How to Conjugate the Irregular French Verb 'Cuire' ('to Cook')

'Cuire' is so irregular, you just have to memorize its conjugations

Cuire, meaning "to cook, bake and burn," is a highly irregular French -re verb that doesn't follow regular conjugation patterns. Within irregular French -re verbs, there are a few verbs that demonstrate patterns, including verbs conjugated like prendre, battre, mettre and rompre, and verbs ending in -craindre, -peindre and -oindre.

'Cuire' is Highly Irregular

Conduire, to the contrary, is one of those very irregular French verbs with conjugations so unusual and unwieldy that they don't fall into any pattern. They are so irregular you just have to memorize them to use them correctly.

These very irregular -re verbs include: absoudre, boire, clore, conclure, conduire, confire, connaître, coudre, croire, dire, eacute;crire, faire, inscrire, lire, moudre, naître, plaire, rire, suivre​ and vivre. 

The table below shows the irregular simple conjugations of cuire. Note that the table does not include compound conjugations of cuire, which consist of a form of the auxiliary verb avoir and the past participle cuit

Other VERBS ENDING IN '-UIRE'

There are several more highly irregular verbs ending in -uire; they are all conjugated like cuire. These include:

  • conduire > to drive
  • construire > to build
  • déduire > to deduce
  • détruire > to destroy​
  • éconduire > to dismiss
  • enduire > to coat
  • induire > to mislead
  • introduire > to introduce, insert
  • instruire > to instruct
  • luire > to shine
  • nuire > to harm
  • produire > o produce
  • reconduire > to renew
  • reconstruire > to rebuild
  • réduire > to reduce
  • reluire > to shine
  • reproduire > to reproduce
  • séduire > to seduce
  • traduire > to translate

'CUIRE': USES AND EXPRESSIONS

  • faire cuire quelque chose > to cook something
  • cuire à feu doux ou petit feu > to simmer
  • cuire à gros bouillons > to boil hard/fast
  • poulet prêt à cuire > oven-ready chicken
  • faire cuire à feu vifto cook over a high flame
  • faire cuire quelque chose au four > to bake something
  • J'ai trop fait cuire les légumes. > I've overcooked the vegetables.
  • Tu n'as pas fait assez cuire la viande. > You've undercooked the meat.
  • laisser quelqu'un cuire dans son jus (familiar) > to let someone stew in his/her juices
  • Va te faire cuire un œuf ! > Get lost!
  • Je l'ai envoyé se faire cuire un œuf. (familiar) > I sent him packing.
  • On cuit dans cette voiture. > It's boiling hot in this car.
  • Les yeux me cuisent. > My eyes are burning / stinging.
  • Il vous en cuira.You'll regret it.
  • pommes à cuire > cookling apple

Simple Conjugations of the Irregular French Verb Cuire

Imperative

Present Future Imperfect Present participle
je cuis cuirai cuisais cuisant
tu cuis cuiras cuisais
il cuit cuira cuisait Passé composé
nous cuisons cuirons cuisions Auxiliary verb avoir
vous cuisez cuirez cuisiez Past participlecuit
ils cuisent cuiront cuisaient
Subjunctive Conditional Passé simple Imperfect subjunctive
je cuise cuirais cuisis cuisisse
tu cuises cuirais cuisis cuisisses
il cuise cuirait cuisit cuisît
nous cuisions cuirions cuisîmes cuisissions
vous cuisiez cuiriez cuisîtes cuisissiez
ils cuisent cuiraient cuisirent cuisissent
Imperative
(tu) cuis
(nous) cuisons
(vous) cuisez
Format
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Your Citation
Team, ThoughtCo. "How to Conjugate the Irregular French Verb 'Cuire' ('to Cook')." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/cuire-to-cook-1370049. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). How to Conjugate the Irregular French Verb 'Cuire' ('to Cook'). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/cuire-to-cook-1370049 Team, ThoughtCo. "How to Conjugate the Irregular French Verb 'Cuire' ('to Cook')." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/cuire-to-cook-1370049 (accessed March 29, 2024).