Key facts

Saluer

To greet · to greet/to wave

C1Regular
Stem
salu
Past participle
salué

Examples

Je salue Paul.

I greet Paul.

Il ne salue pas le voisin.

He doesn't greet the neighbor.

Nous saluions Marie.

We were greeting Marie.

Nous avons salué Marc.

We greeted Marc.

Présent

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

Group 1
Jesalue
Igreet
Tusalues
Yougreet
Ilsalue
Hegreets
Noussaluons
Wegreet
Voussaluez
Yougreet
Ilssaluent
Theygreet

Futur proche

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

Jevais saluer
Iam going to greet
Tuvas saluer
Youare going to greet
Ilva saluer
Heis going to greet
Nousallons saluer
Weare going to greet
Vousallez saluer
Youare going to greet
Ilsvont saluer
Theyare going to greet

Passé récent

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

Jeviens de saluer
Ihave just greeted
Tuviens de saluer
Youhave just greeted
Ilvient de saluer
Hehas just greeted
Nousvenons de saluer
Wehave just greeted
Vousvenez de saluer
Youhave just greeted
Ilsviennent de saluer
Theyhave just greeted

Passé composé

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

J'ai salué
Ihave greeted
Tuas salué
Youhave greeted
Ila salué
Hehas greeted
Nousavons salué
Wehave greeted
Vousavez salué
Youhave greeted
Ilsont salué
Theyhave greeted

Conditionnel présent

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

Jesaluerais
Iwould greet
Tusaluerais
Youwould greet
Ilsaluerait
Hewould greet
Noussaluerions
Wewould greet
Voussalueriez
Youwould greet
Ilssalueraient
Theywould greet

Futur simple

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

Jesaluerai
Iwill greet
Tusalueras
Youwill greet
Ilsaluera
Hewill greet
Noussaluerons
Wewill greet
Voussaluerez
Youwill greet
Ilssalueront
Theywill greet

Imparfait

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

Jesaluais
Iwas greeting
Tusaluais
Youwere greeting
Ilsaluait
Hewas greeting
Noussaluions
Were greeting
Voussaluiez
Youwere greeting
Ilssaluaient
Theywere greeting

Impératif présent

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

(Tu)salue
Yougreet
(Nous)saluons
Wegreet
(Vous)saluez
Yougreet

Participe présent

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

saluant
greeting

Gérondif présent

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

en saluant
greeting

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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