Languages › French How to Conjugate the French Irregular Verb 'Souffrir' ('to Suffer') 'Souffrir' is conjugated like other verbs ending in '-frir' and '-vrir' Share Flipboard Email Print PeopleImages/DigitalVision/Getty Images French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Team Updated on January 31, 2019 Souffrir ("to suffer," "to endure," to tolerate," "to be in pain") is an irregular French -ir verb. Below are simple conjugations of the verb souffrir; the conjugation table does not include compound tenses, which consist of a form of the auxiliary verb avoir with the past participle souffert. Within irregular -ir verb conjugations, there are some patterns. Two groups exhibit similar characteristics and conjugation patterns. Then there is a final, large category of extremely irregular -ir verbs that follow no pattern. 'Souffrir' IS AN IRREGULAR '-IR-' VERB Soufrir lies in the second group of irregular -ir verbs that display a pattern. The second group of verbs includes verbs like souffrir that all end in -frir or -vrir. These verbs, surprisingly, are all conjugated like regular -er verbs. 'Souffrir' IS CONJUGATED LIKE VERBS ENDING IN '-FRIR' AND '-VRIR' All French verbs that end in -frir or -vrir are conjugated this way. They include: couvrir > to covercueillir > to pickdécouvrir > to discoverentrouvrir > to half-openouvrir > to openoffrir > to offerrecouvrir > to recover, conceal rouvrir > to reopen EXPRESSIONS AND USAGE souffrir en silence > to suffer in silence Si tu avais souffert ce que j'ai souffert ! > If you'd suffered as much as I have !, if you had gone through what I have ! Elle ne souffre pas d'être critiquée / qu'on la critique. > She can't stand / take criticism Tu souffres ? > Are you in pain ? Does it hurt ? souffrir de > to suffer from souffrir des dents > to have trouble with one's teeth souffrir le martyr > to suffer agonies Son dos lui fait souffrir le martyre. > He has terrible trouble with his back. faire souffrir quelqu'un > to make someone suffer ne pas pouvoir souffrir quelqu'un > to not be able to bear someone Je ne peux souffrir cette idée. > I can't bear the thought Il ne peut pas la souffrir. > He can't bear her. souffrir inutilement > to suffer needlessly souffrir financièrement > to suffer financially / to be in bad straits financially Où souffrez-vous ? > Where is the pain ? / Where does it hurt ? Elle a beaucoup souffert lors de son accouchement. > She had a very painful delivery. Il est mort sans souffrir. > He felt no pain when he died. souffrir de la faim / soif > to suffer from hunger / thirst souffrir de la chaleur > to suffer from the heat souffrir de (figurative): Sa renommée a souffert du scandale. > His reputation suffered from the scandal. dût ton amour-propre en souffrir > even though your pride may suffer Les récoltes n'ont pas trop souffert. > The crops didn't suffer too much / weren't too badly damaged. C'est le sud du pays qui a le plus souffert. > The southern part of the country was the hit the hardest. se souffrir (pronominal): Ils ne peuvent pas se souffrir. > They can't stand / bear each other. Simple Conjugations of the Irregular French '-ir' Verb 'Soufrir' Present Future Imperfect Present participle je souffre souffrirai souffrais souffrant tu souffres souffriras souffrais il souffre souffrira souffrait nous souffrons souffrirons souffrions vous souffrez souffrirez souffriez ils souffrent souffriront souffraient Passé composé Auxiliary verb avoir Past participle souffert Subjunctive Conditional Passé simple Imperfect subjunctive je souffre souffrirais souffris souffrisse tu souffres souffrirais souffris souffrisses il souffre souffrirait souffrit souffrît nous souffrions souffririons souffrîmes souffrissions vous souffriez souffririez souffrîtes souffrissiez ils souffrent souffriraient souffrirent souffrissent Imperative tu souffre nous souffrons vous souffrez Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "How to Conjugate the French Irregular Verb 'Souffrir' ('to Suffer')." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/souffrir-to-suffer-1370904. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). How to Conjugate the French Irregular Verb 'Souffrir' ('to Suffer'). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/souffrir-to-suffer-1370904 Team, ThoughtCo. "How to Conjugate the French Irregular Verb 'Souffrir' ('to Suffer')." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/souffrir-to-suffer-1370904 (accessed June 5, 2023). copy citation By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies