French Verb Focus: Conduire (To Drive)

Conduire is an irregular verb meaning to drive, lead or take (someone) to a place. I have translated the various tenses here with the meaning ‘drive’ for simplicity’s sake, but have given some example sentences with the other meanings.

PRESENT TENSE

Je conduis – I drive, I am driving
Tu conduis – you drive, you are driving (singular, familiar)
Il conduit – he/it drives, he/it is driving
Elle conduit – she/it drives, she/it is driving
Nous conduisons – we drive, we are driving
Vous conduisez – you drive, you are driving (polite, plural)
Ils conduisent – they drive, they are driving (m.)
Elles conduisent – they drive, they are driving (f.)

PERFECT TENSE (PASSE COMPOSE)

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

FUTURE TENSE

Je vous conduirai à l’aeroport. – I will take/drive you to the airport.
Tu ne conduiras pas trop vite. – You will not drive too fast.
Il vous conduira. – He will lead you.
Elle conduira la voiture au garage. – She will take the car to the garage.
Nous vous conduirons jusqu’à la côte. – We will drive you down to the coast.
Vous conduirez les autres. – You will lead the others.
Ils te conduiront à ta chambre. – They will take you to your room.
Elles conduiront les enfants à l’ecole. – They will take the children to school.

IMPERFECT TENSE

Je conduisais quand tu m’as téléphoné, alors je n’ai pas repondu. – I was driving when you rang me, so I didn’t answer.

CONDITIONAL TENSE

Je ne conduirais pas si j’avais le choix. – I would not drive if I had the choice.

IMPERATIVE

conduis – drive (tu form)
conduisons – let’s drive
conduisez – drive (vous form)

SUBJUNCTIVE

Il faut que je conduise durant la nuit – I must drive during the night.

With thanks to Elizabeth Allen