Recevoir is a French verb meaning “to receive.” It is irregular and follows the pattern of other verbs like “apercevoir” and “concevoir.” This page will cover its conjugation, usage, common phrases, and tips to help you master it.
Conjugation Overview
Recevoir is irregular, but somewhat predictable:
- Root changes: rece- (stem)
- Irregular endings: -ois, -oit, -evons, -ez, -oivent in present
- Past participle: reçu (used with avoir)
We’ll focus on the following tenses as they are most useful and commonly needed.
Present Tense (Le présent)
Used to talk about current actions or general truths.
| Je reçois | Nous recevons |
|---|---|
| I receive | We receive |
Passé Composé
Used to describe completed actions in the past.
| J’ai reçu | Nous avons reçu |
|---|---|
| I received | We received |
Imparfait
Used for ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
| Je recevais | Nous recevions |
|---|---|
| I was receiving / used to receive | We were receiving / used to receive |
Futur Simple
Used for actions that will happen in the future.
| Je recevrai | Nous recevrons |
|---|---|
| I will receive | We will receive |
Conditionnel Présent
Used to express polite requests or hypothetical situations.
| Je recevrais | Nous recevrions |
|---|---|
| I would receive | We would receive |
Subjonctif Présent
Used in dependent clauses expressing doubt, necessity, or emotion.
| que je reçoive | que nous recevions |
|---|---|
| that I receive | that we receive |
Usage and Examples
Basic Meaning: “to receive”
Recevoir means to get or be given something.
Examples of use in different contexts:
- Je reçois une lettre.
I am receiving a letter.
- Il a reçu un cadeau.
He received a gift.
- Nous recevrons les invités.
We will receive the guests.
Prepositions
- recevoir [qqch] (receive something)
Je reçois un message.*
- recevoir [qqn] (receive someone, i.e. welcome/host)
Nous recevons des amis ce soir.*
True or False?
- Recevoir* is regular in the passé composé.
False - The past participle reçu is irregular, but the auxiliary avoir is regular.
- In the subjunctive, the root changes to reçoiv- with a cedilla (ç) for singular and third-person plural forms.
True - This ensures the soft “s” sound before -e or -a.
Common Phrases
Recevoir appears in many common expressions.
- recevoir une invitation — to receive an invitation
J’ai reçu une invitation à la fête.*
- recevoir un coup — to get hit (literally: receive a blow)
Il a reçu un coup au bras.*
- recevoir du monde — to have people over
Ce soir, je reçois du monde chez moi.*
Tips
Verb Families
- apercevoir (to notice, perceive)
Je aperçois, tu aperçois, il aperçoit, nous apercevons, ils aperçoivent
- concevoir (to conceive, design)
Je conçois, tu conçois, il conçoit, nous concevons, ils conçoivent
These verbs share irregular stems and endings.
Spelling Changes
- The cedilla ç appears in je reçois, tu reçois, il/elle reçoit, and ils/elles reçoivent to maintain the soft “s” sound.
Past Participle
- The past participle is reçu, with a ç and no final -s or -e.
Common Mistakes
- Do not write je recevoir or je reçoi (incorrect endings).
The correct present form is je reçois.
- Remember recevoir uses avoir in the passé composé, never être.
Summary
Recevoir = to receive. It’s irregular, with stem changes in several tenses and a past participle reçu. Use avoir in compound tenses. Watch for the cedilla ç in certain forms to keep the “s” sound. Applies in many contexts: objects, people, messages, invitations, and even insults.
Next Steps
Practice with example sentences, then build your skills by conjugating recevoir across all pronouns and tenses in your workbook.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
