Conjugation table
Craindre conjugation: the gn stem, craint and craindrai
Learn craindre in seven tenses and moods, distinguish craign- from craint and craindr-, and use direct objects and clauses about feared outcomes.
- B1
- 7 tenses
- Auxiliary: avoir
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Use je crains, nous craignons, ils craignent and j’ai craint. The plural, imperfect and subjunctive use craign-; the future uses craindr-. Craindre can take a direct object, as in craindre une réaction, or a clause, as in je crains qu’il parte.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Craindre describes fearing or being concerned about an outcome. In a reading discussion, it may describe a character’s fear or a reader’s expectation. Name whose fear it is before treating that expectation as part of what actually happens in the story.
- Infinitive
- craindre
- Past participle
- craint
- Present participle
- craignant
- Auxiliary
- avoir
PrésentA current fear or concern.
| je | crains |
| tu | crains |
| il / elle / on | craint |
| nous | craignons |
| vous | craignez |
| ils / elles | craignent |
Nous craignons une réaction trop rapide.
We fear an overly quick reaction.
Passé composéA fear experienced on a past occasion.
| j’ | ai craint |
| tu | as craint |
| il / elle / on | a craint |
| nous | avons craint |
| vous | avez craint |
| ils / elles | ont craint |
J’ai craint de ne pas comprendre la fin.
I feared I would not understand the ending.
ImparfaitAn ongoing past concern.
| je | craignais |
| tu | craignais |
| il / elle / on | craignait |
| nous | craignions |
| vous | craigniez |
| ils / elles | craignaient |
Le personnage craignait la réponse de son frère.
The character feared his brother’s reply.
Futur simpleA later concern projected by the speaker.
| je | craindrai |
| tu | craindras |
| il / elle / on | craindra |
| nous | craindrons |
| vous | craindrez |
| ils / elles | craindront |
Elle craindra peut-être de revenir dans cette maison.
She may be afraid to return to that house.
Conditionnel présentA fear in an imagined situation.
| je | craindrais |
| tu | craindrais |
| il / elle / on | craindrait |
| nous | craindrions |
| vous | craindriez |
| ils / elles | craindraient |
À sa place, je craindrais un nouveau malentendu.
In her position, I would fear another misunderstanding.
Subjonctif présentAfter an evaluation of the fear.
| je | craigne |
| tu | craignes |
| il / elle / on | craigne |
| nous | craignions |
| vous | craigniez |
| ils / elles | craignent |
Je comprends que vous craigniez cette réaction.
I understand that you fear this reaction.
ImpératifOften used negatively for reassurance.
| (tu) | crains |
| (nous) | craignons |
| (vous) | craignez |
Ne craignez pas de poser une question.
Do not be afraid to ask a question.
Keep gn out of the future
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| craign- | craignons, craignait, craigne |
| craindr- | craindrai, craindrais |
| craint | j’ai craint ; il craint |
A noun, an infinitive or another subject’s clause
Craindre une réaction takes the noun directly. Craindre de partir uses de plus an infinitive when the person fearing is also the one who would leave. Craindre qu’il parte introduces a different subject with the subjunctive. An optional literary ne may appear in je crains qu’il ne parte without being a negative pas construction; it does not mean the same as je crains qu’il ne parte pas.
Je crains qu’il parte. Je crains qu’il ne parte pas.
I fear he will leave. I fear he will not leave.
The first feared event is departure; the second is non-departure. If an expletive ne is unfamiliar, the first sentence without it is a clear standard way to express the positive feared event. Do not add pas unless the feared event is genuinely negative.
- Nous craindons cette réaction.Nous craignons cette réaction.
The present plural uses craign-.
- Elle a craigné le résultat.Elle a craint le résultat.
The participle is craint.
- Je craignerai ce moment.Je craindrai ce moment.
The future stem is craindr-.
For a literary response, distinguish the character’s fear from your own expectation: Il craint une dispute; moi, je pense que le silence peut encore éviter le conflit. The verb can describe a viewpoint without establishing the later event.