---
title: "Rester conjugation: all tenses with examples"
description: "Rester in every French tense: je reste, je suis resté(e), je resterai, que je reste. Full tables, examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips."
canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation/rester
---

French conjugation

# Rester conjugation

Rester (“to stay, to remain”) 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

Rester (“to stay, to remain”) is an -er verb of the first group. In the présent: je reste, tu restes, il/elle reste, nous restons, vous restez, ils/elles restent. Its passé composé is formed with être and the past participle resté, and its futur simple is built on the stem rester-.

## Rester at a glance

Meaning

to stay, to remain

Type

\-er verb (first group)

Auxiliary

être

Past participle

resté

Present participle

restant

Future stem

rester-

## Rester in every tense

### Présent

Present

-   je reste
-   tu restes
-   il/elle reste
-   nous restons
-   vous restez
-   ils/elles restent

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

### Passé composé

Compound past

-   je suis resté(e)
-   tu es resté(e)
-   il/elle est resté(e)
-   nous sommes resté(e)s
-   vous êtes resté(e)(s)
-   ils/elles sont resté(e)s

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

### Imparfait

Imperfect

-   je restais
-   tu restais
-   il/elle restait
-   nous restions
-   vous restiez
-   ils/elles restaient

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

### Futur simple

Simple future

-   je resterai
-   tu resteras
-   il/elle restera
-   nous resterons
-   vous resterez
-   ils/elles resteront

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

### Conditionnel présent

Present conditional

-   je resterais
-   tu resterais
-   il/elle resterait
-   nous resterions
-   vous resteriez
-   ils/elles resteraient

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

### Subjonctif présent

Present subjunctive

-   que je reste
-   que tu restes
-   qu'il/elle reste
-   que nous restions
-   que vous restiez
-   qu'ils/elles restent

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

### Impératif

Imperative

-   reste
-   restons
-   restez

### Passé simple (literary)

Simple past, used in written narrative

-   je restai
-   tu restas
-   il/elle resta
-   nous restâmes
-   vous restâtes
-   ils/elles restèrent

### Participles

Present and past participles

-   Present participle: restant
-   Past participle: resté, restée, restés, restées

TCF and TEF Canada

## How rester shows up in the TCF and TEF

Rester takes être in the passé composé even though it does not express movement, which catches many candidates out. It does not mean « to rest » (se reposer).

-   Nous sommes restés trois ans à Toronto. _We stayed in Toronto for three years._
-   Il reste deux places dans le cours du samedi. _There are two places left in the Saturday class._

## From conjugation tables to an exam score

Knowing the forms of rester 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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-   Talk to a teacher
    
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Questions

## Rester conjugation: questions

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

In the présent, rester is: je reste, tu restes, il/elle reste, nous restons, vous restez, ils/elles restent.

### What is the passé composé of rester?

Rester forms the passé composé with être and the past participle resté: je suis resté(e), tu es resté(e), il/elle est resté(e), nous sommes resté(e)s, vous êtes resté(e)(s), ils/elles sont resté(e)s.

### Is rester conjugated with être or avoir?

Rester takes être in the passé composé and the other compound tenses, so the past participle agrees with the subject: il/elle est resté(e).

### What is rester in the futur simple?

The futur simple of rester is built on the stem rester-: je resterai, tu resteras, il/elle restera, nous resterons, vous resterez, ils/elles resteront.

### What is the imperfect of rester?

The imparfait of rester is: je restais, tu restais, il/elle restait, nous restions, vous restiez, ils/elles restaient.

### What is the subjunctive of rester?

The subjonctif présent of rester is: que je reste, que tu restes, qu'il/elle reste, que nous restions, que vous restiez, qu'ils/elles restent.

### What is rester in the passé simple?

The passé simple is a literary tense you will read in narratives and biographies but rarely need to write. For rester: je restai, tu restas, il/elle resta, nous restâmes, vous restâtes, ils/elles restèrent.

### What is the imperative of rester?

The impératif of rester has three forms: reste, restons, restez (tu, nous and vous).

### What is the past participle of rester?

The past participle of rester is resté (feminine restée, plural restés, restées). Its present participle is restant.

## More French verbs

-   [donner](/french-conjugation/donner)
-   [parler](/french-conjugation/parler)
-   [aimer](/french-conjugation/aimer)
-   [passer](/french-conjugation/passer)
-   [trouver](/french-conjugation/trouver)
-   [penser](/french-conjugation/penser)
-   [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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