contenir

to contain

French Irregular

The French verb "contenir" means "to contain" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "contenir" across all 5 tenses.

How to Conjugate "contenir" in the Present Tense

Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
je I contiens
tu you (informal) contiens
il/elle/on he/she/one contient
nous we contenons
vous you (formal/plural) contenez
ils/elles they contiennent
Ce sac contient beaucoup de livres.
This bag contains many books.

How to Conjugate "contenir" in the Past (completed) Tense

Passé composé Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I ai contenu
tu you (informal) as contenu
il/elle/on he/she/one a contenu
nous we avons contenu
vous you (formal/plural) avez contenu
ils/elles they ont contenu
Il a contenu le liquide.
It contained the liquid.

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How to Conjugate "contenir" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I contenais
tu you (informal) contenais
il/elle/on he/she/one contenait
nous we contenions
vous you (formal/plural) conteniez
ils/elles they contenaient
Il contenait beaucoup de sucre ici.
It was containing a lot of sugar here.

How to Conjugate "contenir" in the Future Tense

Futur simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
je I contiendrai
tu you (informal) contiendras
il/elle/on he/she/one contiendra
nous we contiendrons
vous you (formal/plural) contiendrez
ils/elles they contiendront
Il contiendra le liquide.
It will contain the liquid.

How to Conjugate "contenir" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
je I contiendrais
tu you (informal) contiendrais
il/elle/on he/she/one contiendrait
nous we contiendrions
vous you (formal/plural) contiendriez
ils/elles they contiendraient
Elle contiendrait le liquide dans la bouteille.
She would contain the liquid in the bottle.

Frequently Asked Questions About "contenir"

Is "contenir" regular or irregular in French?
"Contenir" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "contenir" mean in English?
The French verb "contenir" means "to contain" in English.
How do you conjugate "contenir" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → contiens, tu → contiens, il/elle/on → contient, nous → contenons, vous → contenez, ils/elles → contiennent.
How many tenses does "contenir" have in French?
"Contenir" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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