French Verb Focus: Courir (To Run)

The verbe courir generally means to run, but also to rush, to speed, to be headed for, to compete in or to roam. It isn’t a very difficult one to learn as irregular verbs go; note that the future and conditional have the double ‘rr’, omitting the letter i.

PRESENT TENSE

Je cours – I run, I am running
Tu cours – you run, you are running (singular, familiar)
Il court – he/it runs, he/it is running
Elle court – she/it runs, she/it is running
Nous courons – we run, we are running
Vous courez – you run, you are running (polite, plural)
Ils courent – they run, they are running (m.)
Elles courent – they run, they are running (f.)

PERFECT TENSE (PASSE COMPOSE)

J’ai couru – I have run, I ran, I did run
Tu as couru – you have run, you ran, you did run
Il a couru – he/it has run, he/it ran, he/it did run
Elle a couru – she/it has run, she/it ran, she/it did run
Nous avons couru – we have run, we ran, we did run
Vous avez couru – you have run, you ran, you did run
Ils ont couru – they have run, they ran, they did run
Elles ont couru – they have run, they ran, they did run

FUTURE TENSE

En 2020, je courrai mes soixante-dix ans. – In 2020, I will be getting on for seventy.
Est-ce que tu courras ta chance? – Will you try your luck?
Il courra des risques. – He will run risks.
Elle courra un 500 mètres. – She will run in a five-hundred-metre race.
Nous courrons les théâtres à Paris. – We will do the rounds of the theatres in Paris.
D’ici à l’an 2010, vous ne courrez plus. – By the year 2010, you will no longer (be able to) run.
Ils lui courront sur le système. – They will get on her/his nerves. (Colloquial)
Elles courront de grands dangers. – They will be in great danger.

IMPERFECT TENSE

Je courais pour attraper l’autobus quand je t’ai vu. – I was running to catch the bus when I saw you.

CONDITIONAL TENSE

Je courrais tous les jours si j’avais le temps. – I would run every day if I had the time.

IMPERATIVE

cours – run (tu form)
courons – let’s run
courez – run (vous form)

SUBJUNCTIVE

Il faut que je coure. – I must run.

With thanks to Elizabeth Allen