Key facts

Flotter

To float · to float/to flutter

B1Regular
Stem
flott
Past participle
flotté

Examples

Je flotte sur l'eau.

I float on the water.

Il ne flotte pas au vent.

It doesn't flutter in the wind.

Nous flottions là.

We were floating there.

Nous avons flotté 1h.

We floated for an hour.

Présent

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

Group 1
Jeflotte
Ifloat
Tuflottes
Youfloat
Ilflotte
Hefloats
Nousflottons
Wefloat
Vousflottez
Youfloat
Ilsflottent
Theyfloat

Futur proche

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

Jevais flotter
Iam going to float
Tuvas flotter
Youare going to float
Ilva flotter
Heis going to float
Nousallons flotter
Weare going to float
Vousallez flotter
Youare going to float
Ilsvont flotter
Theyare going to float

Passé récent

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

Jeviens de flotter
Ihave just floated
Tuviens de flotter
Youhave just floated
Ilvient de flotter
Hehas just floated
Nousvenons de flotter
Wehave just floated
Vousvenez de flotter
Youhave just floated
Ilsviennent de flotter
Theyhave just floated

Passé composé

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

J'ai flotté
Ihave floated
Tuas flotté
Youhave floated
Ila flotté
Hehas floated
Nousavons flotté
Wehave floated
Vousavez flotté
Youhave floated
Ilsont flotté
Theyhave floated

Conditionnel présent

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

Jeflotterais
Iwould float
Tuflotterais
Youwould float
Ilflotterait
Hewould float
Nousflotterions
Wewould float
Vousflotteriez
Youwould float
Ilsflotteraient
Theywould float

Futur simple

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

Jeflotterai
Iwill float
Tuflotteras
Youwill float
Ilflottera
Hewill float
Nousflotterons
Wewill float
Vousflotterez
Youwill float
Ilsflotteront
Theywill float

Imparfait

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

Jeflottais
Iwas floating
Tuflottais
Youwere floating
Ilflottait
Hewas floating
Nousflottions
Were floating
Vousflottiez
Youwere floating
Ilsflottaient
Theywere floating

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)flotte
Youfloat
(Nous)flottons
Wefloat
(Vous)flottez
Youfloat

Participe présent

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

flottant
floating

Gérondif présent

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

en flottant
floating

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

Croissant Verbs — application icon

Practice Flotter in the app

Flotter | Verbs | Croissant Verbs