Mettre Conjugation French: Full Tense Tables, Rules & Common Idioms

The French verb mettre (meaning to put, to place, to turn on, or to wear) is one of the most critical irregular verbs in everyday French. Belonging to the third conjugation group (verbes du 3e groupe), it serves as the grammatical blueprint for numerous compound verbs like permettre (to allow) and promettre (to promise). Mastering the conjugation of mettre is an essential milestone toward French fluency.

1. Key Characteristics of the Verb "Mettre"

To conjugate mettre accurately, keep these foundational rules in mind:

1. Single "t" in Singular Present: In the present tense singular forms (je, tu, il/elle/on), the stem drops one "t" (je mets, tu mets, il met).

2. Double "t" in Plural & Subjunctive: The plural forms of the present tense and all forms of the subjunctive retain the double "t" (nous mettons, que je mette).

3. Irregular Past Participle: The past participle is mis (feminine: mise). Compound tenses like the passé composé use the auxiliary verb avoir (j'ai mis), except in its reflexive form se mettre, which takes être (je me suis mis).

2. Complete Conjugation Charts for Essential Tenses

Présent de l'Indicatif (Present Tense)

  • Je mets — I put / I am putting
  • Tu mets — You put (informal)
  • Il / Elle / On met — He / She / One puts
  • Nous mettons — We put
  • Vous mettez — You put (formal/plural)
  • Ils / Elles mettent — They put

Pro-tip: Notice that the third person singular (il met) does not add an extra ending like "-t" or "-d".

Passé Composé (Compound Past)

  • J'ai mis — I put / I have put
  • Tu as mis — You put
  • Il / Elle / On a mis — He / She / One put
  • Nous avons mis — We put
  • Vous avez mis — You put
  • Ils / Elles ont mis — They put

    • Imparfait (Imperfect)

  • Je mettais — I was putting / I used to put
  • Tu mettais — You were putting
  • Il / Elle / On mettait — He / She / One was putting
  • Nous mettions — We were putting
  • Vous mettiez — You were putting
  • Ils / Elles mettaient — They were putting

    • Futur Simple (Simple Future)

  • Je mettrai — I will put
  • Tu mettras — You will put
  • Il / Elle / On mettra — He / She / One will put
  • Nous mettrons — We will put
  • Vous mettrez — You will put
  • Ils / Elles mettront — They will put

    • Conditionnel Présent (Conditional)

  • Je mettrais — I would put
  • Tu mettrais — You would put
  • Il / Elle / On mettrait — He / She / One would put
  • Nous mettrions — We would put
  • Vous mettriez — You would put
  • Ils / Elles mettraient — They would put

    • Subjonctif Présent (Present Subjunctive)

  • Que je mette — That I put
  • Que tu mettes — That you put
  • Qu'il / elle / on mette — That he / she / one put
  • Que nous mettions — That we put
  • Que vous mettiez — That you put
  • Qu'ils / elles mettent — That they put

    • Impératif (Imperative / Commands)

  • Mets ! — Put! (informal singular)
  • Mettons ! — Let's put! (first-person plural)
  • Mettez ! — Put! (formal/plural)

    • 3. Derivative Verbs Sharing the Same Pattern

Once you know the conjugation of mettre, you instantly unlock the ability to conjugate all of its prefix-based relatives:

  • Admettre (to admit) -> J'admets, nous admettons, j'ai admis
  • Compromettre (to compromise) -> Je compromets, nous compromettons, j'ai compromis
  • Permettre (to allow / permit) -> Je permets, nous permettons, j'ai permis
  • Promettre (to promise) -> Je promets, nous promettons, j'ai promis
  • Remettre (to put back / postpone) -> Je remets, nous remettons, j'ai remis
  • Soumettre (to submit) -> Je soumets, nous soumettons, j'ai soumis
  • Transmettre (to transmit / hand down) -> Je transmets, nous transmettons, j'ai transmis

    • 4. Frequent Idiomatic Expressions Using "Mettre"

Native speakers use mettre across varied everyday expressions:

  • Mettre la table : To set the table (Peux-tu mettre la table, s'il te plaît ?)
  • Mettre du temps : To take time (Le trajet met environ quarante minutes.)
  • Se mettre à (+ verb) : To begin or take up an activity (Il s'est mis à étudier le français tous les matins.)
  • Mettre fin à : To put an end to something.
  • Mettre au courant : To inform or bring someone up to speed.

By practicing the distinction between the single "t" in singular present forms and the double "t" elsewhere, you will quickly master this indispensable French verb.