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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépenser

Get the L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) tense conjugation of dépenser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dépenser is “to spend.” It is pronounced as “day-pan-say.”

Dépenser is derived from the Latin word “dispensare,” which means “to distribute, manage, or spend.” It is most often used in everyday French in the L’infinitif Présent tense, which is the infinitive present tense. In this tense, it is used to express an action that is ongoing or habitual.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the L’infinitif Présent tense:

  1. Je dépense beaucoup d’argent en vêtements. (I spend a lot of money on clothes.)

  2. Nous devons dépenser notre temps intelligemment. (We must spend our time wisely.)

  3. Tu dépenses trop d’énergie à te plaindre. (You spend too much energy complaining.)

English translations:

  1. I spend a lot of money on clothes.

  2. We must spend our time wisely.

  3. You spend too much energy complaining.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépense Je dépense de l’argent. I spend money.
tu dépenses Tu dépenses trop. You spend too much.
il dépense Il dépense pour son loyer. He spends on his rent.
elle dépense Elle dépense sur des vêtements. She spends on clothes.
on dépense On dépense beaucoup en voyage. We spend a lot on travel.
nous dépensons Nous dépensons ensemble. We spend together.
vous dépensez Vous dépensez de l’argent. You spend money.
ils dépensent Ils dépensent en nourriture. They spend on food.
elles dépensent Elles dépensent dans les magasins. They spend in stores.

Other Conjugations for Dépenser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépenser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dépenser L’infinitif Présent tense conjugation! 

Dépenser – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb dépenser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts