Jeter Conjugation in French: Full Charts, Rules, and Essential Examples

The French verb jeter translates to "to throw" or "to discard". While it belongs to the regular first conjugation group (-er verbs), it features a crucial stem modification known as a spelling change. Mastering the conjugation of jeter is a key milestone for French learners because this pattern also applies to related verbs such as projeter (to project) and rejeter (to reject).

Below is an exhaustive guide covering the spelling rule, full conjugation tables across the most important tenses, and practical idiomatic expressions.

1. The Core Spelling Rule: Single "t" vs. Double "tt"

  • Double "tt": When the ending contains a silent "e" (an unpronounced vowel sound). Doubling the consonant transforms the dull French "e" [ə] into an open "è" sound [ɛ]. For instance: je jette (pronounced /zhɛt/).
  • Single "t": When the ending begins with a pronounced vowel (such as -ons, -ez, or -ais). Example: nous jetons (pronounced /zhə-tõ/).

    • Unlike standard -er verbs like parler, jeter alternates between one "t" and two "t"s depending on the following sound:

This rule applies consistently across the present indicative, subjunctive, future, and conditional tenses.

2. Indicative Tenses Conjugation

Present Indicative (Présent)

  • Je jette – I throw / I am throwing
  • Tu jettes – You throw (informal)
  • Il / Elle / On jette – He / She / One throws
  • Nous jetons – We throw
  • Vous jetez – You throw (formal/plural)
  • Ils / Elles jettent – They throw

    • Notice how the first three singular forms and the third-person plural take a double tt, while nous and vous retain a single t:

    Compound Past (Passé Composé)

  • J'ai jeté – I threw / I have thrown
  • Tu as jeté – You threw
  • Il / Elle / On a jeté – He / She has thrown
  • Nous avons jeté – We threw
  • Vous avez jeté – You threw
  • Ils / Elles ont jeté – They threw

    • The passé composé uses the auxiliary verb avoir followed by the past participle jeté (always with a single "t"):

    Imperfect (Imparfait)

  • Je jetais – I used to throw / I was throwing
  • Tu jetais – You used to throw
  • Il / Elle / On jetait – He / She was throwing
  • Nous jetions – We were throwing
  • Vous jetiez – You were throwing
  • Ils / Elles jetaient – They were throwing

    • Because the imperfect endings (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient) all start with voiced vowel sounds, the stem remains jet- with a single t:

    Simple Future (Futur Simple)

  • Je jetterai – I will throw
  • Tu jetteras – You will throw
  • Il / Elle / On jettera – He / She will throw
  • Nous jetterons – We will throw
  • Vous jetterez – You will throw
  • Ils / Elles jetteront – They will throw

    • In the future tense, the stem ends with an unpronounced "e" before the tense endings. Therefore, all future forms take a double "tt":

    3. Conditional, Subjunctive, and Imperative

    Conditional Present (Conditionnel Présent)

  • Je jetterais – I would throw
  • Tu jetterais – You would throw
  • Il / Elle / On jetterait – He / She would throw
  • Nous jetterions – We would throw
  • Vous jetteriez – You would throw
  • Ils / Elles jetteraient – They would throw

    • Following the same phonetic logic as the future tense, the conditional keeps the double tt throughout:

    Subjunctive Present (Subjonctif Présent)

  • Que je jette
  • Que tu jettes
  • Qu'il / elle / on jette
  • Que nous jetions (single t)
  • Que vous jetiez (single t)
  • Qu'ils / elles jettent

    • The subjunctive mirrors the present indicative pattern:

    Imperative (Impératif)

  • Jette ! – Throw! (informal singular; note: no final s)
  • Jetons ! – Let's throw!
  • Jetez ! – Throw! (formal or plural)

    • 4. Popular French Idioms Using "Jeter"

To speak natural French, integrate these idiomatic expressions into your vocabulary:

1. Jeter un coup d'œil – To glance / take a quick look (e.g., "Peux-tu jeter un coup d'œil à mon devoir ?").

2. Jeter l'éponge – To throw in the towel / give up (e.g., "Après trois tentatives, il a jeté l'éponge.").

3. Jeter l'argent par les fenêtres – To squander money / throw money out the window.

4. Se jeter à l'eau – To take the plunge / step out of one's comfort zone.

Keep the silent "e" pronunciation rule in mind, and you will conjugate jeter and its derived verbs accurately in both written and spoken French.