Rejeter Conjugation in French: Complete Tables, Rules & Guide

The verb rejeter (to reject, cast aside, or dismiss) is a staple of everyday French vocabulary. While it falls into the regular -er verb category (the first group), it includes an essential spelling peculiarity: a stem-changing consonant where the letter t doubles in specific positions.

In this complete guide, you will master the conjugation of rejeter across all major tenses, understand the simple logic behind the double "t", and discover real-life examples.

1. The Core Spelling Rule: Single "t" vs. Double "tt"

Like its base verb jeter (to throw), rejeter modifies its stem depending on whether the following vowel sound is silent or pronounced:

  • Double "tt" before a mute "e": When the syllable that follows is a silent "e" (sound [ə]), the single "t" doubles to "tt" to create an open [ɛ] sound. Example: je rejette (pronounced ruh-zhet).
  • Single "t" before pronounced vowels: When followed by vowels like [o], [e], or [a], the stem stays with one "t". Example: nous rejetons (pronounced ruh-zhuh-ton).

> Important note: Do not confuse rejeter with acheter. Verbs derived from jeter double their consonant (je rejette), whereas acheter adopts a grave accent (j'achète).

2. Complete Conjugation Tables for Rejeter

Present Tense (Présent de l'indicatif)

Notice how the consonant doubles for all subjects except nous and vous:

  • Je rejette (I reject)
  • Tu rejettes (You reject)
  • Il / Elle / On rejette (He / She / One rejects)
  • Nous rejetons (We reject)
  • Vous rejetez (You reject)
  • Ils / Elles rejettent (They reject)

    • Compound Past (Passé Composé)

Constructed using the auxiliary verb avoir and the past participle rejeté:

  • J'ai rejeté (I rejected / have rejected)
  • Tu as rejeté (You rejected)
  • Il / Elle / On a rejeté (He / She / One rejected)
  • Nous avons rejeté (We rejected)
  • Vous avez rejeté (You rejected)
  • Ils / Elles ont rejeté (They rejected)

    • Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

In the imperfect, all endings start with an active vowel sound (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient), so the verb retains a single "t" throughout:

  • Je rejetais (I was rejecting / used to reject)
  • Tu rejetais
  • Il / Elle / On rejetait
  • Nous rejetions
  • Vous rejetiez
  • Ils / Elles rejetaient

    • Simple Future (Futur Simple)

Because every future ending begins with a silent "e" base syllable (-re-), the letter "t" is doubled for every person:

  • Je rejetterai (I will reject)
  • Tu rejetteras (You will reject)
  • Il / Elle / On rejettera (He / She / One will reject)
  • Nous rejetterons (We will reject)
  • Vous rejetterez (You will reject)
  • Ils / Elles rejetteront (They will reject)

    • Present Conditional (Conditionnel Présent)

Like the future tense, the conditional consistently features a double "tt":

  • Je rejetterais (I would reject)
  • Tu rejetterais (You would reject)
  • Il / Elle / On rejetterait (He / She / One would reject)
  • Nous rejetterions (We would reject)
  • Vous rejetteriez (You would reject)
  • Ils / Elles rejetteraient (They would reject)

    • Present Subjunctive (Subjonctif Présent)

  • Que je rejette
  • Que tu rejettes
  • Qu'il / elle / on rejette
  • Que nous rejetions
  • Que vous rejetiez
  • Qu'ils / elles rejettent

    • Imperative Mood (Impératif)

  • Rejette (Reject! - singular/informal)
  • Rejetons (Let's reject!)
  • Rejetez (Reject! - plural/formal)

    • 3. Practical Usages and Common Collocations

In French communication, rejeter serves in many everyday situations:

1. Dismissing ideas or applications: La commission a rejeté notre proposition. (The committee turned down our proposal.)

2. Shifting blame: Il rejette toujours la responsabilité sur les autres. (He always puts the blame on others.)

3. Declinining phone calls: J'ai dû rejeter son appel parce que j'étais en réunion. (I had to decline his call because I was in a meeting.)

4. Medical context: Le corps a rejeté la greffe. (The body rejected the transplant.)

By keeping in mind the simple phonetic rule—"double the t before a mute e"—you will avoid spelling mistakes and conjugate rejeter with total confidence.