-uire verbs

ByFast French

French verbs that end in -uire belong mostly to the third group (irregular verbs). Here is a list of common -uire verbs:

  1. Conduire (to drive, to lead)
  2. Cuire (to cook)
  3. Détruire (to destroy)
  4. Éconduire (to dismiss, to turn away)
  5. Enduire (to coat, to smear)
  6. Induire (to induce, to lead to)
  7. Introduire (to introduce, to insert)
  8. Luire (to shine, to glow)
  9. Produire (to produce)
  10. Reconduire (to renew, to escort back)
  11. Réduire (to reduce)
  12. Reproduire (to reproduce)
  13. Séduire (to seduce, to charm)
  14. Traduire (to translate)

Most of these verbs follow a similar conjugation pattern, where the -uire ending changes in the present tense (e.g., je conduis, tu conduis, il conduit, nous conduisons).

Conjugation of -uire Verbs in French

Verbs ending in -uire mostly follow the same conjugation pattern. Below is a detailed breakdown using conduire (to drive) as an example.

Present Tense (Présent)

PersonConjugation
Jeconduis
Tuconduis
Il/Elle/Onconduit
Nousconduisons
Vousconduisez
Ils/Ellesconduisent

✅ Pattern:

  • The singular forms (je, tu, il/elle/on) remove -re and take -s, -s, -t.
  • The plural forms (nous, vous, ils/elles) keep -uis but add -ons, -ez, -ent.

📝 Example Sentences:

  • Je conduis une voiture. (I drive a car.)
  • Ils conduisent prudemment. (They drive carefully.)

Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

PersonConjugation
Jeconduisais
Tuconduisais
Il/Elle/Onconduisait
Nousconduisions
Vousconduisiez
Ils/Ellesconduisaient

✅ Pattern:

  • Start with the nous form of the present tense (conduisons).
  • Remove -ons and add the imperfect endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

📝 Example:

  • Quand j’étais petit, je conduisais un vélo. (When I was little, I used to ride a bike.)

Past Participle & Compound Tenses

  • Past Participle: conduit
  • Passé composé (with avoir):
    • J’ai conduit une moto hier. (I drove a motorcycle yesterday.)

Future Tense (Futur Simple)

PersonConjugation
Jeconduirai
Tuconduiras
Il/Elle/Onconduira
Nousconduirons
Vousconduirez
Ils/Ellesconduiront

✅ Pattern:

  • Use the infinitive stem conduir- and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

📝 Example:

  • Il conduira une voiture électrique. (He will drive an electric car.)

Subjunctive Mood (Présent du subjonctif)

PersonConjugation
Jeconduise
Tuconduises
Il/Elle/Onconduise
Nousconduisions
Vousconduisiez
Ils/Ellesconduisent

✅ Pattern:

  • The je, tu, il/elle/on, ils/elles forms resemble the present tense (conduis-).
  • The nous, vous forms follow the imperfect pattern.

📝 Example:

  • Il faut que tu conduises prudemment. (You must drive carefully.)

List of Other -uire Verbs With Their Past Participles

VerbMeaningPast Participle
Cuireto cookcuit
Détruireto destroydétruit
Éconduireto dismisséconduit
Enduireto coatenduit
Induireto induceinduit
Introduireto introduceintroduit
Luireto shinelui
Produireto produceproduit
Reconduireto renew/escortreconduit
Réduireto reduceréduit
Reproduireto reproducereproduit
Séduireto seduceséduit
Traduireto translatetraduit

Note

  • The verb luire (to shine) is irregular:
    • Past participle is lui (not luit).
  • Examples:
    • Ses yeux luisent dans l’obscurité. (His/her eyes glow in the dark.)
    • Le matin luit sur les collines. (The morning light shines on the hills.)
  • It is mostly used in literary or poetic contexts.

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