Exclure Conjugation in French: Complete Tense Guide and Tables

Exclure Conjugation French: Master Every Tense with Ease

The French verb exclure translates to "to exclude," "to rule out," "to expel," or "to ban." Belonging to the third conjugation group (verbes du troisième groupe), it is an irregular verb ending in -ure. While it shares structural traits with verbs like conclure (to conclude) and inclure (to include), it features crucial spelling nuances that frequently trip up language learners.

Whether you are preparing for the DELF/DALF exams or perfecting your everyday conversational French, here is your comprehensive guide to conjugating exclure across all primary tenses.

1. Present Indicative (Présent de l'indicatif)

The stem for the present tense is exclu-. Take close note of the singular endings (-s, -s, -t):

> Pronunciation Tip: In ils/elles excluent, the -ent suffix is silent. It is pronounced identically to il exclut (/ɛks.kly/).

2. Compound Past (Passé Composé)

Exclure takes the auxiliary verb avoir to form its compound tenses. Its past participle is exclu.

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

Agreement Rule: The past participle agrees in gender and number only when a direct object precedes the verb (e.g., Les erreurs qu'il a exclues).

3. Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

Use the imperfect for ongoing past actions or habitual states. Drop the -ons from the nous present form (nous excluons) and add standard imperfect endings:

• J'excluais
• Tu excluais
• Il / Elle excluait
• Nous excluions
• Vous excluiez
• Ils / Elles excluaient

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4. Simple Future (Futur Simple)

To conjugate exclure in the future tense, drop the silent final -e from the infinitive and append future endings:

• J'exclurai (I will exclude)
• Tu excluras
• Il / Elle exclura
• Nous exclurons
• Vous exclurez
• Ils / Elles excluront

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5. Conditional Present (Conditionnel Présent)

The conditional expresses hypothetical actions, politeness, or potential outcomes:

• J'exclurais (I would exclude)
• Tu exclurais
• Il / Elle exclurait
• Nous exclurions
• Vous excluriez
• Ils / Elles excluraient

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6. Present Subjunctive (Subjonctif Présent)

The subjunctive mood is essential after expressions of necessity, doubt, or subjective judgment:

• Que j'exclue
• Que tu exclues
• Qu'il / elle exclue
• Que nous excluions
• Que vous excluiez
• Qu'ils / elles excluent

Example: Il faut que le comité exclue cette possibilité. (The committee must rule out this possibility.)

7. Imperative (Impératif)

For direct commands or advice, exclure has only three forms:

• Exclus ! (Exclude! - informal singular)
• Excluons ! (Let's exclude!)
• Excluez ! (Exclude! - formal/plural)

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8. Common Trap: Exclure vs. Inclure

One of the most persistent spelling mistakes involves the past participles of exclure and inclure:

• Exclure -> Past participle: exclu (feminine: exclue). It never has an "s" in the masculine singular.
• Inclure -> Past participle: inclus (feminine: incluse). It always keeps an "s".

• Un tarif tout compris est inclus. (Included)
• Il a été exclu du tournoi. (Excluded)

Compare:

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Practice Quiz

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of exclure:

1. Le médecin n'_________ (present indicative) aucune hypothèse.

2. Si nous avions le choix, nous les _________ (conditional present).

3. Elles ont été _________ (past participle, feminine plural) de la sélection.