Voir Conjugation in French: Full Tables, Tenses, and Guide
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Voir Conjugation in French: The Complete Guide and Tense Charts
The French verb voir translates directly to "to see" or "to view". It is one of the 30 most common irregular verbs in the French language. Because it belongs to the third group (-oir verbs), it undergoes several stem changes depending on the mood and tense.
Understanding how to conjugate voir correctly is critical for everyday communication, written proficiency, and official exams such as DELF or TEF. In this expert tutorial from my-french.com, you will find full conjugation tables, pronunciation keys, common pitfalls, and practical examples.
1. Quick Facts About Voir
- Infinitive: Voir
- Group: 3rd group (irregular)
- Past Participle (Participe passé): Vu (seen)
- Present Participle (Participe présent): Voyant (seeing)
- Auxiliary Verb: Avoir in active compound tenses (e.g., j'ai vu); être in pronominal form (se voir).
2. Core Conjugation Tables
Indicatif Présent (Present Tense)
The present tense stems change between voi- (singular pronouns and 3rd-person plural) and voy- (nous and vous).
| Subject Pronoun | French Form | Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | vois | /vwa/ | I see |
| Tu | vois | /vwa/ | You see (informal) |
| Il / Elle / On | voit | /vwa/ | He / She / One sees |
| Nous | voyons | /vwa.jɔ̃/ | We see |
| Vous | voyez | /vwa.je/ | You see (formal / plural) |
| Ils / Elles | voient | /vwa/ | They see |
> Pronunciation Tip: Notice that vois, voit, and voient all share the exact same sound: /vwa/. The ending -ent in ils voient is entirely silent.
Passé Composé (Present Perfect / Past Simple)
The passé composé of voir is formed with the present tense of avoir + the past participle vu.
- J'ai vu (I saw / I have seen)
- Tu as vu (You saw)
- Il / Elle / On a vu (He/She/We saw)
- Nous avons vu (We saw)
- Vous avez vu (You saw)
- Ils / Elles ont vu (They saw)
Example: J'ai vu cette pièce de théâtre la semaine dernière. (I saw this play last week.)
Imparfait (Imperfect Tense)
The imperfect stem is voy-, followed by standard imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).
| Subject Pronoun | French Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | voyais | I used to see / I was seeing |
| Tu | voyais | You used to see |
| Il / Elle / On | voyait | He / She / One was seeing |
| Nous | voyions | We were seeing |
| Vous | voyiez | You were seeing |
| Ils / Elles | voyaient | They were seeing |
Spelling Alert: In nous voyions and vous voyiez, both the y and the i are written. Do not drop the i, as it differentiates the imperfect from the present tense (nous voyons vs. nous voyions).
Futur Simple (Future Tense) & Conditionnel Présent
In both the future and conditional tenses, voir switches to an irregular root: verr- (spelled with a double r).
| Subject Pronoun | Futur Simple | Conditionnel Présent |
|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | verrai (I will see) | verrais (I would see) |
| Tu | verras | verrais |
| Il / Elle / On | verra | verrait |
| Nous | verrons | verrions |
| Vous | verrez | verriez |
| Ils / Elles | verront | verraient |
Used after expressions of necessity, emotion, doubt, or subjective will:
- Que je voie
- Que tu voies
- Qu'il / elle / on voie
- Que nous voyions
- Que vous voyiez
- Qu'ils / elles voient
Example: Il faut que vous voyiez ce médecin au plus vite. (You need to see this doctor as soon as possible.)
Impératif (Imperative)
- (Tu) Vois ! (See!)
- (Nous) Voyons ! (Let's see!)
- (Vous) Voyez ! (Look / See!)
Commands or suggestions:
3. Voir vs. Regarder: How to Avoid Confusion
- Voir means to perceive with your eyes involuntarily (to see). Example: Je vois un oiseau. (I see a bird).
- Regarder implies intentional, focused observation (to look at / to watch). Example: Je regarde un film. (I am watching a movie).
English speakers frequently confuse voir and regarder:
4. Key Idioms with Voir
1. Voyons voir : "Let's see" (used when deliberating).
2. N'avoir rien à voir avec : "To have nothing to do with".
3. C'est du jamais vu : "That's completely unprecedented / never seen before".
4. Ça se voit : "It's obvious / It shows".
By anchoring your learning around the stems voi-, voy-, and verr-, conjugating voir becomes intuitive across every communicative context.