Mourir means to die and is used for all contexts involving death, expiration, or cessation of life, whether literally or figuratively.
- Expresses the concept of ceasing to live or exist.
- Can be used literally (people, animals) or figuratively (machines, trends).
- Requires subject-verb agreement in all tenses.
*mourir* means 'to die.'
Stem and Conjugation Pattern
Mourir is highly irregular. Its stems change depending on the tense:
- Present/Future/Conditional stem: mour-
- Near-Past/Ever-Past stem: mort- (also used for past participle)
- Present Indicative stems: meurs, meurs, meurt, mourons, mourez, meurent
This pattern is shared only by a few verbs, making mourir distinctive.
The stem 'mour-' is used for the future and conditional.
Conjugation Overview
| Tense | Stem/Form | Sample (il/elle) |
|---|---|---|
| Present | meurs/meurt | Il meurt (He dies) |
| Past Participle | mort(e)(s) | Mort |
| Passe Compose | A + Mort(e) | Il est mort |
| Imparfait | mour + -ais | Il mourait (He was dying) |
| Future | mour + -ra | Il mourra (He will die) |
| Conditional | mour + -rait | Il mourrait (He would die) |
| Subjunctive Present | meur + -e,... | qu’il meure (that he dies) |
The past participle of *mourir* is *mort*.
Important Notes
- Mourir uses être in compound tenses: Il est mort (He died).
- The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number:
Elle est morte. / Ils sont morts.
- It is not used for inanimate things that simply stop working (use s’arrêter or tomber en panne instead), except in rare metaphorical cases.
*mourir* uses *être* as its auxiliary: Il est mort.
The present indicative forms of mourir express dying or ceasing to live in the present moment, or recurring.
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | meurs | Je meurs d’ennui. (I'm dying of boredom.) |
| Tu | meurs | Tu meurs pour elle? (Are you dying for her?) |
| Il/Elle/On | meurt | Il meurt lentement. (He dies slowly.) |
| Nous | mourons | Nous mourons tous un jour. (We all die someday.) |
| Vous | mourez | Vous mourez d'impatience. (You are dying of impatience.) |
| Ils/Elles | meurent | Ils meurent jeunes. (They die young.) |
The 'nous' form is 'mourons.'
Present Indicative Exercise
Conjugate mourir for each subject in the present tense and use two forms in original example sentences.
Use être as the auxiliary. The past participle mort agrees with the subject.
| Subject | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suis mort(e) | Je suis mort de fatigue. (I died of exhaustion.) |
| Tu | es mort(e) | Tu es mort trop tôt. (You died too soon.) |
| Il/Elle/On | est mort(e) | Il est mort hier. (He died yesterday.) |
| Nous | sommes mort(e)s | Nous sommes morts ensemble. (We died together.) |
| Vous | Êtes mort(e)(s)(es) | Vous êtes morts en guerre. (You died in the war.) |
| Ils/Elles | sont mort(e)s | Ils sont morts jeunes. (They died young.) |
You use *être*: Il est mort.
Passé Composé Exercise
Write 3 sentences about historical or fictional deaths using mourir in the passé composé, with correct agreement.
Expresses ongoing or repeated dying (or metaphorical) in the past.
| Person | Imparfait | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourais | Je mourais d'envie. (I was dying to...) |
| Tu | mourais | Tu mourais de rire. (You were dying laughing.) |
| Il/Elle | mourait | Il mourait lentement. (He was dying slowly.) |
| Nous | mourions | Nous mourions d'ennui. (We were dying of boredom.) |
| Vous | mouriez | Vous mouriez d'impatience. (You were dying of impatience.) |
| Ils/Elles | mouraient | Ils mouraient de froid. (They were dying of cold.) |
The imparfait stem is 'mour-'.
Imparfait Exercise
Describe a situation in the past where people or characters "died" or "were dying" (literally or figuratively) using mourir in the imparfait.
Use the stem mour- plus standard future endings.
| Person | Future | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourrai | Je mourrai heureux. (I will die happy.) |
| Tu | mourras | Tu mourras oublié. (You will die forgotten.) |
| Il/Elle | mourra | Il mourra riche. (He will die rich.) |
| Nous | mourrons | Nous mourrons ensemble. (We will die together.) |
| Vous | mourrez | Vous mourrez bientôt. (You will die soon.) |
| Ils/Elles | mourront | Ils mourront en paix. (They will die in peace.) |
The stem 'mour-' is used for the future.
Future Exercise
Make predictions about historical figures or celebrities using mourir in the future tense.
Same stem as future (mour-), with conditional endings.
| Person | Conditional | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourrais | Je mourrais pour mes enfants. (I would die for my children.) |
| Tu | mourrais | Tu mourrais de plaisir. (You would die of pleasure.) |
| Il/Elle | mourrait | Il mourrait de faim. (He would die of hunger.) |
| Nous | mourrions | Nous mourrions ensemble. (We would die together.) |
| Vous | mourriez | Vous mourriez heureux. (You would die happy.) |
| Ils/Elles | mourraient | Ils mourraient sur scène. (They would die on stage.) |
The conditional stem is 'mour-', same as future.
Conditional Exercise
Write “what if” sentences about loyalty, passion, or sacrifice using mourir in the conditional.
The present subjunctive uses the stem meur- (except for nous/vous which use mour-).
| Person | Subjunctive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je/Tu/Il/Elle | meure, meures, meure | Il faut qu’il meure. (He must die.) |
| Nous/Vous | mourions, mouriez | Il faut que nous mourions ensemble. |
For 'je', the subjunctive stem is 'meur-'.
Subjunctive Exercise
Express wishes, fears, or necessities using mourir in the subjunctive.
Mourir is a highly irregular verb essential for discussing life and death situations in French.
- Means "to die" and covers literal and some figurative uses.
- Requires être as auxiliary in compound tenses, with agreement of past participle (mort).
- Has unique stems: meur- (present subjunctive), mour- (future, conditional), mort- (past participle).
*mourir* uses être as auxiliary.
The past participle of *mourir* is *mort*.