Ouvrir is the verb to open — to open a door, a bottle, a book, a window, an account, a debate. It is one of the most frequently used verbs in French, and it conceals one of the great surprises of the language: despite ending in -ir, ouvrir takes -er endings in the present indicative. J'ouvre, not j'ouvris; tu ouvres, not tu ouvris. The verb's stem is ouvr-, and in the present it behaves exactly like parler.
This is the trap. A learner who has memorized finir / je finis / nous finissons and partir / je pars / nous partons will assume ouvrir must follow one of those patterns. It doesn't. It is its own family, the ouvrir-offrir-souffrir family, with -er-style present endings and a quirky past participle in -ert (ouvert, not ouvri).
The good news: master ouvrir and you master five more high-frequency verbs at the same time — couvrir, découvrir, recouvrir, offrir, souffrir. They all follow the same pattern.
This page is the full reference: every paradigm, the family, the uses, the pronominal s'ouvrir, and the idioms.
The defining oddity: -er endings on an -ir verb
The endings of the present indicative are -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent — the -er set. The infinitive ends in -ir, but the present-tense conjugation completely ignores that.
| Verb type | je form | nous form |
|---|---|---|
| -er (parler) | parle | parlons |
| -ir / -iss- (finir) | finis | finissons |
| -ir / partir family | pars | partons |
| -ir / ouvrir family | ouvre | ouvrons |
In the present, ouvrir is indistinguishable from a regular -er verb. The trick is that everywhere else (futur, conditionnel, imparfait, subjonctif, the participle) it behaves more like an -ir verb — and the past participle ouvert is a complete one-off.
The simple tenses
Présent de l'indicatif
The -er-style endings, on the stem ouvr-.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ouvre | /ʒuvʁ/ |
| tu | ouvres | /tyuvʁ/ |
| il / elle / on | ouvre | /iluvʁ/ |
| nous | ouvrons | /nuzuvʁɔ̃/ |
| vous | ouvrez | /vuzuvʁe/ |
| ils / elles | ouvrent | /ilzuvʁ/ |
Two pronunciation notes. First, je elides to j' before the vowel: j'ouvre. Second, the obligatory liaisons: nous ouvrons /nu‿zuvʁɔ̃/, vous ouvrez /vu‿zuvʁe/, ils ouvrent /il‿zuvʁ/. The s of nous, vous, ils, elles is pronounced /z/ before the vowel.
J'ouvre la fenêtre, on étouffe ici.
I'm opening the window, it's stifling in here.
Tu ouvres la bouteille ou je m'en occupe ?
Are you opening the bottle, or shall I do it?
Le supermarché ouvre à huit heures.
The supermarket opens at eight.
Nous ouvrons un nouveau dossier sur cette affaire.
We're opening a new file on this case.
Les magasins ouvrent plus tard le dimanche.
The shops open later on Sundays.
Imparfait
Built on the present nous stem ouvr- + regular imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | ouvrais |
| tu | ouvrais |
| il / elle / on | ouvrait |
| nous | ouvrions |
| vous | ouvriez |
| ils / elles | ouvraient |
Avant, on ouvrait toujours les fenêtres le matin pour aérer.
We used to always open the windows in the morning to air out.
Le boulanger ouvrait à six heures, pas à sept comme aujourd'hui.
The baker used to open at six, not seven like today.
Passé simple (literary)
Here ouvrir behaves like a regular -ir verb, with the -is pattern endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | ouvris |
| tu | ouvris |
| il / elle / on | ouvrit |
| nous | ouvrîmes |
| vous | ouvrîtes |
| ils / elles | ouvrirent |
The nous and vous forms carry the circumflex: ouvrîmes, ouvrîtes.
Elle ouvrit la lettre avec un mélange de crainte et d'espoir.
She opened the letter with a mixture of fear and hope. (literary)
Ils ouvrirent les portes du château aux invités.
They opened the doors of the castle to the guests. (literary)
Futur simple
Stem ouvrir- (the full infinitive), with regular futur endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | ouvrirai |
| tu | ouvriras |
| il / elle / on | ouvrira |
| nous | ouvrirons |
| vous | ouvrirez |
| ils / elles | ouvriront |
Le nouveau musée ouvrira ses portes en septembre.
The new museum will open its doors in September.
J'ouvrirai un compte épargne le mois prochain.
I'll open a savings account next month.
Conditionnel présent
Same stem ouvrir-, with the imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | ouvrirais |
| tu | ouvrirais |
| il / elle / on | ouvrirait |
| nous | ouvririons |
| vous | ouvririez |
| ils / elles | ouvriraient |
Si j'avais ses clés, j'ouvrirais la porte moi-même.
If I had her keys, I'd open the door myself.
Vous ouvririez plus tard le samedi soir ?
Would you open later on Saturday evenings?
Subjonctif présent
Same ouvr- stem, with the -er-style endings (the present subjunctive of ouvrir looks identical to its present indicative for the singular and 3rd-plural).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) j' | ouvre |
| (que) tu | ouvres |
| (qu')il / elle / on | ouvre |
| (que) nous | ouvrions |
| (que) vous | ouvriez |
| (qu')ils / elles | ouvrent |
The nous / vous subjunctive forms (ouvrions, ouvriez) are spelled identically to the imparfait — context disambiguates.
Il faut que tu ouvres les volets avant que le soleil se couche.
You need to open the shutters before the sun sets.
J'aimerais qu'on ouvre la discussion à tout le monde.
I'd like us to open the discussion to everyone.
Impératif
The tu form drops the -s — like all -er verbs.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | ouvre |
| (nous) | ouvrons |
| (vous) | ouvrez |
Note: when ouvre is followed by en or y, the -s is restored for euphony: Ouvres-en un autre (open another one). This is the same rule that applies to parle / parles-en.
Ouvre la fenêtre, s'il te plaît.
Open the window, please.
Ouvrez vos manuels à la page 42.
Open your textbooks to page 42.
Ouvrons une bouteille pour fêter ça !
Let's open a bottle to celebrate!
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: ouvert (irregular — NOT ouvri) / feminine ouverte / plurals ouverts, ouvertes
- Participe présent: ouvrant
- Gérondif: en ouvrant
The participle ouvert is irregular and high-frequency. It also functions as an adjective (une porte ouverte — an open door, un esprit ouvert — an open mind).
En ouvrant la boîte, j'ai été surpris.
On opening the box, I was surprised.
Le supermarché reste ouvert jusqu'à vingt-deux heures.
The supermarket stays open until 10 p.m.
Cette fenêtre est ouverte depuis ce matin.
This window has been open since this morning.
The compound tenses
Ouvrir takes avoir as its auxiliary. Past participle: the irregular ouvert.
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + ouvert
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | ai ouvert |
| tu | as ouvert |
| il / elle / on | a ouvert |
| nous | avons ouvert |
| vous | avez ouvert |
| ils / elles | ont ouvert |
Tu as ouvert la fenêtre ? Il fait un froid de canard.
Did you open the window? It's freezing cold.
J'ai ouvert un compte en ligne, c'était plus simple.
I opened an account online, it was easier.
Past participle agreement with avoir on a preceding direct object:
Les portes que j'ai ouvertes ne se referment plus correctement.
The doors I opened don't close properly anymore.
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + ouvert
J'avais ouvert la lettre par erreur, elle ne m'était pas adressée.
I'd opened the letter by mistake, it wasn't addressed to me.
Futur antérieur
avoir (futur) + ouvert
D'ici vendredi, ils auront ouvert toutes les nouvelles agences.
By Friday, they will have opened all the new branches.
Conditionnel passé
avoir (conditionnel) + ouvert
Sans son aide, je n'aurais jamais ouvert ma propre boutique.
Without her help, I'd never have opened my own shop.
Subjonctif passé
avoir (subjonctif) + ouvert
Je suis content que vous ayez ouvert le débat.
I'm glad you opened the debate.
Core uses
1. Open something physical
The literal use: a door, a window, a box, a bottle, a book, an envelope, eyes, a mouth.
Ouvre les yeux, c'est magnifique !
Open your eyes, it's beautiful!
Il a ouvert la bouche pour répondre, puis s'est ravisé.
He opened his mouth to answer, then changed his mind.
Tu peux m'ouvrir la porte, j'ai les bras chargés.
Can you open the door for me, my hands are full.
2. Open a business, an account, a process
Extended to abstract or institutional acts of opening.
Elle a ouvert un compte en banque dès ses dix-huit ans.
She opened a bank account as soon as she turned eighteen.
On ouvre une enquête sur les conditions de travail.
We're opening an investigation into working conditions.
Le restaurant a ouvert il y a six mois.
The restaurant opened six months ago.
3. Begin, initiate (a debate, a discussion, a meeting)
Le président a ouvert la séance à neuf heures.
The chair opened the session at nine o'clock.
Ce livre ouvre un débat important sur l'éducation.
This book opens an important debate on education.
4. Ouvrir l'appétit / l'esprit — figurative openings
Une petite promenade, ça t'ouvrira l'appétit.
A short walk will give you an appetite.
Voyager ouvre l'esprit.
Traveling opens the mind.
5. Ouvrir sur — open onto
For doors, windows, rooms.
La cuisine ouvre sur un grand jardin.
The kitchen opens onto a large garden.
Cette fenêtre ouvre sur la rue principale.
This window opens onto the main street.
S'ouvrir — to open up, become open
The pronominal form means literally "to open" (of itself) or, figuratively, "to open up" (emotionally, to new experiences). Like all pronominal verbs, s'ouvrir takes être in compound tenses.
La porte s'est ouverte toute seule.
The door opened on its own.
Il a du mal à s'ouvrir aux autres.
He has trouble opening up to others.
Je me suis ouverte à mon thérapeute.
I opened up to my therapist. (feminine speaker)
Une nouvelle perspective s'est ouverte à moi.
A new perspective opened up to me.
The pattern s'ouvrir à quelqu'un — open up to someone — is the standard way to describe sharing one's feelings.
High-frequency idioms and collocations
- ouvrir grand les yeux / la bouche — open one's eyes / mouth wide
- ouvrir l'œil — keep one's eyes peeled, stay alert (singular œil)
- ouvrir l'appétit — give an appetite
- ouvrir l'esprit — broaden the mind
- ouvrir le bal — open the dance, kick things off (also figurative)
- ouvrir le feu — open fire (military, also figurative for starting a debate)
- ouvrir la voie — pave the way
- ouvrir un compte — open an account
- à cœur ouvert — open-heart (surgery), open-hearted (emotionally)
- à bras ouverts — with open arms
- à guichets ouverts / à portes ouvertes — with open ticket-windows / open-house (events held with public access)
Ouvre l'œil, il y a beaucoup de monde aujourd'hui.
Keep your eyes peeled, there are a lot of people today.
C'est elle qui a ouvert le bal des démissions.
She was the one who started the wave of resignations.
Ils nous ont accueillis à bras ouverts.
They welcomed us with open arms.
Cette opération à cœur ouvert lui a sauvé la vie.
That open-heart surgery saved his life.
The ouvrir family
These verbs all conjugate exactly like ouvrir: -er-style endings in the present, irregular -ert past participle. Memorize the pattern once.
| Verb | Meaning | Past participle | Present (je / nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ouvrir | open | ouvert | j'ouvre / nous ouvrons |
| couvrir | cover | couvert | je couvre / nous couvrons |
| découvrir | discover, uncover | découvert | je découvre / nous découvrons |
| recouvrir | cover (completely), re-cover | recouvert | je recouvre / nous recouvrons |
| offrir | offer, give (as a gift) | offert | j'offre / nous offrons |
| souffrir | suffer | souffert | je souffre / nous souffrons |
| rouvrir | reopen | rouvert | je rouvre / nous rouvrons |
Note: mourir ends in -ourir and looks similar at first glance, but it is a separate verb with a completely different paradigm (je meurs, nous mourons, mort). Don't fold it into this family.
Comparison with English
Three friction points for English speakers:
The -er endings on an -ir verb feel wrong. Resist the urge to write j'ouvris (which is the literary passé simple, not the present!) or to add an -s on the je form by analogy with -ir verbs like je finis or je pars. The present endings are exactly the -er set: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent — so j'ouvre, never j'ouvres.
Past participle ouvert, not ouvri. A regular -ir verb of the finir type would give fini. But ouvrir is irregular: ouvert. So j'ai ouvert, j'ai couvert, j'ai découvert, j'ai offert, j'ai souffert. The -ert ending is the giveaway for the whole family.
Ouvrir un cadeau is unusual; French uses ouvrir un cadeau only when literally tearing the paper. The act of giving a gift is offrir un cadeau (next page). To open the wrapping is ouvrir.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using -ir endings in the present.
❌ Je ouvris la porte.
Wrong — *ouvrir* takes *-er* endings in the present. *Je ouvris* is the literary passé simple. Modern French uses *j'ouvre*.
✅ J'ouvre la porte.
I'm opening the door.
Mistake 2: Past participle ouvri instead of ouvert.
❌ J'ai ouvri la fenêtre.
Wrong — the past participle is *ouvert*, not *ouvri*. The whole *ouvrir* family takes *-ert*.
✅ J'ai ouvert la fenêtre.
I opened the window.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the elision je → j' before the vowel.
❌ Je ouvre le livre.
Wrong — *je* must elide before a vowel: *j'ouvre*.
✅ J'ouvre le livre.
I'm opening the book.
Mistake 4: Keeping the imperative -s on ouvre.
❌ Ouvres la porte ! (without following *en* or *y*)
Wrong — like *-er* verbs, the *tu* imperative drops the *-s*: *ouvre*. The *-s* returns only before *en* or *y*: *ouvres-en un*.
✅ Ouvre la porte !
Open the door!
Mistake 5: Using ouvrir when you mean offrir (give as a gift).
❌ Je vais ouvrir un cadeau à ma mère pour son anniversaire.
Mismatch — *ouvrir un cadeau* means to physically open the wrapping. To give a gift, use *offrir*.
✅ Je vais offrir un cadeau à ma mère pour son anniversaire.
I'm going to give my mother a gift for her birthday.
Key takeaways
Ouvrir means "to open." Its great oddity is that, despite ending in -ir, it takes -er-style endings in the present indicative: j'ouvre, tu ouvres, il ouvre, nous ouvrons, vous ouvrez, ils ouvrent. The imperative tu form drops the -s like an -er verb: ouvre.
Everywhere else, the verb behaves more like an -ir verb. The futur stem is the full infinitive ouvrir- (j'ouvrirai); the passé simple is j'ouvris, nous ouvrîmes; the imparfait is j'ouvrais. The defining irregularity is the past participle ouvert — not ouvri. This shape recurs throughout the ouvrir family: couvert, découvert, offert, souffert.
Auxiliary in compound tenses is avoir. The pronominal s'ouvrir (open up, of itself, or open emotionally) takes être (la porte s'est ouverte; je me suis ouverte à mon thérapeute).
The verb covers literal opening (a door, a bottle, a book, eyes), institutional opening (an account, a business, a debate), and figurative opening (the mind, the appetite, the way). Master ouvrir and you have five more verbs free: couvrir, découvrir, recouvrir, offrir, souffrir.
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