Changer Conjugation in French: The Complete Guide & Tense Tables

Mastering the verb changer (to change, to alter, to swap) is a fundamental milestone for anyone learning the French language. Classified as a regular -er verb of the first group, it nevertheless features an essential orthographic quirk shared by all verbs ending in -ger (such as manger, voyager, and partager).

In this comprehensive guide, our native French instructors break down the complete conjugation of changer, the critical spelling rule you must never forget, and the grammatical prepositions that change its meaning.

1. The Critical Spelling Rule for -ger Verbs

In French phonetics, the letter g produces a hard sound /g/ (like in good) when placed immediately before the vowels a, o, and u. Conversely, before e and i, it makes a soft sound /ʒ/ (like the s in measure).

  • Present tense (nous): changeons (not changons)
  • Imperfect tense (je, tu, il, ils): changeais, changeait, changeaient
  • Present participle: changeant

    • Because the verb changer is pronounced with a soft stem sound (/ʃɑ̃.ʒe/), French orthography requires inserting a silent e between the g and any ending that starts with a or o:

Whenever the ending begins with i (such as nous changions in the imperfect or subjunctive), no extra e is required, since g before i is naturally soft.

2. Complete Conjugation Charts for Essential Tenses

Indicatif Présent (Present Tense)

Used to express current actions, habitual truths, or immediate future.

Passé Composé (Compound Past)

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
:--- :--- :---
Je change I change / I am changing
Tu changes You change (informal)
Il / Elle / On change He / She / One changes
Nous changeons We change / We are changing
Vous changez You change (formal/plural)
Ils / Elles changent They change

The passé composé describes a completed action in the past. Changer takes the auxiliary verb avoir and the regular past participle changé.

  • J'ai changé (I changed / I have changed)
  • Tu as changé
  • Il / Elle / On a changé
  • Nous avons changé
  • Vous avez changé
  • Ils / Elles ont changé

Example: « Ils ont changé leurs billets d'avion hier. » (They changed their flight tickets yesterday.)

Imparfait (Imperfect)

Used for past ongoing actions, descriptions, and past habits. Notice the soft 'e' before the 'a' endings:

  • Je changeais
  • Tu changeais
  • Il / Elle / On changeait
  • Nous changions (standard ending -ions, no extra 'e')
  • Vous changiez (standard ending -iez, no extra 'e')
  • Ils / Elles changeaient

    • Futur Simple (Simple Future)

The future tense uses the infinitive stem changer- plus standard future endings:

  • Je changerai
  • Tu changeras
  • Il / Elle / On changera
  • Nous changerons
  • Vous changerez
  • Ils / Elles changeront

    • Conditionnel Présent (Present Conditional)

Used to express politeness, hypotheticals, or possibilities:

  • Je changerais
  • Tu changerais
  • Il / Elle / On changerait
  • Nous changerions
  • Vous changeriez
  • Ils / Elles changeraient

    • Subjonctif Présent (Present Subjunctive)

Required after verbs of wishing, necessity, emotion, or doubt:

  • Que je change
  • Que tu changes
  • Qu'il / elle / on change
  • Que nous changions
  • Que vous changiez
  • Qu'ils / elles changent

Example: « Il faut que je change d'adresse. » (I need to change my address.)

Impératif (Imperative)

Used for giving commands or direct advice:

  • (Tu) Change ! (Change!)
  • (Nous) Changeons ! (Let's change!)
  • (Vous) Changez ! (Change!)

Pro-tip: Remember that second-person singular (tu) imperatives in regular -er verbs drop the final -s (Change, not Changes).

3. Preposition Guide: How to Use "Changer" Correctly

One of the biggest pitfalls for English speakers is choosing the correct preposition after changer:

1. Changer quelque chose: Modifying or replacing a direct object.

  • Je veux changer la couleur des murs. (I want to change the color of the walls.)

2. Changer de + noun (no article): Swapping one thing for another of the same nature.

  • Changer de train (to change trains / transfer).
  • Changer d'avis (to change one's mind).
  • Changer de chemise (to change shirts).

3. Changer en: To turn or transform into.

  • L'eau s'est changée en glace. (The water turned into ice.)

4. Se changer (Reflexive): To change clothes.

  • Donne-moi cinq minutes pour me changer. (Give me five minutes to change clothes.)

Keep this guide bookmarked, practice the spelling of nous changeons and je changeais, and you will easily master the French verb changer!