Suivre is an essential French verb meaning "to follow." It is used when following people, things, events, advice, or even courses. Because it is irregular, its conjugation requires special attention, but mastering suivre allows for more precise and varied expression in French.
- Suivre = to follow
- Used for people, events, advice, courses, media
- Irregular verb with unique conjugation patterns
Conjugation Overview
Suivre is irregular and follows its own pattern, similar to vaincre and construire. The stem changes in different tenses, but the endings resemble those of -re verbs for most forms.
| Tense | Example (il/elle) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Present | suit | Stem: suiv- (except je/tu/vous...) |
| Passé Composé | a suivi | Auxiliary: avoir, past participle: suivi |
| Imparfait | suivait | Stem: suiv- |
| Futur | suivra | Stem: suivr- |
| Conditionnel | suivrait | Stem: suivr- |
- Core stem: suiv- for most tenses
- Futur/Cond stem: suivr-
- Past participle: suivi
Present Tense
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suis | I follow |
| Tu | suis | You follow (sing.) |
| Il/Elle | suit | He/She follows |
| Nous | suivons | We follow |
| Vous | suivez | You follow (pl./form.) |
| Ils/Elles | suivent | They follow |
Note: The "follow" action can refer to physical following, tracking events, or staying up-to-date.
- Main stem: suiv- (except for je/tu/il/elle forms where "suis/suit" is used)
Example Usage:
- Je suis la voiture. (I follow the car.)
- Nous suivons les instructions. (We follow the instructions.)
Passé Composé
Use avoir + suivi.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| J' | ai suivi | I followed |
| Tu | as suivi | You followed |
| Il/Elle | a suivi | He/She followed |
| Nous | avons suivi | We followed |
| Vous | avez suivi | You followed |
| Ils/Elles | ont suivi | They followed |
- Past participle = suivi
- Auxiliary verb = avoir
Example Usage:
- Elle a suivi mes conseils. (She followed my advice.)
- Vous avez suivi la formation. (You followed the training.)
Imparfait
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suivais | I was following / I used to follow |
| Tu | suivais | You were following |
| Il/Elle | suivait | He/She was following |
| Nous | suivions | We were following |
| Vous | suiviez | You were following |
| Ils/Elles | suivaient | They were following |
- Imparfait stem = suiv-
- Used for ongoing, habitual past actions
Example Usage:
- Nous suivions le même chemin tous les jours. (We followed the same path every day.)
- Ils suivaient les nouvelles à la télévision. (They were following the news on TV.)
Futur Simple
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suivrai | I will follow |
| Tu | suivras | You will follow |
| Il/Elle | suivra | He/She will follow |
| Nous | suivrons | We will follow |
| Vous | suivrez | You will follow |
| Ils/Elles | suivront | They will follow |
- Futur stem = suivr-
- Add regular -er/-ir/-or endings: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont
Example Usage:
- Je suivrai tes recommandations. (I will follow your recommendations.)
- Elles suivront la conférence demain. (They will follow the lecture tomorrow.)
Conditionnel
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suivrais | I would follow |
| Tu | suivrais | You would follow |
| Il/Elle | suivrait | He/She would follow |
| Nous | suivrions | We would follow |
| Vous | suivriez | You would follow |
| Ils/Elles | suivraient | They would follow |
- Use the same stem as futur: suivr-
- Endings like imparfait: -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient
Example Usage:
- Si j'étais toi, je suivrais ses conseils. (If I were you, I would follow his advice.)
- Nous suivrions le guide si nous visitions Paris. (We would follow the guide if we visited Paris.)
Conclusion
Suivre is a versatile verb for expressing various forms of "following"—from people and advice to trends and courses. Its irregular but logical conjugation across key tenses makes it invaluable for anyone aiming for fluency.
- Means "to follow" in many contexts (people, advice, events)
- Irregular verb with roots that change by tense (suiv-, suivr-)
- Commonly used in daily conversation, media, and instruction