Conclure means to conclude, to end, to reach a conclusion, to close (a deal). It is a 3e-groupe -ure verb that conjugates regularly in most tenses but heads a tiny family with one of the most-asked questions in French grammar: why is the feminine of inclure's past participle incluse (with -se), while the feminine of exclure's is exclue (with -e)? Both verbs are built on -clure, but they parted ways in the participle. This page is the reference: the paradigm, the family resemblances, and the trap.
Conclure itself takes avoir in compound tenses, with the participle conclu (feminine conclue, regular). It is transitive — you conclude something — and high-frequency in formal and academic writing where you "conclude that" (en conclure que) and "draw conclusions" (tirer des conclusions).
The conjugation pattern
The stem is conclu- throughout. Endings are mostly regular. The signature shape is je conclus, nous concluons — the u is preserved across the paradigm; only the o of -ons, -ez, -ent (which feed -on, -ez, -ent directly onto conclu-) creates the visible concluons / concluez / concluent.
Présent de l'indicatif
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | conclus | /kɔ̃.kly/ |
| tu | conclus | /kɔ̃.kly/ |
| il / elle / on | conclut | /kɔ̃.kly/ |
| nous | concluons | /kɔ̃.klyɔ̃/ |
| vous | concluez | /kɔ̃.klye/ |
| ils / elles | concluent | /kɔ̃.kly/ |
The three singular forms and the 3rd-plural are pronounced identically: /kɔ̃.kly/. The endings (-s, -s, -t, -ent) are silent. Nous and vous add an audible /ɔ̃/ and /e/.
Je conclus que tu n'as rien compris à mon argument.
I conclude that you didn't understand any of my argument.
Nous concluons cette réunion sur une note positive.
We're closing this meeting on a positive note.
Les chercheurs concluent à l'efficacité du traitement.
Researchers conclude that the treatment is effective.
Imparfait
Built on the nous stem conclu- + regular endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | concluais |
| tu | concluais |
| il / elle / on | concluait |
| nous | concluions |
| vous | concluiez |
| ils / elles | concluaient |
À chaque débat, il concluait toujours par la même phrase.
At every debate, he would always conclude with the same sentence.
Nous concluions presque toujours sur un désaccord.
We almost always ended up disagreeing.
Passé simple (literary)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | conclus |
| tu | conclus |
| il / elle / on | conclut |
| nous | conclûmes |
| vous | conclûtes |
| ils / elles | conclurent |
The circumflex on conclûmes and conclûtes is mandatory — it preserves the historical us > û contraction and distinguishes these forms from any present tense. The 1st and 3rd singular (je conclus, il conclut) are spelled exactly like the present indicative; only context disambiguates.
Le juge conclut son enquête en mars 1923.
The judge concluded his inquiry in March 1923. (literary)
Futur simple
The futur stem is conclur- (the full infinitive minus the final -e). Standard endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | conclurai |
| tu | concluras |
| il / elle / on | conclura |
| nous | conclurons |
| vous | conclurez |
| ils / elles | concluront |
Je conclurai mon discours par une citation de Camus.
I'll conclude my speech with a quote from Camus.
Nous conclurons l'accord la semaine prochaine.
We'll finalize the agreement next week.
Conditionnel présent
Same stem conclur-, with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | conclurais |
| tu | conclurais |
| il / elle / on | conclurait |
| nous | conclurions |
| vous | concluriez |
| ils / elles | concluraient |
J'en conclurais qu'il n'a pas envie de répondre.
I'd conclude from this that he doesn't want to answer.
Subjonctif présent
Stem conclu- (from ils concluent without -ent). Standard endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) je | conclue |
| (que) tu | conclues |
| (qu')il / elle / on | conclue |
| (que) nous | concluions |
| (que) vous | concluiez |
| (qu')ils / elles | concluent |
The nous/vous forms (concluions, concluiez) are spelled exactly like the imparfait — same trap as rire. Mood is determined by the que trigger.
Il faut qu'on conclue avant la fin de la journée.
We need to wrap this up before the end of the day.
Je doute qu'ils concluent un accord aujourd'hui.
I doubt they'll reach an agreement today.
Impératif
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | conclus |
| (nous) | concluons |
| (vous) | concluez |
Conclus ton raisonnement, on n'a pas toute la journée.
Wrap up your argument, we don't have all day.
Concluez sur une note d'espoir, ça plaira au public.
End on a note of hope, the audience will like it.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: conclu — feminine conclue, masculine plural conclus, feminine plural conclues (regular)
- Participe présent: concluant (also used as adjective, "conclusive")
- Gérondif: en concluant
L'affaire est conclue, on peut signer demain.
The deal is closed, we can sign tomorrow.
Il a parlé pendant une heure sans rien dire de concluant.
He talked for an hour without saying anything conclusive.
En concluant son rapport, elle a remercié l'équipe.
In concluding her report, she thanked the team.
Compound tenses (with avoir)
Conclure takes avoir in all compound tenses. The participle conclu is regular: it agrees with a preceding direct object (l'affaire qu'on a conclue — agreement with feminine l'affaire).
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + conclu
On a conclu un partenariat avec l'université.
We concluded a partnership with the university.
Tu as conclu trop vite, écoute-moi jusqu'au bout.
You jumped to a conclusion too fast, hear me out.
L'affaire qu'ils ont conclue hier vaut plusieurs millions.
The deal they closed yesterday is worth several million.
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + conclu
J'avais déjà conclu qu'il mentait avant même de l'interroger.
I had already concluded that he was lying even before questioning him.
Futur antérieur
avoir (futur) + conclu
Quand vous aurez conclu, faites-moi signe.
When you've finished, give me a signal.
Conditionnel passé
avoir (conditionnel) + conclu
J'aurais conclu autrement si j'avais eu toutes les données.
I would have concluded differently if I'd had all the data.
Major uses
1. To conclude / end (a discourse, meeting, period)
Je conclus en remerciant tous les participants.
I conclude by thanking all the participants.
Le président a conclu son mandat sur un succès diplomatique.
The president ended his term on a diplomatic success.
2. Conclure un accord / un contrat / une affaire — to reach an agreement, close a deal
A high-frequency collocation in business, diplomacy, and law.
Les deux entreprises ont conclu un accord historique.
The two companies reached a historic agreement.
On va conclure cette vente avant le week-end.
We're going to close this sale before the weekend.
Ils ont conclu la paix après dix ans de guerre.
They concluded peace after ten years of war.
3. (En) conclure que — to conclude that, draw a conclusion
The construction en conclure que uses the pronoun en (= "from this") and is the standard way to draw a logical conclusion. Note: en conclure que takes the indicatif in affirmative, the subjonctif in negative or interrogative.
J'en conclus qu'il n'a pas l'intention de venir.
I conclude (from this) that he doesn't intend to come.
Vous pouvez en conclure ce que vous voulez.
You can conclude whatever you want from this.
On ne peut pas conclure qu'il soit coupable sur cette seule preuve.
We can't conclude that he's guilty based on this single piece of evidence.
4. Conclure à — to find / determine (formal, used in legal, medical, scientific contexts)
Le médecin a conclu à une simple migraine.
The doctor diagnosed it as a simple migraine.
Le tribunal a conclu à l'innocence de l'accusé.
The court found the defendant not guilty.
The family: inclure, exclure — and the participle trap
Conclure heads a small family of -clure verbs that share its conjugation pattern in every tense except the past participle. This is one of French's famously inconsistent corners.
| Verb | Meaning | Past participle (m. / f.) |
|---|---|---|
| conclure | to conclude | conclu / conclue |
| inclure | to include | inclus / incluse |
| exclure | to exclude | exclu / exclue |
| occlure (rare) | to occlude | occlus / occluse |
Notice the asymmetry: inclure and occlure take -us / -use (with audible /z/ in the feminine — incluse /ɛ̃.klyz/), while exclure and conclure take regular -u / -ue (silent ending — exclue /ɛks.kly/). There is no rule. The forms are historical: inclus preserves the Latin inclusus, while exclu lost its consonant by analogy with conclu. You must memorize each verb individually.
La pièce jointe est incluse dans le mail.
The attachment is included in the email.
Elle se sent exclue du groupe.
She feels excluded from the group.
L'affaire est conclue.
The deal is closed.
Comparison with English
Three friction points:
English "conclude" can mean both "end" and "infer"; French uses different constructions. For "end," use conclure
- direct object (conclure le débat) or intransitive conclure (je conclus). For "infer/deduce," use en conclure que (j'en conclus qu'il a tort).
English "I concluded that he was right" maps to indicatif in affirmative. J'ai conclu qu'il avait raison. Don't use the subjunctive — conclure que in affirmative is a verb of declaration, not opinion.
English "in conclusion" maps to en conclusion or pour conclure — not to a participial phrase. Don't try to use concluant as an opener: concluant is the present participle, used adjectivally. The fixed transitions are en conclusion, pour conclure, finalement.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Confusing inclus/incluse with exclu/exclue in the feminine.
❌ Cette taxe est inclue dans le prix.
Wrong feminine — inclure has the irregular feminine incluse, with s.
✅ Cette taxe est incluse dans le prix.
This tax is included in the price.
Mistake 2: Using subjonctif after conclure que in affirmative.
❌ J'en conclus qu'il soit coupable.
Wrong mood — affirmative conclure que takes indicatif.
✅ J'en conclus qu'il est coupable.
I conclude that he's guilty.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the u in singular present forms.
❌ Je concls cet accord.
Wrong — the u is part of the stem, never dropped: je conclus.
✅ Je conclus cet accord.
I'm closing this deal.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the circumflex in passé simple nous/vous.
❌ Nous conclumes la séance à minuit.
Missing circumflex — passé simple requires conclûmes.
✅ Nous conclûmes la séance à minuit.
We ended the session at midnight. (literary)
Mistake 5: Translating "in conclusion" as en concluant.
❌ En concluant, je voudrais dire que...
Awkward — concluant is the gérondif, not a transition word.
✅ Pour conclure, je voudrais dire que...
In conclusion, I'd like to say that...
Key takeaways
Conclure means to conclude, to end, to close (a deal) and conjugates regularly on the stem conclu-. The full infinitive serves as the futur stem: je conclurai. The past participle is conclu / conclue (regular), but watch the family: inclus / incluse (with -se) is irregular, while exclu / exclue and conclu / conclue are regular.
The verb takes avoir in compound tenses. The signature constructions are:
- conclure un accord (close a deal)
- en conclure que (conclude that — with indicatif in affirmative)
- conclure à (formal: to find, determine, in legal/medical/scientific contexts)
Watch the circumflex on the passé simple nous conclûmes / vous conclûtes, and the spelling-only contrast between imparfait nous concluions and subjonctif que nous concluions — they are written the same but mean different things in context.
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