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Verb conjugation

controverser

to controvert

Usage

Controverser is a literary, mostly written verb meaning to debate or dispute a point at length, historically especially in religious or doctrinal contexts. In modern French it's almost always encountered as the past participle controversé (controversial), not as a conjugated verb.

Examples
  • Les théologiens ont longuement controversé sur ce point de doctrine.The theologians debated this point of doctrine at length.
  • Ce sujet, très controversé, continue de diviser les experts.This highly controversial subject continues to divide experts.
  • Ils controversent depuis des années sans jamais se mettre d'accord.They've been debating for years without ever agreeing.
Common mistake

Almost all real-world usage is the adjective controversé(e) (a controversial decision, une décision controversée) — a learner will meet this word constantly as an adjective and almost never as an actively conjugated verb.

Simple tenses

Present

jecontroverse
tucontroverses
il/ellecontroverse
nouscontroversons
vouscontroversez
ils/ellescontroversent

Imperfect

jecontroversais
tucontroversais
il/ellecontroversait
nouscontroversions
vouscontroversiez
ils/ellescontroversaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jecontroversai
tucontroversas
il/ellecontroversa
nouscontroversâmes
vouscontroversâtes
ils/ellescontroversèrent

Future

jecontroverserai
tucontroverseras
il/ellecontroversera
nouscontroverserons
vouscontroverserez
ils/ellescontroverseront

Conditional

jecontroverserais
tucontroverserais
il/ellecontroverserait
nouscontroverserions
vouscontroverseriez
ils/ellescontroverseraient

Subjunctive

jecontroverse
tucontroverses
il/ellecontroverse
nouscontroversions
vouscontroversiez
ils/ellescontroversent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jecontroversasse
tucontroversasses
il/ellecontroversât
nouscontroversassions
vouscontroversassiez
ils/ellescontroversassent

Imperative

tucontroverse
nouscontroversons
vouscontroversez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie controversé
nousayons controversé
vousayez controversé

Other

Present participle

controversant

Past participle

controversé

Infinitive

controverser

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "controverser" mean?

"controverser" means "to controvert".

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

The present of "controverser" is: je controverse, tu controverses, il/elle controverse, nous controversons, vous controversez, ils/elles controversent.

What is the Passé composé of "controverser"?

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

What is the Imperative of "controverser"?

The imperative of "controverser" is: tu controverse, nous controversons, vous controversez.