by S Morris

Created on: August 26, 2009

Voir is an irregular French verb which means "to see." It is one of the most commonly used irregular verbs and so its conjugations are important to memorize. However, even irregular verbs have patterns to their conjugations and one can use these patterns as memory aids. It is generally better to learn regular verb conjugations before irregular as many irregular verbs conjugate at least partially regularly. If you already know the regular verb forms, you will be able to use patterns to learn the conjugations with less memorization.

The present tense singular forms are regular, but the plural are not. However, the plural forms conjugate like a regular -OYER verb (as though the infinitive of voir were "voyer" instead of voir).
Je vois, tu vois, il/elle voit.
Nous voyons, vous voyez, ils/elles voient.

The future tense is irregular, but conjugates regularly with the irregular stem verr-. This means that the endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) are regular, but they are added to an irregular stem, verr- (as opposed to the infinitive, voir, as in the case of regular verbs).
Je verrai, tu verras, il/elle verra.
Nous verrons, vous verrez, ils/elles verront.

The conditional tense is like the future tense in that it conjugates regularly with the irregular stem verr-.
Je verrais, tu verrais, il/elle verrait.
Nous verrions, vous verriez, ils/elle verraient.

The imperfect tense is regular in so far as it uses the irregular present tense nous stem, voy-. This means that that it conjugates just as a regular verb would, with the regular endings being added to the actual present nous (the plural first person) form's stem (voy-). The endings should not be added to what the regular form would be (voiss-).
Je voyais, tu voyais, il/elle voyait.
Nous voyions, vous voyiez, ils/elles voyaient.

The simple past tense is irregular, but conjugates regularly with the irregular stem v-. This is the same way the future and conditional tense conjugate, only with a different stem.
Je vis, tu vis, il/elle vit.
Nous vmes, vous vtes, ils/elles virent.

The present subjunctive tense is irregular. However, it conjugates like a regular -OYER verb, meaning it conjugates as though its infinitive were "voyer."
Je voie, tu voies, il/elle voie.
Nous voyions, vous voyiez, ils/elles voient.

The imperfect subjunctive tense conjugates like simple past: regularly with the irregular stem v-.
Je visse, tu visses, il/elle vt.
Nous vissions, vous vissiez, ils/elles vissent.

The present participle is regular in the same way as imperfect tense as it uses the irregular present tense nous stem, voy-.
Voyant.

The past participle is irregular. It may help you to remember it if you notice it is similar to the French word for "view" or "sight": vue.
Vu.

All of the compound tenses (pass compos, pluperfect, past anterior, future anterior, past conditional, subjunctive past, and subjunctive pluperfect) are regular but use the irregular past participle, vu.

Imperative is simply the (irregular) present tense.
(Tu) vois, (nous) voyons, (vous) voyez.

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