfait of parler is: je parlais, tu parlais, il/elle parlait, nous parlions, vous parliez, ils/elles parlaient.

### What is the subjunctive of parler?

The subjonctif présent of parler is: que je parle, que tu parles, qu'il/elle parle, que nous parlions, que vous parliez, qu'ils/elles parlent.

### What is parler in the passé simple?

The passé simple is a literary tense you will read in narratives and biographies but rarely need to write. For parler: je parlai, tu parlas, il/elle parla, nous parlâmes, vous parlâtes, ils/elles parlèrent.

### What is the imperative of parler?

The impératif of parler has three forms: parle, parlons, parlez (tu, nous and vous).

### What is the past participle of parler?

The past participle of parler is parlé (feminine parlée, plural parlés, parlées). Its present participle is parlant.

## More French verbs

-   [donner](/french-conjugation/donner)
-   [aimer](/french-conjugation/aimer)
-   [passer](/french-conjugation/passer)
-   [trouver](/french-conjugation/trouver)
-   [penser](/french-conjugation/penser)
-   [rester](/french-conjugation/rester)
-   [appeler](/french-conjugation/appeler)
-   [commencer](/french-conjugation/commencer)

[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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