Forcer Conjugation French: Full Verb Tables, Rules & Examples

The verb forcer (meaning to force, to compel, or to strain) is a frequent first-group (-er) verb in the French language. While its conjugations follow standard first-group patterns, it features an essential orthographic quirk: the addition of a cedilla (ç) before vowels a and o.

Mastering this spelling change is critical for writing natural and grammatically correct French. This guide walks you through every major tense of forcer, explains the cedilla rule, and highlights frequent everyday idioms.

The Spelling Rule: Why Does "Forcer" Take a Cedilla?

In standard French phonetics, the letter c followed by e, i, or y produces a soft [s] sound (like in centre or cinéma). When c precedes a, o, or u, it makes a hard [k] sound (like in carotte or café).

  • Nous forçons (not nous forcons)
  • Je forçais (not je forcais)
  • Forçant (present participle)

    • Because the infinitive forcer has an [s] sound, that sound must be maintained throughout its conjugation. Whenever a verb ending begins with an a or an o, the letter c receives a cedilla (ç):

  • Tu forces
  • Nous forcions

    • Before e and i, regular c is retained without any accent:

    Indicative Mood: Common Tenses

    Présent (Present Tense)

The present tense is used for ongoing actions and general truths.

Passé Composé (Compound Past)

Subject Pronoun Conjugation English Equivalent
:--- :--- :---
Je force I force / I am forcing
Tu forces You force (singular/informal)
Il / Elle / On force He / She / One forces
Nous forçons We force (note the ç)
Vous forcez You force (plural/formal)
Ils / Elles forcent They force

Formed using the auxiliary verb avoir and the invariable past participle forcé (unless preceded by a direct object).

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

Example: Les voleurs ont forcé la serrure. (The burglars forced the lock.)

Imparfait (Imperfect Tense)

The endings begin with a for the singular forms and the third-person plural, requiring the cedilla.

  • Je forçais (I was forcing / used to force)
  • Tu forçais
  • Il / Elle forçait
  • Nous forcions (regular c before i)
  • Vous forciez (regular c before i)
  • Ils / Elles forçaient

    • Futur Simple (Simple Future)

The future stem ends with force-, keeping standard spelling before the -r- sounds.

  • Je forcerai (I will force)
  • Tu forceras
  • Il / Elle forcera
  • Nous forcerons
  • Vous forcerez
  • Ils / Elles forceront

    • Subjunctive & Conditional Moods

    Subjonctif Présent

Subjunctive endings start with e or i, meaning no cedilla is ever needed here.

  • Que je force
  • Que tu forces
  • Qu'il / elle force
  • Que nous forcions
  • Que vous forciez
  • Qu'ils / elles forcent

Example: Il faut que tu forces un peu plus. (You need to push a bit harder.)

Conditionnel Présent

  • Je forcerais (I would force)
  • Tu forcerais
  • Il / Elle forcerait
  • Nous forcerions
  • Vous forceriez
  • Ils / Elles forceraient

    • Imperative and Participles

    Impératif (Commands)

  • Force ! (Push! / Force!) — Notice: no final 's' in the 2nd person singular for -er verbs.
  • Forçons ! (Let's push!)
  • Forcez ! (Push! / Force!)

    • Participles

  • Participe présent: forçant (forcing)
  • Participe passé: forcé (forced)

    • Key Prepositions & Expressions

1. Forcer quelqu'un à + infinitif: To force someone to do something.

  • Le bruit l'a forcé à déménager. (The noise forced him to move.)

2. Forcer la main (à quelqu'un): To twist someone's arm / force their hand.

3. Se forcer: Reflexive form meaning to make an effort against one's desires.

  • Elle se force à sourire. (She forces herself to smile.)

4. Forcer le trait: To exaggerate or overstate something.

Keep the cedilla rule in mind whenever forcer is followed by an a or o, and your French conjugations will remain flawless!