How to Conjugate "Concentrer" (to Concentrate)

It's pretty obvious that the French verb concentrer means "to concentrate." While the English and French look very similar and that makes it an easy word for your French vocabulary list, it still needs to be conjugated. A quick lesson will show you how it's done.

Conjugating the French Verb Concentrer

Verb conjugations help us express the action in the past, present, or future tense. We do this in English with endings like -ed and -ing. In French, it's more complex because the verbs change not only with the tense but also according to the subject pronoun. That means you have more words to remember.

Concentrer is a regular -ER verb and that can make learning its conjugations a little easier. This is particularly true if you have already studied similar verbs like chauffer (to heat) and briller (to shine). The endings for all of these verbs are the same and it's just a matter of adding them to the verb stem.

The stem of concentrer is concentr- and it forms the base for all of the verb forms. Using the chart, you will quickly be able to recognize the verb pattern and attach the appropriate ending. For instance, "I concentrate" is "je concetre" and "we concentrate" is "nous concentrerons."

The Present Participle of Concentrer

Adding an -ant to the stem of concentrer gives you the present participle concentrant. It's very versatile and can be an adjective, gerund, or noun as well as a verb.

The Past Participle and Passé Composé

A common way to express the past tense "concentrated" in French is with the passé composé. To form this, begin by conjugating the auxiliary, or "helping," verb avoir according to the subject pronoun. Then, attach the past participle concentré.

As an example, "I concentrated" is "j'ai concentré" and "we concentrated" is "nous avons concentré."

More Simple Concentrer Conjugations to Know

There may be times when you want to insinuate that the verb concentrer has some degree of uncertainty. This is when the subjunctive or the conditional verb form will be useful.

In rare cases and primarily in literature, you will come across the passé simple or the imperfect subjunctive forms of concentrer. Even if you do not use them yourself, it's a good idea to be able to recognize them as you read French.

Used primarily for exclamations, demands, and requests, the imperative form is an easy one. Rather than include the subject pronoun -- tu concentre -- it's acceptable to simplify it to concentre alone.