naître

to be born

French Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "naître" in the Present Tense

Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
je I nais
tu you (informal) nais
il/elle/on he/she/one naît
nous we naissons
vous you (formal/plural) naissez
ils/elles they naissent
Il naît dans une famille heureuse.
He is born into a happy family.

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

Passé composé Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I suis né
tu you (informal) es né
il/elle/on he/she/one est né
nous we sommes nés
vous you (formal/plural) êtes nés
ils/elles they sont nés
Il est né à Paris.
He was born in Paris.

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

Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I naissais
tu you (informal) naissais
il/elle/on he/she/one naissait
nous we naissions
vous you (formal/plural) naissiez
ils/elles they naissaient
Il naissait au milieu de la nuit.
He was born in the middle of the night.

How to Conjugate "naître" in the Future Tense

Futur simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
je I naîtrai
tu you (informal) naîtras
il/elle/on he/she/one naîtra
nous we naîtrons
vous you (formal/plural) naîtrez
ils/elles they naîtront
Il naîtra dans cette ville.
He will be born in this city.

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

Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
je I naîtrais
tu you (informal) naîtrais
il/elle/on he/she/one naîtrait
nous we naîtrions
vous you (formal/plural) naîtriez
ils/elles they naîtraient
Il naîtrait dans une famille riche.
He would be born into a rich family.

Frequently Asked Questions About "naître"

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

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