← All verbs
Verb conjugation

cravacher

to quirt, whip (hit with a quirt or whip); to pull one's socks up, knuckle down (work hard)

Usage

Cravacher literally means to whip a horse with a riding crop (une cravache), but its common figurative use — to push hard and work at full speed under pressure (cravacher pour finir à temps) — is at least as frequent as the literal equestrian sense.

Examples
  • Le jockey a cravaché son cheval dans la dernière ligne droite.The jockey whipped his horse in the final stretch.
  • On a dû cravacher pour finir le projet à temps.We had to push hard to finish the project on time.
  • Elle cravache depuis des semaines pour préparer son examen.She's been working flat out for weeks to prepare for her exam.
Common mistake

The figurative 'work hard under pressure' sense doesn't carry the harshness of the literal whipping image in everyday use — it's closer to 'hustle' or 'buckle down' than to anything violent, so translating it too literally overstates the tone.

Simple tenses

Present

jecravache
tucravaches
il/ellecravache
nouscravachons
vouscravachez
ils/ellescravachent

Imperfect

jecravachais
tucravachais
il/ellecravachait
nouscravachions
vouscravachiez
ils/ellescravachaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jecravachai
tucravachas
il/ellecravacha
nouscravachâmes
vouscravachâtes
ils/ellescravachèrent

Future

jecravacherai
tucravacheras
il/ellecravachera
nouscravacherons
vouscravacherez
ils/ellescravacheront

Conditional

jecravacherais
tucravacherais
il/ellecravacherait
nouscravacherions
vouscravacheriez
ils/ellescravacheraient

Subjunctive

jecravache
tucravaches
il/ellecravache
nouscravachions
vouscravachiez
ils/ellescravachent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jecravachasse
tucravachasses
il/ellecravachât
nouscravachassions
vouscravachassiez
ils/ellescravachassent

Imperative

tucravache
nouscravachons
vouscravachez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie cravaché
nousayons cravaché
vousayez cravaché

Other

Present participle

cravachant

Past participle

cravaché

Infinitive

cravacher

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "cravacher" mean?

"cravacher" means "to quirt, whip (hit with a quirt or whip); to pull one's socks up, knuckle down (work hard)".

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

The present of "cravacher" is: je cravache, tu cravaches, il/elle cravache, nous cravachons, vous cravachez, ils/elles cravachent.

What is the Passé composé of "cravacher"?

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

What is the Imperative of "cravacher"?

The imperative of "cravacher" is: tu cravache, nous cravachons, vous cravachez.