Inherited from Old French avoer, from Latin advocāre. The modern form is expected as in louer (from locāre). However, the Old French conjugation shows an unexpected vocalism, which may be due either to early levelling or to Latinate influence.
avouer
| infinitive | simple | avouer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compound | avoir + past participle | ||||||
| present participle or gerund1 | simple | avouant /a.vwɑ̃/ | |||||
| compound | ayant + past participle | ||||||
| past participle | avoué /a.vwe/ | ||||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | avoue /a.vu/ |
avoues /a.vu/ |
avoue /a.vu/ |
avouons /a.vwɔ̃/ |
avouez /a.vwe/ |
avouent /a.vu/ |
| imperfect | avouais /a.vwɛ/ |
avouais /a.vwɛ/ |
avouait /a.vwɛ/ |
avouions /a.vu.jɔ̃/ |
avouiez /a.vu.je/ |
avouaient /a.vwɛ/ | |
| past historic2 | avouai /a.vwe/ |
avouas /a.vwa/ |
avoua /a.vwa/ |
avouâmes /a.vwam/ |
avouâtes /a.vwat/ |
avouèrent /a.vwɛʁ/ | |
| future | avouerai /a.vu.ʁe/ |
avoueras /a.vu.ʁa/ |
avouera /a.vu.ʁa/ |
avouerons /a.vu.ʁɔ̃/ |
avouerez /a.vu.ʁe/ |
avoueront /a.vu.ʁɔ̃/ | |
| conditional | avouerais /a.vu.ʁɛ/ |
avouerais /a.vu.ʁɛ/ |
avouerait /a.vu.ʁɛ/ |
avouerions /a.vu.ʁjɔ̃/ |
avoueriez /a.vu.ʁje/ |
avoueraient /a.vu.ʁɛ/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
present perfect | present indicative of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior2 | past historic of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | avoue /a.vu/ |
avoues /a.vu/ |
avoue /a.vu/ |
avouions /a.vu.jɔ̃/ |
avouiez /a.vu.je/ |
avouent /a.vu/ |
| imperfect2 | avouasse /a.vwas/ |
avouasses /a.vwas/ |
avouât /a.vwa/ |
avouassions /a.vwa.sjɔ̃/ |
avouassiez /a.vwa.sje/ |
avouassent /a.vwas/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | – | – | ||||
| simple | — | avoue /a.vu/ |
— | avouons /a.vwɔ̃/ |
avouez /a.vwe/ |
— | |
| compound | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | |
| 1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). | |||||||