How to Conjugate "Disputer" (to Dispute)

As you might expect, the French verb disputer means "to dispute." That's easy enough and French students will be happy to know that conjugating it to mean "disputed" or "disputing" is also rather simple.

Conjugating the French Verb Disputer

Disputer is a regular -ER verb and it follows the most common verb conjugation pattern found in the French language. When you learn to identify the proper endings for disputer, you can apply those to similar verbs like dépenser (to spend) and contribuer (to contribute), among many others.

To conjugate disputer to the present, future, or imperfect past tense, simply use this chart and find the appropriate subject pronoun. For example, "I dispute" is "je dispute" while "we will dispute" is "nous disputerons."

The Present Participle of Disputer

To use the present participle of disputer, add -ant to the verb stem and you have disputant. It's a rather versatile word because it not only acts as a verb, but can be an adjective, gerund, or noun when needed.

The Passé Composé and Past Participle

A common way to say the past tense "disputed" in French is with the passé composé. To form this, conjugate the auxiliary verb avoir, then add the past participle disputé.

For example, "I disputed" is "j'ai disputé" and "we disputed" is "nous avons disputé." You should notice that the past participle does not change and that ai and avons are conjugates of avoir.

More Simple Disputer Conjugations

Among all these disputer conjugations, the present, past, and future tenses are the most important. Yet, you might find a use for any of the following verb forms as you become more fluent in French.

The subjunctive, for example, can be used when the action of disputing is questionable or uncertain. Similarly, in the conditional verb mood, the action is dependent on conditions and therefore might not happen. In rare instances and primarily in formal writing, you may also see the passé simple or imperfect subjunctive forms.

The imperative verb form is used in short and often assertive statements. When using it, the subject pronoun is not required: use " dispute" rather than "tu dispute."