Key facts

Étendre

To spread · to spread/to stretch

C1Irregular
Model
vendre
Stem
étend
Past participle
étendu

Examples

J'étends le linge.

I'm hanging the laundry.

Il n'étend pas ses jambes.

He doesn't stretch his legs.

Nous étendions le drap.

We were spreading the sheet.

Nous avons étendu le sel.

We spread the salt.

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
J'étends
Ispread
Tuétends
Youspread
Ilétend
Hespreads
Nousétendons
Wespread
Vousétendez
Youspread
Ilsétendent
Theyspread

Futur proche

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

Jevais étendre
Iam going to spread
Tuvas étendre
Youare going to spread
Ilva étendre
Heis going to spread
Nousallons étendre
Weare going to spread
Vousallez étendre
Youare going to spread
Ilsvont étendre
Theyare going to spread

Passé récent

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

Jeviens d'étendre
Ihave just spread
Tuviens d'étendre
Youhave just spread
Ilvient d'étendre
Hehas just spread
Nousvenons d'étendre
Wehave just spread
Vousvenez d'étendre
Youhave just spread
Ilsviennent d'étendre
Theyhave just spread

Passé composé

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

J'ai étendu
Ihave spread
Tuas étendu
Youhave spread
Ila étendu
Hehas spread
Nousavons étendu
Wehave spread
Vousavez étendu
Youhave spread
Ilsont étendu
Theyhave spread

Conditionnel présent

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

J'étendrais
Iwould spread
Tuétendrais
Youwould spread
Ilétendrait
Hewould spread
Nousétendrions
Wewould spread
Vousétendriez
Youwould spread
Ilsétendraient
Theywould spread

Futur simple

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

J'étendrai
Iwill spread
Tuétendras
Youwill spread
Ilétendra
Hewill spread
Nousétendrons
Wewill spread
Vousétendrez
Youwill spread
Ilsétendront
Theywill spread

Imparfait

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

J'étendais
Iwas spreading
Tuétendais
Youwere spreading
Ilétendait
Hewas spreading
Nousétendions
Were spreading
Vousétendiez
Youwere spreading
Ilsétendaient
Theywere spreading

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)étends
Youspread
(Nous)étendons
Wespread
(Vous)étendez
Youspread

Participe présent

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

étendant
spreading

Gérondif présent

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

en étendant
spreading

Similar conjugation models (Irregular)

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