FR
ENS'inquiéter Conjugation in French: Complete Tables and Guide
Editor
S'inquiéter Conjugation in French: Complete Tables and Guide
The verb s'inquiéter translates to "to worry" or "to be concerned" in English. It is a fundamental reflexive verb in French conversations. Because it is both a pronominal verb (conjugated with reflexive pronouns like me, te, se) and a stem-changing verb (shifting between é and è), mastering its conjugations is critical for reaching intermediate fluency.
Below, you will find detailed conjugation tables across all core tenses, clear rules for the accent switch, and native usage tips.
The Stem-Changing Accent Rule (é vs. è)
S'inquiéter belongs to the first conjugation group (-er verbs), but features an accent change:
1. The acute accent (é) turns into a grave accent (è) whenever the next syllable is silent (mute e, es, or ent).
- Je m'inquiète (silent -e ending)
- Ils s'inquiètent (silent -ent ending)
2. The acute accent (é) is kept when the ending is pronounced:
- Nous nous inquiétons
- Vous vous inquiétez
3. Future & Conditional: Traditional spelling keeps the é (je m'inquiéterai), although the 1990 spelling reform accepts the è (je m'inquièterai). Most native publications still prefer the traditional form.
1. Present Indicative (Présent)
Used for general truths or actions occurring right now.
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive + Verb | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je / J' | me m'inquiète | I worry / I am worrying |
| Tu | t'inquiètes | You worry (informal) |
| Il / Elle / On | s'inquiète | He / She / One worries |
| Nous | nous inquiétons | We worry |
| Vous | vous inquiétez | You worry (formal/plural) |
| Ils / Elles | s'inquiètent | They worry |
Example: « Je m'inquiète quand tu ne réponds pas au téléphone. » (I worry when you don't answer the phone.)
2. Compound Past (Passé Composé)
Because s'inquiéter is reflexive, it always uses être as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses. The past participle is inquiété, which agrees in gender and number with the subject pronoun.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | me suis inquiété(e) | I worried / have worried |
| Tu | t'es inquiété(e) | You worried |
| Il / Elle | s'est inquiété(e) | He / She worried |
| Nous | nous sommes inquiétés(es) | We worried |
| Vous | vous êtes inquiété(e)(s)(es) | You worried |
| Ils / Elles | se sont inquiétés(es) | They worried |
Example: « Nous nous sommes beaucoup inquiétés pour toi hier soir. » (We worried a lot about you last night.)
3. Imperfect (Imparfait)
Used for ongoing, habitual, or background states in the past. The stem always retains the é.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | m'inquiétais | I was worrying / used to worry |
| Tu | t'inquiétais | You were worrying |
| Il / Elle | s'inquiétait | He / She was worrying |
| Nous | nous inquiétions | We were worrying |
| Vous | vous inquiétiez | You were worrying |
| Ils / Elles | s'inquiétaient | They were worrying |
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | m'inquiéterai | I will worry |
| Tu | t'inquiéteras | You will worry |
| Il / Elle | s'inquiétera | He / She will worry |
| Nous | nous inquiéterons | We will worry |
| Vous | vous inquiéterez | You will worry |
| Ils / Elles | s'inquiéteront | They will worry |
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Je | m'inquiéterais | I would worry |
| Tu | t'inquiéterais | You would worry |
| Il / Elle | s'inquiéterait | He / She would worry |
| Nous | nous inquiéterions | We would worry |
| Vous | vous inquiéteriez | You would worry |
| Ils / Elles | s'inquiéteraient | They would worry |
Commonly introduced by phrases like il faut que... or verbs of emotion.
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| :--- | :--- |
| Que je | m'inquiète |
| Que tu | t'inquiètes |
| Qu'il / elle | s'inquiète |
| Que nous | nous inquiétions |
| Que vous | vous inquiétiez |
| Qu'ils / elles | s'inquiètent |
Example: « Je ne veux pas que tu t'inquiètes pour mes examens. » (I don't want you to worry about my exams.)
7. Imperative (Impératif)
In everyday life, s'inquiéter is overwhelmingly used in its negative imperative form to comfort someone.
Negative (Don't worry):
- Ne t'inquiète pas ! (Informal singular)
- Ne nous inquiétons pas ! (Let's not worry!)
- Ne vous inquiétez pas ! (Formal or plural)
Informal Slang Tip:
- « T'inquiète pas ! »
- Or simply: « T'inquiète ! » (equivalent to "Don't sweat it!" or "No worries!").
In everyday casual spoken French, locals routinely drop the ne and shorten the sentence:
Preposition Guide: « Pour » vs. « De »
- S'inquiéter pour [person] = To worry about someone.
- S'inquiéter de [thing/situation] = To be anxious or concerned about a circumstance.
Learners frequently ask which preposition follows s'inquiéter: Example: « Je m'inquiète pour mes enfants. » (I worry about my children.) Example: « Elle s'inquiète de l'avenir de l'entreprise. » (She is concerned about the company's future.)