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Verb conjugation

confesser

to acknowledge, admit; to confess oneself (to confess having sinned)

Usage

Confesser means to confess or admit — religiously (se confesser, to go to confession) or simply admitting a fault or feeling (je confesse que j'avais tort). It carries a slightly more formal, weighty tone than the everyday avouer.

Examples
  • Il va se confesser tous les dimanches. — He goes to confession every Sunday.
  • Je confesse que je n'y avais pas pensé. — I confess that I hadn't thought of that.
  • Elle a confessé son erreur devant tout le monde. — She admitted her mistake in front of everyone.
Common mistake

For everyday admissions like 'I admit I was wrong,' avouer is far more common in speech than confesser, which carries a heavier, almost religious or literary weight — using confesser too casually can sound overly dramatic.

Often confused with avouer.

In real life
  • book Les Confessions — Verified: Jean-Jacques Rousseau's autobiography, written 1765-1770 and published posthumously in 1782 (books I-VI) and 1789 (books VII-XII) — widely regarded as a founding work of modern autobiography.

Simple tenses

Present

jeconfesse
tuconfesses
il/elleconfesse
nousconfessons
vousconfessez
ils/ellesconfessent

Imperfect

jeconfessais
tuconfessais
il/elleconfessait
nousconfessions
vousconfessiez
ils/ellesconfessaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jeconfessai
tuconfessas
il/elleconfessa
nousconfessâmes
vousconfessâtes
ils/ellesconfessèrent

Future

jeconfesserai
tuconfesseras
il/elleconfessera
nousconfesserons
vousconfesserez
ils/ellesconfesseront

Conditional

jeconfesserais
tuconfesserais
il/elleconfesserait
nousconfesserions
vousconfesseriez
ils/ellesconfesseraient

Subjunctive

jeconfesse
tuconfesses
il/elleconfesse
nousconfessions
vousconfessiez
ils/ellesconfessent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jeconfessasse
tuconfessasses
il/elleconfessât
nousconfessassions
vousconfessassiez
ils/ellesconfessassent

Imperative

tuconfesse
nousconfessons
vousconfessez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai confessé
tuas confessé
il/ellea confessé
nousavons confessé
vousavez confessé
ils/ellesont confessé

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais confessé
tuavais confessé
il/elleavait confessé
nousavions confessé
vousaviez confessé
ils/ellesavaient confessé

Passé antérieur

jeeus confessé
tueus confessé
il/elleeut confessé
nouseûmes confessé
vouseûtes confessé
ils/elleseurent confessé

Futur antérieur

jeaurai confessé
tuauras confessé
il/elleaura confessé
nousaurons confessé
vousaurez confessé
ils/ellesauront confessé

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais confessé
tuaurais confessé
il/elleaurait confessé
nousaurions confessé
vousauriez confessé
ils/ellesauraient confessé

Subjonctif passé

jeaie confessé
tuaies confessé
il/elleait confessé
nousayons confessé
vousayez confessé
ils/ellesaient confessé

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse confessé
tueusses confessé
il/elleeût confessé
nouseussions confessé
vouseussiez confessé
ils/elleseussent confessé

Impératif passé

tuaie confessé
nousayons confessé
vousayez confessé

Other

Present participle

confessant

Past participle

confessé

Infinitive

confesser

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "confesser" mean?

"confesser" means "to acknowledge, admit; to confess oneself (to confess having sinned)".

How do you conjugate "confesser" in the present tense?

The present of "confesser" is: je confesse, tu confesses, il/elle confesse, nous confessons, vous confessez, ils/elles confessent.

What is the Passé composé of "confesser"?

The passé composé of "confesser" is: je ai confessé, tu as confessé, il/elle a confessé, nous avons confessé, vous avez confessé, ils/elles ont confessé.

What is the Imperative of "confesser"?

The imperative of "confesser" is: tu confesse, nous confessons, vous confessez.

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