Is taper a regular verb?

Yes. Taper is a regular -er verb of the first group with no stem change anywhere: tap- runs through every tense and the endings are the standard ones. If you can conjugate parler, you already know this table.

Does taper mean to type or to hit?

Both, and the construction usually tells you which. With a document or a code as a direct object it means to type: taper un texte, taper son code. With sur or dans plus a surface or a body part it means to strike: taper sur la table, taper dans le ballon. Le soleil tape is a fixed use meaning the sun is beating down.

What is the past participle of taper?

It is tapé, so the passé composé is j'ai tapé. Taper takes avoir, so the participle agrees only when a direct object comes before the verb: la lettre que j'ai tapée, je les ai tapés hier.

What is the difference between taper and frapper?

Frapper is the neutral verb for striking and is what you use for knocking at a door (frapper à la porte) or for a serious blow. Taper is more colloquial and often lighter or repetitive: taper du pied, taper sur la table. Only taper carries the typing sense.

How do you say “type your password” in French?

Tapez votre mot de passe, using the vous imperative, which is what you will see on French websites and cash machines. You will also meet saisissez votre mot de passe in more formal interfaces, and entrez votre code on a keypad.

Taper Conjugation: All Tenses of the French Verb “taper”

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed August 2026

Taper means “to hit” or “to tap,” and it is also the everyday verb for typing: taper un mot de passe, taper à l'ordinateur.

At a glance
Infinitive	taper
English	to hit, to type
Verb group	1st group (-er)
Auxiliary	avoir
Past participle	tapé
Present participle	tapant

Be careful with the reflexive se taper

Se taper quelqu'un is vulgar slang for sleeping with someone, so avoid the reflexive form with a person as its object. Se taper quelque chose is not vulgar but is very informal, meaning to get stuck with a chore (je me suis tapé tout le ménage) or to put away food and drink. For hitting oneself or knocking into something, use se cogner: je me suis cogné le genou.

Conjugation tables

Indicatif

Présent (Present)
je	tape	I hit
tu	tapes	you hit
il/elle/on	tape	he/she hits
nous	tapons	we hit
vous	tapez	you hit
ils/elles	tapent	they hit

Imparfait (Imperfect)
je	tapais	I used to hit
tu	tapais	you used to hit
il/elle/on	tapait	he/she used to hit
nous	tapions	we used to hit
vous	tapiez	you used to hit
ils/elles	tapaient	they used to hit

Passé composé (Perfect)
j'	ai tapé	I have hit
tu	as tapé	you have hit
il/elle/on	a tapé	he/she has hit
nous	avons tapé	we have hit
vous	avez tapé	you have hit
ils/elles	ont tapé	they have hit

Futur simple (Simple future)
je	taperai	I will hit
tu	taperas	you will hit
il/elle/on	tapera	he/she will hit
nous	taperons	we will hit
vous	taperez	you will hit
ils/elles	taperont	they will hit

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect)
j'	avais tapé	I had hit
tu	avais tapé	you had hit
il/elle/on	avait tapé	he/she had hit
nous	avions tapé	we had hit
vous	aviez tapé	you had hit
ils/elles	avaient tapé	they had hit

Futur antérieur (Future perfect)
j'	aurai tapé	I will have hit
tu	auras tapé	you will have hit
il/elle/on	aura tapé	he/she will have hit
nous	aurons tapé	we will have hit
vous	aurez tapé	you will have hit
ils/elles	auront tapé	they will have hit

Subjonctif

Subjonctif présent (Subjunctive)
je	tape	(that) I hit
tu	tapes	(that) you hit
il/elle/on	tape	(that) he/she hit
nous	tapions	(that) we hit
vous	tapiez	(that) you hit
ils/elles	tapent	(that) they hit

Subjonctif passé (Past subjunctive)
j'	aie tapé	(that) I have hit
tu	aies tapé	(that) you have hit
il/elle/on	ait tapé	(that) he/she has hit
nous	ayons tapé	(that) we have hit
vous	ayez tapé	(that) you have hit
ils/elles	aient tapé	(that) they have hit

Conditionnel

Conditionnel présent (Conditional)
je	taperais	I would hit
tu	taperais	you would hit
il/elle/on	taperait	he/she would hit
nous	taperions	we would hit
vous	taperiez	you would hit
ils/elles	taperaient	they would hit

Conditionnel passé (Past conditional)
j'	aurais tapé	I would have hit
tu	aurais tapé	you would have hit
il/elle/on	aurait tapé	he/she would have hit
nous	aurions tapé	we would have hit
vous	auriez tapé	you would have hit
ils/elles	auraient tapé	they would have hit

Impératif

Impératif présent (Imperative)
(tu)	tape	hit
(nous)	tapons	let's hit
(vous)	tapez	hit

Formes impersonnelles

Infinitives and participles
Infinitif	taper	to hit
Participe présent	tapant	hitting
Participe passé	tapé	hit
Infinitif passé	avoir tapé	to have hit
Participe passé composé	ayant tapé	having hit

Literary tenses

Passé simple (Simple past)
je	tapai	I hit
tu	tapas	you hit
il/elle/on	tapa	he/she hit
nous	tapâmes	we hit
vous	tapâtes	you hit
ils/elles	tapèrent	they hit

Passé antérieur (Past anterior)
j'	eus tapé	I had hit
tu	eus tapé	you had hit
il/elle/on	eut tapé	he/she had hit
nous	eûmes tapé	we had hit
vous	eûtes tapé	you had hit
ils/elles	eurent tapé	they had hit

Subjonctif imparfait (Imperfect subjunctive)
je	tapasse	(that) I hit
tu	tapasses	(that) you hit
il/elle/on	tapât	(that) he/she hit
nous	tapassions	(that) we hit
vous	tapassiez	(that) you hit
ils/elles	tapassent	(that) they hit

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect subjunctive)
j'	eusse tapé	(that) I had hit
tu	eusses tapé	(that) you had hit
il/elle/on	eût tapé	(that) he/she had hit
nous	eussions tapé	(that) we had hit
vous	eussiez tapé	(that) you had hit
ils/elles	eussent tapé	(that) they had hit

How Taper behaves

Two meanings share one verb here, and both are common. The physical one covers striking, tapping and banging: taper du pied, taper sur la table, and le soleil tape for blazing sun. The keyboard one has quietly become the more frequent of the two, because French uses taper where English uses “type”: tape ton code, j'ai tapé l'adresse. The verb is regular, so the work is in knowing which construction goes with which sense.

Taper is a regular first-group verb: the stem tap- never changes and every ending is the standard -er set. The traps are the ones shared by the whole group. In the present, je tape, tu tapes and il tape are pronounced identically, so the ending has to come from the subject rather than from the sound. The future inserts -er- before the ending (je taperai), which is what separates it from the present je tape. And the nous and vous forms of the imperfect and the subjunctive add an i: nous tapions, vous tapiez. The past participle is tapé.

Taper in context

Présent: Tu tapes trop fort sur le clavier.
You're typing too hard on the keyboard.
Imparfait: Elle tapait ses lettres à la machine.
She used to type her letters on a typewriter.
Passé composé: Nous avons tapé le rapport à deux.
The two of us typed up the report together.
Futur simple: Je taperai l'adresse dans le GPS avant de partir.
I'll type the address into the GPS before we leave.
Subjonctif présent: Il faut que vous tapiez votre code à quatre chiffres.
You need to enter your four-digit code.

Common mistakes with taper

Borrowing the English verb

✗ Je type mon mot de passe.

✓ Je tape mon mot de passe. — I'm typing my password.

Typer is not a French verb in this sense. French says taper for entering text on a keyboard or a keypad, and saisir in more administrative language: saisir vos coordonnées.

Adding sur when taper means to type

✗ Elle a tapé sur le rapport toute la matinée.

✓ Elle a tapé le rapport toute la matinée. — She typed up the report all morning.

When taper means to type a document, the document is a direct object with no preposition. Taper sur means to bang on a surface: taper sur la table, taper sur le clavier. The second one describes the physical action, not the text produced.

Using taper for serious violence

✗ Le voleur l'a tapé au visage.

✓ Le voleur l'a frappé au visage. — The thief hit him in the face.

Taper is informal and fairly light: children tapent each other, you tape du pied. For a real blow, or for knocking at a door in neutral register, French uses frapper.

Expressions with taper

taper à la machine: to type on a typewriter
taper du pied: to stamp one's foot
le soleil tape: the sun is beating down
taper dans l'œil de quelqu'un: to catch someone's eye
taper dans le mille: to hit the nail on the head

Frequently asked questions

Is taper a regular verb?: Yes. Taper is a regular -er verb of the first group with no stem change anywhere: tap- runs through every tense and the endings are the standard ones. If you can conjugate parler, you already know this table.
Does taper mean to type or to hit?: Both, and the construction usually tells you which. With a document or a code as a direct object it means to type: taper un texte, taper son code. With sur or dans plus a surface or a body part it means to strike: taper sur la table, taper dans le ballon. Le soleil tape is a fixed use meaning the sun is beating down.
What is the past participle of taper?: It is tapé, so the passé composé is j'ai tapé. Taper takes avoir, so the participle agrees only when a direct object comes before the verb: la lettre que j'ai tapée, je les ai tapés hier.
What is the difference between taper and frapper?: Frapper is the neutral verb for striking and is what you use for knocking at a door (frapper à la porte) or for a serious blow. Taper is more colloquial and often lighter or repetitive: taper du pied, taper sur la table. Only taper carries the typing sense.
How do you say “type your password” in French?: Tapez votre mot de passe, using the vous imperative, which is what you will see on French websites and cash machines. You will also meet saisissez votre mot de passe in more formal interfaces, and entrez votre code on a keypad.