Courir — to run | French Verb Chart
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📚 This is the overview. « courir » is taught level by level — pick your CEFR level below for a full lesson (explanation, pronunciation, exercises & games).
Présent (Indicatif)
- je coursI run
- tu coursyou run
- il / elle courthe / she runs
- nous couronswe run
- vous courezyou run
- ils / elles courentthey run
Passé composé (Indicatif)
- j’ai couruI ran
- tu as couruyou ran
- il / elle a couruhe / she ran
- nous avons couruwe ran
- vous avez couruyou ran
- ils / elles ont couruthey ran
Imparfait (Indicatif)
- je couraisI was running
- tu couraisyou were running
- il / elle couraithe / she was running
- nous courionswe were running
- vous couriezyou were running
- ils / elles couraientthey were running
Futur simple (Indicatif)
- je courraiI will run
- tu courrasyou will run
- il / elle courrahe / she will run
- nous courronswe will run
- vous courrezyou will run
- ils / elles courrontthey will run
Conditionnel présent
- je courraisI would run
- tu courraisyou would run
- il / elle courraithe / she would run
- nous courrionswe would run
- vous courriezyou would run
- ils / elles courraientthey would run
Subjonctif présent
- que je courethat I run
- que tu couresthat you run
- qu’il / elle courethat he / she run
- que nous courionsthat we run
- que vous couriezthat you run
- qu’ils / elles courentthat they run
Impératif, Participe & Infinitif
- couririnfinitive
- courantpresent participle
- en courantgerund (gérondif)
- courupast participle
- cours · courons · courezimperative
- avoirauxiliary in compound tenses
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Five phrases with « courir » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →
📘 How to use Courir
- The double-r trap: future & conditional have rr — je courrai (I will run) vs imperfect je courais. One r = past, two r = future!
- Courir takes avoir: j’ai couru un marathon.
- Figurative: courir un risque (to run a risk), le bruit court (rumour has it).
🔑 Key forms
🔊 Common expressions
🇬🇧 Courir in plain English: running, with a double-r future
Courir — to run — keeps a lean present: je cours, tu cours, il court, nous courons, vous courez, ils courent. Its signature is the future’s double r: je courrai (I will run) versus the imperfect je courais (I was running) — one letter, one sound-length apart, the same rr club as voir (verrai), pouvoir (pourrai) and mourir (mourrai). Passé composé j’ai couru — always avoir, however far the running moved you (movement verbs take être only when the MOTION is the whole point of the verb’s meaning class — courir describes the manner, so avoir it is; a genuinely useful rule of thumb for the auxiliary question). Subjonctif que je coure, imperative cours ! — as heard at every French school sports day.
The family and idioms give the chart its cardio: parcourir (to travel through / skim — j’ai parcouru l’article), accourir (come running), secourir (rescue — hence au secours !, help!). Idiomatically the French run everywhere they hurry: « je cours ! » (I’m rushing), « courir les magasins » (run around the shops), « le bruit court que… » (rumour has it — rumours run in French), and the immortal « laisse courir » — let it go, literally let it run. Drill: announce today’s hurry in three tenses — je cours, j’ai couru toute la journée, demain je courrai encore — and mind the double r; it’s the only thing standing between your future and your past.
FAQ
Why does the future of courir have two r’s?
Stem contraction: courir + ai collapsed to courr-. Je courrai (future) vs je courais (imperfect) — length of the r is the tense.
Is courir with être or avoir?
Avoir: j’ai couru. It describes how you move, not a change of location — so it sits out the être club that aller and partir belong to.
What does « le bruit court » mean?
“Rumour has it” — noise runs in French. Related: « courir un risque » (run a risk), shared instinct with English.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
future (double r!): demain je ___ (2 r)
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courrai
imperfect (one r): avant je ___ (1 r)
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courais
passé composé : elle a ___ (participle)
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couru
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🎯 More practice — conjugation drill — all six tenses
je ___ (Courir — present)
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cours
tu ___ (Courir — passé composé)
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as couru
il ___ (Courir — imperfect)
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courait
nous ___ (Courir — future)
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courrons
vous ___ (Courir — conditional)
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courriez
Go further: Master the present tense — the full beginner guide.
Courir conjugation FAQ
What is the present tense of courir?
je cours, tu cours, il / elle court, nous courons, vous courez, ils / elles courent. Full charts for every tense are above, each form with audio.
What is the past participle of courir?
couru — the passé composé is « j’ai couru ». Courir uses avoir as its auxiliary verb.
How do you say courir in the future tense?
« je courrai » — the future stem never changes across persons, only the endings do.
What does courir mean in English?
to run. It is one of the essential French verbs — drill the present first, then the passé composé; those two tenses carry most conversations.
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🎬 All seven CEFR levels, end to end
« courir » at every CEFR level — the tense, its forms and the mechanic that makes it stick. Practise it with the free games →