Key facts

Coucher

To lie down · to put to bed/to lie down

B1Regular
Stem
couch
Past participle
couché

Examples

Je couche le bébé.

I put the baby to bed.

Il ne se couche pas tard.

He doesn't go to bed late.

Nous couchions tôt.

We used to go to bed early.

Nous avons couché l'enfant.

We put the child to bed.

Présent

Indicative present — everyday actions, ongoing situations, and habits; the tense you rely on most in conversation.

Group 1
Jecouche
Iput to bed
Tucouches
Youput to bed
Ilcouche
Heputs to bed
Nouscouchons
Weput to bed
Vouscouchez
Youput to bed
Ilscouchent
Theyput to bed

Futur proche

Near future with aller + infinitive — what you are about to do, very soon after the moment of speaking.

Jevais coucher
Iam going to lie down
Tuvas coucher
Youare going to lie down
Ilva coucher
Heis going to lie down
Nousallons coucher
Weare going to lie down
Vousallez coucher
Youare going to lie down
Ilsvont coucher
Theyare going to lie down

Passé récent

Recent past with venir de + infinitive — something that has just finished, still fresh in the speaker’s mind.

Jeviens de coucher
Ihave just lain down
Tuviens de coucher
Youhave just lain down
Ilvient de coucher
Hehas just lain down
Nousvenons de coucher
Wehave just lain down
Vousvenez de coucher
Youhave just lain down
Ilsviennent de coucher
Theyhave just lain down

Passé composé

Compound past with être or avoir + past participle — completed, one-off events and the backbone of spoken storytelling.

J'ai couché
Ihave lain down
Tuas couché
Youhave lain down
Ila couché
Hehas lain down
Nousavons couché
Wehave lain down
Vousavez couché
Youhave lain down
Ilsont couché
Theyhave lain down

Conditionnel présent

Conditional mood — polite requests, imagined outcomes, and what would happen under certain conditions.

Jecoucherais
Iwould lie down
Tucoucherais
Youwould lie down
Ilcoucherait
Hewould lie down
Nouscoucherions
Wewould lie down
Vouscoucheriez
Youwould lie down
Ilscoucheraient
Theywould lie down

Futur simple

Simple future — often more formal or literary than the near future; states intentions farther ahead in time.

Jecoucherai
Iwill lie down
Tucoucheras
Youwill lie down
Ilcouchera
Hewill lie down
Nouscoucherons
Wewill lie down
Vouscoucherez
Youwill lie down
Ilscoucheront
Theywill lie down

Imparfait

Imperfect — repeated habits in the past, background description, and actions still in progress when something else occurred.

Jecouchais
Iwas lying down
Tucouchais
Youwere lying down
Ilcouchait
Hewas lying down
Nouscouchions
Were lying down
Vouscouchiez
Youwere lying down
Ilscouchaient
Theywere lying down

Impératif présent

Present imperative — direct commands and friendly requests; only tu, nous, and vous person forms exist.

(Tu)couche
Youlie down
(Nous)couchons
Welie down
(Vous)couchez
Youlie down

Participe présent

Present participle — the -ant form in subordinate clauses, compound tenses, and many fixed expressions.

couchant
lying down

Gérondif présent

Gerund with en + present participle — simultaneous action, manner, or cause while something else is going on.

en couchant
lying down

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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