L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caser

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The English translation of the French verb caser is “to break” or “to fit.” The infinitive form of caser is pronounced “kah-zay.”

The word caser comes from the Latin word “cassus,” meaning empty or hollow. In everyday French, it is most often used in the L’infinitif Présent tense, which is the basic form of the verb that does not indicate a specific subject or time. In this tense, it is used as an action verb to express the idea of breaking or fitting something.

Here are three simple examples of caser used in the L’infinitif Présent tense:

  1. Je dois caser ma valise dans le coffre de la voiture. (I have to fit my suitcase in the trunk of the car.)
  2. Attention, tu vas caser le verre si tu le lances comme ça ! (Be careful, you’re going to break the glass if you throw it like that!)
  3. Est-ce que vous pouvez m’aider à caser cette étagère dans la voiture ? (Can you help me fit this shelf in the car?)

In everyday French, caser is also commonly used in idiomatic expressions, such as “se casser la tête” (to rack one’s brain) or “casser les pieds” (to annoy).

Table of the L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of caser

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je case Je casse la bouteille. I break the bottle.
tu cases Tu casses les règles. You break the rules.
il case Il casse le vase. He breaks the vase.
elle case Elle casse la porte. She breaks the door.
on case On casse les œufs. We break the eggs.
nous cassons Nous cassons l’habitude. We break the habit.
vous cassez Vous cassez la fenêtre. You break the window.
ils cassent Ils cassent les chaises. They break the chairs.
elles cassent Elles cassent le silence. They break the silence.

Other Conjugations for Caser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser 

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser 

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser 

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser 

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser 

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser 

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser  (this article)

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Caser – About the French L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense

BEFORE you continue…. why not take a deep dive into all the French tenses with my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.
The French “l’infinitif présent” (Infinitive Present) tense is not a true verb tense in the same way that the present, past, or future tenses are. Instead, it’s the base form of a verb, and it has several important uses and interactions with other tenses.

Forming the Infinitive Present

To form the infinitive present of a verb, you typically take the unconjugated form of the verb (the form you’d find in a French dictionary) and remove the ending. For regular verbs, you remove the -er, -ir, or -re ending, and you’re left with the infinitive. For example:
   – Parler (to speak)
   – Finir (to finish)
   – Vendre (to sell)

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

As a Verb’s Dictionary Form

The most common use of the infinitive present is to represent a verb in its base form. It’s the form you would find in a dictionary or verb conjugation table.

After Modal Verbs

When you use modal verbs like “pouvoir” (can), “vouloir” (want), or “devoir” (must), the verb that follows is in its infinitive form. For example:
     – Je veux manger. (I want to eat.)
     – Il peut parler français. (He can speak French.)

As an Imperative

In informal commands, the infinitive is often used. For example:
     – Ferme la porte. (Close the door.)

In Infinitive Clauses

In complex sentences, especially after certain conjunctions, the infinitive is used to express actions that are separate from the main verb. For example:
     – J’ai besoin de manger avant de partir. (I need to eat before leaving.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Tense

The infinitive present can be used with the present tense to express ongoing actions or habitual actions. For example:
     – J’aime manger des croissants. (I like eating croissants.)

Future Tense

When combined with the future tense of “aller,” the infinitive present can express future actions. For example:
     – Je vais manger au restaurant demain. (I am going to eat at the restaurant tomorrow.)

Conditional Tense

The infinitive present is often used with the conditional to express actions that would happen in a hypothetical situation. For example:

     – Il mangerait s’il avait faim. (He would eat if he were hungry.)

Passé Composé

When forming compound tenses like “passé composé,” the auxiliary verb (être or avoir) is conjugated, and the main verb remains in its infinitive form. For example:
     – J’ai mangé une pomme. (I ate an apple.)
     – Elle est partie. (She left.)

Imperfect Tense

The infinitive present can be combined with the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. For example:
     – Quand j’étais enfant, j’aimais jouer. (When I was a child, I liked to play.)

Subjunctive and Conditional Moods

In some complex sentences, the infinitive can be used with the subjunctive and conditional moods, especially when expressing uncertainty, possibility, or doubt.

Summary

The infinitive present in French serves as the base form of a verb and is used in various contexts, including after modal verbs, in imperative commands, in infinitive clauses, and in combination with other tenses to convey a wide range of meanings and actions. Its flexibility makes it a fundamental part of French grammar.

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