Mourir Verb Conjugation: Every Tense Explained With Translations & Examples
Does mourir Verb Conjugation feel intimidating because the verb carries strong meaning and irregular forms at the same time? It is one of DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs. Mourir is a core French verb used not only for death, but also for exhaustion, disappearance, endings, and figurative expressions you hear every day. This guide explains every tense clearly, with natural translations and real-life examples.
Let’s start with what makes mourir unique.
What You Need To Know Before Conjugating Mourir
Mourir means to die, to pass away, or to stop existing, depending on context. Beyond physical death, it is very commonly used figuratively in everyday French. It can express extreme exhaustion (je meurs de fatigue), intense desire (mourir d’envie), boredom (mourir d’ennui), or gradual disappearance, such as traditions, hopes, or emotions fading away.
Mourir can also describe something coming to a definitive end, like a habit, a movement, or a relationship. As an irregular verb, it always uses être in compound tenses, and its past participle mort must agree in gender and number with the subject, without exception.
Indicative Mood
The indicative mood is used to express facts, events, and real situations.
Present Tense (Présent)
The present tense is used for general truths, ongoing situations, or figurative meanings. In English, mourir often translates as “die,” “am/is/are dying,” or figuratively “be exhausted.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | meurs | I die / I am dying |
| Tu | meurs | you die / you are dying |
| Il / Elle / On | meurt | he / she dies |
| Nous | mourons | we die / we are dying |
| Vous | mourez | you die / you are dying |
| Ils / Elles | meurent | they die / they are dying |
Examples:
- Je meurs de faim. → I’m starving.
- Elle meurt lentement. → She is dying slowly.
- Les plantes meurent. → The plants are dying.
To talk about ongoing or repeated situations in the past, French uses another tense.
Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)
The imperfect tense describes ongoing states, repeated situations, or background context in the past. In English, it usually translates as “was dying” or “used to die.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourais | I was dying / I used to die |
| Tu | mourais | you were dying |
| Il / Elle / On | mourait | he / she was dying |
| Nous | mourions | we were dying |
| Vous | mouriez | you were dying |
| Ils / Elles | mouraient | they were dying |
Examples:
- Il mourait lentement. → He was dying slowly.
- Les animaux mouraient de faim. → The animals were starving.
- Elle mourait d’ennui. → She was bored to death.
To express a completed death or final event, French uses the passé composé.
Passé Composé (Always Être)
The passé composé is used for completed events. Mourir always uses être, and the past participle agrees with the subject. In English, it usually translates as “died” or “has died.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suis mort(e) | I died / I have died |
| Tu | es mort(e) | you died |
| Il / Elle / On | est mort(e) | he / she died |
| Nous | sommes mort(e)s | we died |
| Vous | êtes mort(e)(s) | you died |
| Ils / Elles | sont mort(e)s | they died |
Examples:
- Il est mort hier. → He died yesterday.
- Elle est morte jeune. → She died young.
- Ils sont morts ensemble. → They died together.
To show that death occurred before another past event, French uses another tense.
Plus-Que-Parfait
The plus-que-parfait expresses an action that had already happened before another past action. In English, it usually translates as “had died.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | étais mort(e) | I had died |
| Tu | étais mort(e) | you had died |
| Il / Elle / On | était mort(e) | he / she had died |
| Nous | étions mort(e)s | we had died |
| Vous | étiez mort(e)(s) | you had died |
| Ils / Elles | étaient mort(e)s | they had died |
Examples:
- Il était mort avant la guerre. → He had died before the war.
- Elle était morte trop tôt. → She had died too early.
- Ils étaient morts depuis longtemps. → They had been dead for a long time.
Some tenses appear mainly in written French.
Passé Simple (Rare – Literary)
The passé simple of mourir is mainly used in novels and historical writing.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourus | I died |
| Tu | mourus | you died |
| Il / Elle / On | mourut | he / she died |
| Nous | mourûmes | we died |
| Vous | mourûtes | you died |
| Ils / Elles | moururent | they died |
Examples:
- Il mourut en silence. → He died in silence.
- Elle mourut jeune. → She died young.
- Ils moururent ensemble. → They died together.
French also uses the future tense, often figuratively.
Simple Future (Futur Simple)
The future tense is used rarely and often figuratively, especially in expressions of inevitability.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourrai | I will die |
| Tu | mourras | you will die |
| Il / Elle / On | mourra | he / she will die |
| Nous | mourrons | we will die |
| Vous | mourrez | you will die |
| Ils / Elles | mourront | they will die |
Examples:
- Nous mourrons tous un jour. → We will all die one day.
- Ce souvenir ne mourra jamais. → That memory will never die.
- L’espoir mourra lentement. → Hope will slowly die.
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is used to express emotion, doubt, fear, or judgment related to death or disappearance.
Present Subjunctive
In English, this usually becomes “for someone to die” or “that someone should die.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | meure | for me to die / that I should die |
| Que tu | meures | for you to die |
| Qu’il / elle / on | meure | for him/her to die |
| Que nous | mourions | for us to die |
| Que vous | mouriez | for you to die |
| Qu’ils / elles | meurent | for them to die |
Examples:
- Je crains qu’il meure. → I fear he may die.
- Bien qu’elle meure lentement… → Although she is dying slowly…
- Il faut que cela meure. → That needs to die out.
Past Subjunctive
Used when the death happened before the main verb. In English, it often translates as “to have died.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | sois mort(e) | for me to have died |
| Que tu | sois mort(e) | for you to have died |
| Qu’il / elle / on | soit mort(e) | for him/her to have died |
| Que nous | soyons mort(e)s | for us to have died |
| Que vous | soyez mort(e)(s) | for you to have died |
| Qu’ils / elles | soient mort(e)s | for them to have died |
Examples:
- Je regrette qu’il soit mort. → I regret that he died.
- Bien qu’elle soit morte… → Although she died…
- Je suis triste qu’ils soient morts. → I’m sad they died.
Conditional Mood
The conditional expresses hypothetical situations or figurative language.
Present Conditional
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | mourrais | I would die |
| Tu | mourrais | you would die |
| Il / Elle / On | mourrait | he / she would die |
| Nous | mourrions | we would die |
| Vous | mourriez | you would die |
| Ils / Elles | mourraient | they would die |
Examples:
- Je mourrais sans toi. → I would die without you.
- Elle mourrait d’ennui. → She would be bored to death.
- Tout mourrait lentement. → Everything would slowly die.
Imperative Mood (Rare)
The imperative of mourir is extremely rare and usually figurative or dramatic.
| Form | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| (Tu) | meurs | die |
| (Nous) | mourons | let’s die |
| (Vous) | mourez | die |
Examples:
- Meurs d’envie. → Be desperate for it.
- Mourons dignement. → Let’s die with dignity.
FAQs
What Does The Verb Mourir Mean In French?
The French verb mourir means “to die” or “to pass away,” but it is also widely used figuratively. It can describe extreme fatigue, boredom, desire, disappearance, or something coming to an end. Context determines whether the meaning is literal or expressive.
Is Mourir A Regular Or Irregular Verb?
Mourir is an irregular verb. Its stem changes in the present tense, and its conjugation does not follow standard patterns. Because of these changes, learners must memorize its forms rather than rely on regular endings.
Does Mourir Always Use Être?
Yes, mourir always uses être in compound tenses. This is because it expresses a change of state rather than an action on an object. As a result, its past participle must agree with the subject.
How Do You Conjugate Mourir In The Present Tense?
In the present tense, mourir becomes je meurs, tu meurs, il meurt, nous mourons, vous mourez, ils meurent. This tense is used for general truths, ongoing situations, or figurative expressions.
What Is The Difference Between Je Meurs And Je Suis Mort?
Je meurs describes a current or ongoing state, often figurative, such as exhaustion. Je suis mort refers to a completed event in the past. The difference lies in timing and whether the action is finished.
How Do You Use Mourir In The Past Tense?
Mourir is commonly used in the passé composé to describe a completed death or end. It always uses être, and the past participle mort agrees with the subject in gender and number.
Why Does Mourir Agree In The Past Tense?
Agreement occurs because mourir uses être. The past participle mort changes form depending on whether the subject is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. This rule applies in all compound tenses.
What Is The Imperfect Tense Of Mourir Used For?
The imperfect tense is used to describe an ongoing or gradual process of dying in the past. It often translates as “was dying” or is used in storytelling to set background context.
How Do You Conjugate Mourir In The Imperfect Tense?
In the imperfect tense, mourir is conjugated as je mourais, tu mourais, il mourait, nous mourions, vous mouriez, ils mouraient. These forms describe continuous or repeated states in the past.
How Do You Conjugate Mourir In The Future Tense?
In the future tense, mourir becomes je mourrai, tu mourras, il mourra, and so on. This tense is often used figuratively or philosophically rather than for literal statements.
Is Mourir Commonly Used Figuratively?
Yes, mourir is very frequently used figuratively. Expressions like mourir de fatigue, mourir d’ennui, or mourir d’envie are common in everyday French and do not refer to actual death.
What Does Mourir De Mean?
Mourir de is used to express intensity or cause, such as mourir de faim or mourir de rire. It emphasizes an extreme feeling or condition rather than literal death in most cases.
What Does Mourir D’envie Mean?
Mourir d’envie means “to really want something” or “to be desperate to do something.” It is a fixed expression used in everyday conversation and does not imply anything negative or literal.
How Do You Use Mourir In The Subjunctive?
The subjunctive is used with mourir after expressions of fear, emotion, doubt, or judgment. It often translates as “for someone to die” or “that someone should die” in English.
How Do You Translate “Que Je Meure” In English?
“Que je meure” is usually translated as “for me to die” or “that I should die.” English often restructures the sentence instead of using a direct subjunctive form.
What Is The Past Subjunctive Of Mourir Used For?
The past subjunctive of mourir is used when the death occurred before the main verb. In English, it usually becomes “to have died” and follows expressions of emotion or regret.
Is The Passé Simple Of Mourir Still Used?
The passé simple of mourir still exists but is mainly found in novels and historical writing. It is not used in spoken French and is learned mostly for reading comprehension.
Can Mourir Be Used In Commands?
The imperative form of mourir exists but is rare and usually figurative or dramatic. It appears mostly in literature or strong expressions rather than everyday conversation.
How Is Mourir Different From Décéder?
Mourir is used in both casual and figurative contexts, while décéder is more formal and used mainly in official or administrative language. Décéder avoids figurative usage.
Can Mourir Be Used For Objects Or Ideas?
Yes, mourir can describe ideas, traditions, hopes, or movements disappearing. For example, une tradition meurt means a tradition is dying or fading away.
Is Mourir Used Often In Everyday French?
Yes, mourir appears frequently in everyday French, especially in figurative expressions. Its literal meaning is less common in daily conversation than its expressive uses.
What Are Common Mistakes Learners Make With Mourir?
Common mistakes include forgetting agreement in the past tense, confusing present and past meanings, or translating figurative uses too literally. Understanding context helps avoid these errors.
How Do You Use Mourir In The Conditional Tense?
The conditional of mourir is used for hypothetical situations or strong expressions. It usually translates as “would die” and is often used figuratively.
Can Mourir Be Used With Time Expressions?
Yes, mourir can be used with time expressions to indicate when something happened or was happening, such as mourir jeune or mourir lentement.
Is Mourir Used In Formal Writing?
Yes, mourir is used in formal writing, literature, and journalism. However, more neutral or formal alternatives may be preferred in administrative contexts.
Are There Idiomatic Expressions With Mourir?
French includes many idiomatic expressions with mourir, such as mourir de rire or se laisser mourir. These expressions are common and important to recognize.
Can Mourir Be Used Reflexively?
Mourir itself is not reflexive, but it can appear with reflexive-like constructions in idiomatic expressions. Its meaning remains non-reflexive grammatically.
How Can I Practice Mourir Effectively?
Practice mourir using both literal and figurative sentences. Mixing everyday expressions with different tenses helps reinforce meaning, agreement rules, and natural usage.
Should Beginners Learn All Mourir Tenses At Once?
Beginners should focus first on the present tense, passé composé, and common figurative expressions. Other tenses can be added gradually for better retention and confidence.
Why Is Mourir Important To Learn?
Mourir is essential because it appears frequently in both literal contexts and everyday expressions. Understanding its conjugation and figurative meanings greatly improves comprehension and fluency.
Final Takeaway
The Mourir Verb Conjugation is essential because mourir appears constantly in literal, emotional, and figurative French. Once you understand its irregular forms, constant use of être, and agreement rules, you’ll recognize and use it naturally in real contexts.
