Key facts

Découvrir

To discover · to discover/to find out

A2Irregular
Model
ouvrir
Stem
découvr
Past participle
découvert

Examples

Je découvre la ville.

I discover the city.

Il ne découvre pas l'idée.

He doesn't discover the idea.

Nous découvrions le parc.

We were discovering the park.

Nous avons découvert le mot.

We discovered the word.

This verb is highly irregular. Prioritize repetition and active recall.

Présent

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

Group 3
Jedécouvre
Idiscover
Tudécouvres
Youdiscover
Ildécouvre
Hediscovers
Nousdécouvrons
Wediscover
Vousdécouvrez
Youdiscover
Ilsdécouvrent
Theydiscover

Futur proche

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

Jevais découvrir
Iam going to discover
Tuvas découvrir
Youare going to discover
Ilva découvrir
Heis going to discover
Nousallons découvrir
Weare going to discover
Vousallez découvrir
Youare going to discover
Ilsvont découvrir
Theyare going to discover

Passé récent

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

Jeviens de découvrir
Ihave just discovered
Tuviens de découvrir
Youhave just discovered
Ilvient de découvrir
Hehas just discovered
Nousvenons de découvrir
Wehave just discovered
Vousvenez de découvrir
Youhave just discovered
Ilsviennent de découvrir
Theyhave just discovered

Passé composé

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

J'ai découvert
Ihave discovered
Tuas découvert
Youhave discovered
Ila découvert
Hehas discovered
Nousavons découvert
Wehave discovered
Vousavez découvert
Youhave discovered
Ilsont découvert
Theyhave discovered

Conditionnel présent

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

Jedécouvrirais
Iwould discover
Tudécouvrirais
Youwould discover
Ildécouvrirait
Hewould discover
Nousdécouvririons
Wewould discover
Vousdécouvririez
Youwould discover
Ilsdécouvriraient
Theywould discover

Futur simple

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

Jedécouvrirai
Iwill discover
Tudécouvriras
Youwill discover
Ildécouvrira
Hewill discover
Nousdécouvrirons
Wewill discover
Vousdécouvrirez
Youwill discover
Ilsdécouvriront
Theywill discover

Imparfait

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

Jedécouvrais
Iwas discovering
Tudécouvrais
Youwere discovering
Ildécouvrait
Hewas discovering
Nousdécouvrions
Were discovering
Vousdécouvriez
Youwere discovering
Ilsdécouvraient
Theywere discovering

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)découvre
Youdiscover
(Nous)découvrons
Wediscover
(Vous)découvrez
Youdiscover

Participe présent

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

découvrant
discovering

Gérondif présent

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

en découvrant
discovering

Similar conjugation models (Irregular)

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