Lire is the French verb for "to read." It is an essential, irregular verb used whenever you talk about reading—books, articles, emails, or anything written. Because it’s irregular, lire doesn’t follow the usual -er verb patterns, so you need to memorize its unique conjugations to use it correctly in different tenses and for different subjects.
- Lire = "to read"
- Is an irregular verb: unique conjugation patterns
- Used for all forms of reading (books, media, documents, etc.)
- French
- Important Verbs
- Verb: Boire: to drink
- Verb: Dire: to say, to tell
- Verb: Écrire: to write
- Verb: Mettre: to put, to place
- Verb: Prendre: to take
- Verb: Voir: to see
Conjugation Summary
| Subject | Present | Passé Composé | Imparfait | Futur Simple | Conditional | Subjonctif (Présent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | lis | ai lu | lisais | lirai | lirais | lise |
| Tu | lis | as lu | lisais | liras | lirais | lises |
| Il/Elle/On | lit | a lu | lisait | lira | lirait | lise |
| Nous | lisons | avons lu | lisions | lirons | lirions | lisions |
| Vous | lisez | avez lu | lisiez | lirez | liriez | lisiez |
| Ils/Elles | lisent | ont lu | lisaient | liront | liraient | lisent |
- Present: je lis, tu lis, il lit, nous lisons, vous lisez, ils lisent
- Passé Composé: (avoir) + lu → j’ai lu, tu as lu, il a lu...
- Imparfait: lisais, lisait, lisions, etc.
- Futur: lirai, liras, lira, lirons, lirez, liront
- Conditionnel: lirais, lirait, lirions...
- Subjonctif: lise, lises, lise, lisions, lisiez, lisent
Present Tense: Lire
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | lis | I read / am reading |
| Tu | lis | You read / are reading (informal) |
| Il/Elle/On | lit | He/She/One reads / is reading |
| Nous | lisons | We read / are reading |
| Vous | lisez | You read / are reading (formal/plural) |
| Ils/Elles | lisent | They read / are reading |
Usage: Use the present tense for habitual reading, things read regularly, or what you are reading now.
- Je lis un roman. (I’m reading a novel / I read novels.)
- Ils lisent le journal chaque matin. (They read the newspaper every morning.)
The correct form is 'nous lisons.'
il lit
Passé Composé: To Have Read (lu)
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | ai lu | I read (past) |
| Tu | as lu | You read (past) |
| Il/Elle/On | a lu | He/She/One read |
| Nous | avons lu | We read |
| Vous | avez lu | You read |
| Ils/Elles | ont lu | They read |
Note: Use the auxiliary verb avoir + the past participle lu.
Usage: Use for completed actions in the past.
- J’ai lu ce livre hier. (I read that book yesterday.)
- Nous avons lu tous les articles. (We read all the articles.)
The past participle of *lire* is 'lu.'
'Ils ont lu' is correct.
Imparfait: Reading (Habitual/Descriptive)
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | lisais | I was reading / used to read |
| Tu | lisais | You were reading / used to read |
| Il/Elle/On | lisait | He/She/One was reading |
| Nous | lisions | We were reading |
| Vous | lisiez | You were reading |
| Ils/Elles | lisaient | They were reading |
Usage: For ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past.
- Quand j’étais jeune, je lisais beaucoup. (When I was young, I used to read a lot.)
- Elle lisait pendant que tu écrivais. (She was reading while you were writing.)
The correct form is 'lisions.'
You use imparfait for habits or ongoing situations in the past.
Future: You Will Read
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | lirai | I will read |
| Tu | liras | You will read |
| Il/Elle/On | lira | He/She will read |
| Nous | lirons | We will read |
| Vous | lirez | You will read |
| Ils/Elles | liront | They will read |
Usage: For reading at some point in the future.
- Je lirai ce livre demain. (I will read that book tomorrow.)
- Vous lirez les instructions plus tard. (You will read the instructions later.)
The stem for future is 'lir-'.
Nous lirons
Conditional: You Would Read
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | lirais | I would read |
| Tu | lirais | You would read |
| Il/Elle/On | lirait | He/She would read |
| Nous | lirions | We would read |
| Vous | liriez | You would read |
| Ils/Elles | liraient | They would read |
Usage: For polite requests or hypothetical situations.
- Je lirais plus si j’avais le temps. (I would read more if I had time.)
- Elles liraient ce magazine si elles pouvaient. (They would read this magazine if they could.)
Use conditional for hypotheticals and polite requests.
Il lirait le rapport
Subjonctif: (That) You Read
| Subject | Conjugation | Usage Example (Que...) |
|---|---|---|
| Je | lise | Il faut que je lise... |
| Tu | lises | Il faut que tu lises... |
| Il/Elle | lise | Il faut qu’il lise... |
| Nous | lisions | Il faut que nous lisions... |
| Vous | lisiez | Il faut que vous lisiez... |
| Ils/Elles | lisent | Il faut qu’ils lisent... |
Usage: For necessity, desire, doubt, or emotion in dependent clauses.
- Il faut que tu lises ce livre. (You have to read this book.)
- Bien qu’elle lise vite, elle comprend mal. (Although she reads fast, she understands poorly.)
You use subjunctive after expressions of necessity, doubt, or emotion.
Use subjunctive in dependent clauses with necessity, desire, or concession.
Conclusion
Lire is a vital French verb for expressing the act of reading in all its forms. Its unique, irregular conjugations span moods from the indicative to the subjunctive, covering past, present, future, and hypothetical scenarios. Mastering lire enables you to talk about reading—and learning—in any context.
- Lire means “to read” and is used for all types of reading.
- It is irregular and must be memorized for each tense.
- Common forms include lis (present), lu (past participle), and lir- (future/conditional stem).
'Lire' means 'to read.'
lis, lit, lisons, lisez, lisent are correct.
Nous lisons
Use avoir + lu
Ils ont lu
Use imparfait for ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Nous lirions
Il faut que tu lises