French conjugation
French conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a French verb from its principal parts by inflection. French verbs are conventionally divided into three conjugations (conjugaisons) with the following grouping:
- 1st group: verbs ending in -er (except aller).
- 2nd group: verbs ending in -ir, with the gerund ending in -issant
- 3rd group: verbs ending in -re (with the exception of irregular verbs).
- 1st section: verbs ending in -ir, with the gerund ending in -ant
- 2nd section: verbs ending in -oir.
- 3rd section: verbs ending in -re
- aller.
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The first two groups follow a regular conjugation, whereas the third group follows an irregular one. The third group is considered a closed-class conjugation form,[1] meaning that most new verbs introduced to the French language are of the first group (téléviser, atomiser, radiographier), with the remaining ones being of the second group (alunir).
The verb aller is the only verb ending in -er belonging to the third group.
Moods and tenses
There are seven different moods in French conjugation: indicative (indicatif), subjunctive (subjonctif), conditional (conditionnel), imperative (impératif), infinitive (infinitif), participle (participe), and gerund (gérondif). The infinitive, participle, and gerundive are not verbal moods.
Tenses are described under the mood to which they belong, and they are grouped as follows. Other tenses are constructed through the use of an auxiliary verb:
- Indicative
- Present (présent)[note 1]
- Present perfect (passé composé): literally "compound past", formed with an auxiliary verb in the present
- Imperfect (imparfait)[note 1]
- Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait): literally "more than perfect", formed with an auxiliary verb in the imperfect
- Simple past (passé simple)[note 1][note 2]
- Past perfect (passé antérieur): formed with an auxiliary verb in the simple past[note 2]
- Simple future (futur simple)[note 1]
- Future perfect (futur antérieur): formed with an auxiliary verb in the simple future
- Subjunctive
- Imperative
- Conditional
- Infinitive
- Present[note 1]
- Past: formed with an auxiliary verb in the present infinitive
- Participle
- Gerund: (constructed by preceding the present participle with the preposition en)
Auxiliary verbs
There are two auxiliary verbs in French: avoir (to have) and être (to be), used to conjugate compound tenses according to these rules:
- Transitive verbs (direct or indirect) in the active voice are conjugated with the verb avoir.
- Intransitive verbs are conjugated with either avoir or être (see French verbs#Temporal auxiliary verbs).
- Reflexive verbs (or "pronominal verbs") are conjugated with être.
- être is used to form the passive voice. être is itself conjugated according to the tense and mood, and this may require the use of avoir as an additional auxiliary verb, e.g. Il a été mangé (It was eaten).
Compound tenses are conjugated with an auxiliary followed by the past participle, ex: j'ai fait (I did), je suis tombé (I fell). When être is used, the participle is inflected according to the gender and number of the subject. The participle is inflected with the use of the verb avoir according to the direct object, but only if the direct object precedes the participle, ex:
- il a marché, elle a marché, nous avons marché (he walked, she walked, we walked)
- il est tombé, elle est tombée, nous sommes tombés, elles sont tombées (he fell, she fell, we fell, they (fem.) fell)
- Il a acheté une voiture. Voilà la voiture qu'il a achetée. (He bought a car. Here is the car he bought)
As stand-alone verbs, the conjugation of the two auxiliaries is listed in the table below:
Avoir
This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are imperfect av- /av/; present subjunctive ai- /ɛ/; future and conditional aur- /oʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive e- (not pronounced: eus, eusse are pronounced as bare inflections /y, ys/). Although the stem changes, the inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb.
In the present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple Past | Imperfect | Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| j' | ai /e/ | eus /y/ | avais /avɛ/ | aurai /oʁe/ | aie /ɛ/ | eusse /ys/ | aurais /oʁɛ/ | |
| tu | as /ɑ/ | auras /oʁɑ/ | aies /ɛ/ | eusses /ys/ | aie* /ɛ/ | |||
| il/elle/on | a /ɑ/ | eut /y/ | avait /avɛ/ | aura /oʁa/ | ait /ɛ/ | eût /y/ | aurait /oʁɛ/ | |
| nous | avons /avɔ̃/ | eûmes /ym/ | avions /avjɔ̃/ | aurons /oʁɔ̃/ | ayons /ɛjɔ̃/ | eussions /ysjɔ̃/ | aurions /oʁjɔ̃/ | ayons* /ɛjɔ̃/ |
| vous | avez /ave/ | eûtes /yt/ | aviez /avje/ | aurez /oʁe/ | ayez /ɛje/ | eussiez /ysje/ | auriez /oʁje/ | ayez* /ɛje/ |
| ils/elles | ont /ɔ̃/ | eurent /yʁ/ | avaient /avɛ/ | auront /oʁɔ̃/ | aient /ɛ/ | eussent /ys/ | auraient /oʁɛ/ | |
* Notice that the imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: avoir /avwaʁ/
- Present participle: ayant /ejɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en ayant /ɑ̃n‿ejɑ̃/
- Verbal adjective: ayant(s) /ejɑ̃/, ayante(s) /ejɑ̃t/
- Past participle: eu(e)(s) /y/
Auxiliary verb: avoir
Être
This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: imperfect ét- /et/; present subjunctive soi- /swa/; future and conditional ser- /səʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive in f- /f/. The inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb (that is, as an -re verb but with the vowel u /y/ in the f- forms). For example, subjunctive soyons, soyez is pronounced with the y sound (/swajɔ̃, swaje/) of other -re and -oir verbs.
In the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple past | Imperfect | Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | suis /sɥi/ | fus /fy/ | étais /etɛ/ | serai /səʁe/ | sois /swɑ/ | fusse /fys/ | serais /səʁɛ/ | |
| tu | es /ɛ/ | seras /səʁɑ/ | fusses /fys/ | sois* /swɑ/ | ||||
| il/elle/on | est /ɛ/ | fut /fy/ | était /etɛ/ | sera /səʁa/ | soit /swa/ | fût /fy/ | serait /səʁɛ/ | |
| nous | sommes /sɔm/ | fûmes /fym/ | étions /etjɔ̃/ | serons /səʁɔ̃/ | soyons /swajɔ̃/ | fussions /fysjɔ̃/ | serions /səʁjɔ̃/ | soyons* /swajɔ̃/ |
| vous | êtes /ɛt/ | fûtes /fyt/ | étiez /etje/ | serez /səʁe/ | soyez /swaje/ | fussiez /fysje/ | seriez /səʁje/ | soyez* /swaje/ |
| ils/elles | sont /sɔ̃/ | furent /fyʁ/ | étaient /etɛ/ | seront /səʁɔ̃/ | soient /swa/ | fussent /fys/ | seraient /səʁɛ/ | |
* The imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.
The non-finite forms use the stem êt- /ɛt/ (before a consonant)/ét- /et/ (before a vowel):
- Infinitive: être
- Present participle: étant
- Gerundive: en étant
- Verbal adjective: étant(e)(s)
- Past participle: été
Auxiliary verb: avoir
First-group verbs (-er verbs)
French verbs ending in -er, which constitute the largest class, inflect somewhat differently from other verbs. Between the stem and the inflectional endings that are common across most verbs, there may be a vowel, which in the case of the -er verbs is a silent -e- (in the simple present singular), -é or -ai /e/ (in the past participle and the je form of the simple past), and -a- /a/ (in the rest of simple past singular and in the past subjunctive). In addition, the orthographic -t found in the -ir and -re verbs in the singular of the simple present and past is not found in this conjugation, so that the final consonants are -Ø, -s, -Ø rather than -s, -s, -t.
Parler
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple past | Imperfect | Simple future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | parle /paʁl/ | parlai /paʁle/ | parlais /paʁlɛ/ | parlerai /paʁləʁe/ | parle /paʁl/ | parlasse /paʁlɑs/ | parlerais /paʁləʁɛ/ | |
| tu | parles /paʁl/ | parlas /paʁlɑ/ | parleras /paʁləʁɑ/ | parles /paʁl/ | parlasses /paʁlɑs/ | parle /paʁl/ | ||
| il/elle | parle /paʁl/ | parla /paʁlɑ/ | parlait /paʁlɛ/ | parlera /paʁləʁɑ/ | parle /paʁl/ | parlât /paʁlɑ/ | parlerait /paʁləʁɛ/ | |
| nous | parlons /paʁlɔ̃/ | parlâmes /paʁlɑm/ | parlions /paʁljɔ̃/ | parlerons /paʁləʁɔ̃/ | parlions /paʁljɔ̃/ | parlassions /paʁlɑsjɔ̃/ | parlerions /paʁləʁjɔ̃/ | parlons /paʁlɔ̃/ |
| vous | parlez /paʁle/ | parlâtes /paʁlɑt/ | parliez /paʁlje/ | parlerez /paʁləʁe/ | parliez /paʁlje/ | parlassiez /paʁlɑsje/ | parleriez /paʁləʁje/ | parlez /paʁle/ |
| ils/elles | parlent /paʁl/ | parlèrent /paʁlɛʁ/ | parlaient /paʁlɛ/ | parleront /paʁləʁɔ̃/ | parlent /paʁl/ | parlassent /paʁlɑs/ | parleraient /paʁləʁɛ/ | |
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: parler /paʁle/
- Present participle: parlant /paʁlɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en parlant /ɑ̃ paʁlɑ̃/
- Verbal adjective: parlant(s) /paʁlɑ̃/, parlante(s) /paʁlɑ̃t/
- Past participle: parlé(e)(s) /paʁle/
Auxiliary verb: avoir (arriver, entrer, monter, passer, rester, rentrer, retourner, and tomber use être)
Exceptional contexts:
- When the first-person singular present tense form of the indicative or subjunctive is found in inversion, the writer must change the final e to either é (traditional usage) or è (rectified modern usage), in order to link the two words : « Parlè-je ? », /paʁlɛʒ/, "Am I speaking?" (This is a very rare construction, however.)
- When the second-person singular form of the imperative is followed by its object y or en, a final s is added: « Parles-en ! », [paʁlzɑ̃], "Talk about it!"
Exceptional verbs:
- The verb aller, though it ends in -er is completely irregular and belongs to the third group.
- In -cer verbs, the c becomes a ç before endings that start with a or o, to indicate that it is still pronounced /s/ (je déplace - nous déplaçons); similarly, in -ger verbs, the g becomes ge before such endings, to indicate that it is pronounced /ʒ/ (je mange - nous mangeons).
- In -oyer and -uyer verbs, the y becomes an i before endings that start with a silent e (nous envoyons - j'envoie); in -ayer verbs, the writer may or may not change the y to an i before such endings (je paye - je paie). Additionally, the future and conditional forms of envoyer start with enverr- rather than envoyer-; and similarly with renvoyer.
- In -é.er verbs, the é becomes an è before silent endings, and optionally in the future and conditional tenses.
- In -e.er verbs other than most -eler and -eter verbs, the e becomes an è before endings that start with a silent e (including the future and conditional endings). For example: peler (to peel) -> je pèle (present) / je pèlerai (futur) / je pèlerais (conditional).
- In most -eler and -eter verbs, the writer must either change the e to an è before endings that start with a silent e, or change the l or t to ll or tt. In the rest of these verbs, only one or the other form is allowed. For example: appeler (to call) -> j'appelle (present) / j'appellerai (futur) / j'appellerais (conditional).
- The verbal adjective of following verbs is irregular: adhérer - adhérent(e)(s); coïncider - coïncident(e)(s); confluer - confluent(e)(s); affluer - affluent(e)(s); converger - convergent(e)(s); déterger - détergent(e)(s); différer - différent(e)(s); exceller - excellent(e)(s); diverger - divergent(e)(s); négliger - négligent(e)(s); précéder - précédent(e)(s); violer - violent(e)(s); influer - influent(e)(s); communiquer - communicant(e)(s); suffoquer - suffocant(e)(s); provoquer - provocant(e)(s); naviguer - navigant(e)(s); déléguer - délégant(e)(s); fatiguer - fatigant(e)(s); intriguer - intrigant(e)(s).
Second-group verbs (-ir verbs / gerund ending in -issant)
The -ir verbs differ from the -er verbs in the following points:
- The vowel of the inflections is always -i-, for example -isse in the past subjunctive rather than the -asse of the -er verbs.
- A few of the singular inflections themselves change, though this is purely orthographic and does not affect the pronunciation: in the simple present and past, these are -s, -s, -t rather than -Ø, -s, -Ø. (The change in pronunciation is due to the change of vowel from e, ai, a to -i-.)
- In the simple present, imperfect, the present subjunctive, and the gerund, a suffix -iss- /is/ appears between the root and the inflectional endings. In the simple present singular, this suffix has disappeared and the endings are -is, -is, -it.
choisir
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple Past | Imperfect | Simple Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | choisis /ʃwazi/ | choisissais /ʃwazisɛ/ | choisirai /ʃwaziʁe/ | choisisse /ʃwazis/ | choisirais /ʃwaziʁɛ/ | |||
| tu | choisiras /ʃwaziʁa/ | choisisses /ʃwazis/ | choisis /ʃwazi/ | |||||
| il/elle | choisit /ʃwazi/ | choisissait /ʃwazisɛ/ | choisira /ʃwaziʁa/ | choisisse /ʃwazis/ | choisît /ʃwazi/ | choisirait /ʃwaziʁɛ/ | ||
| nous | choisissons /ʃwazisɔ̃/ | choisîmes /ʃwazim/ | choisissions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/ | choisirons /ʃwaziʁɔ̃/ | choisissions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/ | choisirions /ʃwaziʁjɔ̃/ | choisissons /ʃwazisɔ̃/ | |
| vous | choisissez /ʃwazise/ | choisîtes /ʃwazit/ | choisissiez /ʃwazisje/ | choisirez /ʃwaziʁe/ | choisissiez /ʃwazisje/ | choisiriez /ʃwaziʁje/ | choisissez /ʃwazise/ | |
| ils/elles | choisissent /ʃwazis/ | choisirent /ʃwaziʁ/ | choisissaient /ʃwazisɛ/ | choisiront /ʃwaziʁɔ̃/ | choisissent /ʃwazis/ | choisiraient /ʃwaziʁɛ/ | ||
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: choisir /ʃwaziʁ/
- Present participle: choisissant /ʃwazisɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en choisissant /ɑ̃ ʃwazisɑ̃/
- Verbal adjective: choisissant(s) /ʃwazisɑ̃/, choisissante(s) /ʃwazisɑ̃t/
- Past participle: choisi(e)(s) /ʃwazi/
Auxiliary verb: avoir (partir uses être)
Third group
The third group involves mostly verbs that end in -re and a few -ir verbs and the verb aller. There are numerous irregularities in this group with several different conjugation paradigms, for example several verbs that end in -ire have similar endings. The verb perdre and its endings are frequently presented as an example for the third group conjugations. See the irregular verb section for more details.
perdre
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple Past | Imperfect | Simple Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | perds /pɛʁ/ | perdis /pɛʁdi/ | perdais /pɛʁdɛ/ | perdrai /pɛʁdʁe/ | perde /pɛʁd/ | perdisse /pɛʁdis/ | perdrais /pɛʁdʁɛ/ | |
| tu | perds /pɛʁ/ | perdis /pɛʁdi/ | perdais /pɛʁdɛ/ | perdras /pɛʁdʁɑ/ | perdes /pɛʁd/ | perdisses /pɛʁdis/ | perdrais /pɛʁdʁɛ/ | perds /pɛʁ/ |
| il/elle | perd /pɛʁ/ | perdit /pɛʁdi/ | perdait /pɛʁdɛ/ | perdra /pɛʁdʁɑ/ | perde /pɛʁd/ | perdît /pɛʁdi/ | perdrait /pɛʁdʁɛ/ | |
| nous | perdons /pɛʁdɔ̃/ |
perdîmes /pɛʁdim/ | perdions /peʁdjɔ̃/ | perdrons /pɛʁdʁɔ̃/ | perdions /pɛʁdjɔ̃/ | perdissions /pɛʁdisjɔ̃/ | perdrions /pɛʁdʁijɔ̃/ | perdons /pɛʁdɔ̃/ |
| vous | perdez /pɛʁde/ |
perdîtes /peʁdit/ |
perdiez /peʁdje/ | perdrez /pɛʁdʁe/ | perdiez /pɛʁdje/ | perdissiez /pɛʁdisje/ | perdriez /pɛʁdʁije/ | perdez /pɛʁde/ |
| ils/elles | perdent /pɛʁd/ | perdirent /pɛʁdiʁ/ | perdaient /pɛʁdɛ/ | perdront /pɛʁdʁɔ̃/ | perdent /pɛʁd/ | perdissent /pɛʁdis/ | perdraient /pɛʁdʁɛ/ | |
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: perdre /pɛʁdʁ/
- Present participle: perdissant /pɛʁdisɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en perdissant /ɑ̃ pɛʁdisɑ̃/
- Verbal adjective: perdissant(s) /pɛʁdisɑ̃/, perdissante(s) /pɛʁdisɑ̃t/
- Past participle: perd-u(e)(s) /pɛʁdy/
Auxiliary verb: avoir (a few 3rd group verbs use "etre")
Irregular verbs and their paradigms
First sub-conjugation: Verbs with seven principal parts
Most irregular French verbs can be described with seven principal parts. In reality, few if any verbs have separate stems for all seven parts; instead, they tend to "inherit" the same stem as another part. Note that the endings for these verbs are basically the same as for regular -ir verbs; in fact, regular -ir verbs can be fit into this scheme by treating the -iss- variants as different principal parts.
| Principal part | How to get the stem | "Inherited" (regular) value of stem |
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | Remove ending -er, -ir, -oir, -re | — |
| First singular present indicative | Remove ending -s, -e | Infinitive stem |
| First plural present indicative | Remove ending -ons | Infinitive stem |
| Third plural present indicative | Remove ending -ent | First plural present stem |
| (First singular) future | Remove ending -ai | Full infinitive stem (minus any -e) |
| (Masculine singular) past participle | Full word | Infinitive stem, plus -i (plus -u if ends -re) |
| (First singular) simple past | Remove ending -s, -ai | Past participle (minus any -s or -t) |
The following table shows how the paradigm of an irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that a few verbs construct the present indicative (especially the singular) differently.
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple past | Imperfect | Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | 1S+s | PAST+s | 1P+ais | FUT+ai | 3P+e | PAST+sse | FUT+ais | |
| tu | FUT+as | 3P+es | PAST+sses | (same as pres. indic. 3rd. sg. if ends with vowel, else 2nd. sg.) | ||||
| il/elle | 1S+t1 | PAST+t | 1P+ait | FUT+a | 3P+e | PAST+ˆt | FUT+ait | |
| nous | 1P+ons | PAST+ˆmes | 1P+ions | FUT+ons | 1P+ions | PAST+ssions | FUT+ions | (same as pres. indic. 1st pl.) |
| vous | 1P+ez | PAST+ˆtes | 1P+iez | FUT+ez | 1P+iez | PAST+ssiez | FUT+iez | (same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.) |
| ils/elles | 3P+ent | PAST+rent | 1P+aient | FUT+ont | 3P+ent | PAST+ssent | FUT+aient | |
1 The -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)
- Present participle: 1P-ant
- Gerundive: en 1P-ant
- Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s)
- Past participle: PP(e)(s)
The following table gives principal parts for a number of irregular verbs. There are a number of fair-sized groups of verbs that are conjugated alike; these are listed first. There are some additional irregularities in the present indicative, which are listed below. Nearly all irregularities affect the singular, and are purely issues of spelling. (Stems that are irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)
| INF: Infinitive | Meaning | FUT: Future | Present Indicative | PP: Past Participle | PAST: Simple Past | Notes | Similar verbs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1S: 1st Sing (2nd Sing, 3rd Sing) | 1P: 1st Plur (2nd Plur) | 3P: 3rd Plur | |||||||
| chois-ir | "to choose" | choisir-ai | choisi-s | choisiss-ons | choisiss-ent | choisi | choisi-s | How a regular -ir verb would be represented by its principal parts | About 300 verbs in -ir |
| haïr | "to hate" | haïr-ai | hai-s / haï-s1 | haïss-ons | haïss-ent | haï | haï-s | The same as a regular -ir verb but in Sing. pres. indic. the diaeresis drops out | |
| vend-re | "to sell" | vendr-ai | vend-s, vend2 | vend-ons | vend-ent | vendu | vendi-s | So-called "regular -re" verbs; all end in -dre, but not -indre | attendre "wait", défendre "defend", descendre "go down", entendre "hear", étendre "extend", fondre "melt", pendre "hang", perdre "lose", prétendre "pretend", rendre "return, give back", répandre "spill", répondre "respond", etc. |
| craind-re | "to fear" | craindr-ai | crain-s | craign-ons | craign-ent | craint | craign-is | All verbs in -aindre, -eindre, -oindre, e.g. contraindre "compel", plaindre "complain"; atteindre "reach", ceindre "gird", empreindre "stamp", éteindre "turn off", étreindre "hug", feindre "pretend", geindre "whine", peindre "paint", restreindre "restrict", teindre "dye"; joindre "join", oindre "anoint", poindre "dawn", rejoindre "rejoin" | |
| part-ir | "to leave" | partir-ai | par-s | part-ons | part-ent | parti | parti-s | Sing. pres. indic. stem drops last consonant of basic stem: je pars, dors, mens, sens, sers, sors /ʒ(ə) paʁ, dɔʁ, mɑ̃, sɔʁ, sɑ̃, sɛʁ/ | se départir "divest", repartir "leave again", dormir "sleep", s'endormir "fall asleep", se rendormir "fall back asleep", mentir "lie (tell lies)", démentir "contradict", sentir "feel", consentir "agree", pressentir "foresee", ressentir "feel", servir "serve", desservir "clear away", resservir "serve again", sortir "go out", ressortir "come back" |
| vêt-ir | "to dress" | vêtir-ai | vêt-s, vêt2 | vêt-ons | vêt-ent | vêtu | vêti-s | The same as partir, except for the past participle | dévêtir "undress", revêtir "cover" |
| requér-ir | "to require, demand" | requerr-ai | requier-s | requér-ons | requièr-ent | requis | requi-s | ||
| ouvr-ir | "to open" | ouvrir-ai | ouvr-e, ouvr-es, ouvr-e | ouvr-ons | ouvr-ent | ouvert | ouvri-s | Sing. pres. indic. uses endings -e -es -e, as with -er verbs | couvrir "cover", découvrir "discover", offrir "offer", souffrir "suffer" |
| condui-re | "to lead" | conduir-ai | condui-s | conduis-ons | conduis-ent | conduit | conduisi-s | All verbs in -uire e.g. construire "build", cuire "cook", détruire "destroy", instruire "instruct", réduire "reduce", produire "produce", traduire "translate", etc. | |
| recev-oir | "to receive" | recevr-ai | reçoi-s | recev-ons | reçoiv-ent | reçu | reçu-s | Other verbs in -cevoir, e.g. apercevoir "perceive", concevoir "conceive", décevoir "disappoint" | |
| envoy-er | "to send" | enverr-ai | envoi-e3 | envoy-ons3 | envoi-ent3 | envoyé | envoy-ai | ||
| voir | "to see" | verr-ai | voi-s | voy-ons | voi-ent3 | vu | vi-s | revoir "see again" | |
| choir | "to fall" | choir-ai; cherr-ai | choi-s | choy-ons | choi-ent3 | chu | chu-s | Missing the indicative imperfect and the subjunctive mood (except by chût, in singular 3rd person imperfect subjunctive) | échoir "befall" |
| dev-oir | "to owe, must" | devr-ai | doi-s | dev-ons | doiv-ent | dû | du-s | Very similar to recevoir, but adds a circumflex to du to distinguish it from the partitive article du - due, dus and dues remain unchanged | |
| mouv-oir | "to move" | mouvr-ai | meu-s | mouv-ons | meuv-ent | mû | mu-s | Adds a circumflex to mu to distinguish it from the Greek letter mu (μ) - mue, mus and mues remain unchanged | |
| émouv-oir | "to move, affect" | émouvr-ai | émeu-s | émouv-ons | émeuv-ent | ému | ému-s | promouvoir "promote" | |
| pleuv-oir | "to rain" | pleuvr-a | pleu-t | (stem pleuv-) | (stem pleuv-) | plu | plu-t | Impersonal (3rd-singular only) | |
| asseoir | "to sit" | assiér-ai; assoir-ai | assied-s, assied;2 assoi-s | assey-ons; assoy-ons | assey-ent; assoi-ent | assis | assi-s | Notice that there are two sets of conjugations. | |
| cueill-ir /kœjiʁ/ | "to gather" | cueiller-ai | cueill-e, cueill-es, cueill-e | cueill-ons | cueill-ent | cueilli | cueilli-s | Like ouvrir except the future; sing. pres. indic. uses endings -e -es -e, as with -er verbs | |
| ven-ir | "to come" | viendr-ai | vien-s | ven-ons | vienn-ent | venu | vin-s | Note simple past plural vînmes, vîntes, vinrent /vɛ̃m, vɛ̃t, vɛ̃ʁ/ | revenir "return", devenir "become", se souvenir "remember", parvenir "reach", prévenir "tell beforehand"; tenir "hold", retenir "memorize", contretenir "talk", soutenir "sustain", maintenir "maintain", appartenir "belong", etc. |
| mour-ir | "to die" | mourr-ai | meur-s | mour-ons | meur-ent | mort | mouru-s | ||
| cour-ir | "to run" | courr-ai | cour-s | cour-ons | cour-ent | couru | couru-s | ||
| di-re | "to say, tell" | dir-ai | di-s | dis-ons, dites | dis-ent | dit | di-s | Note the 2nd pl. dites | contredire "contradict", interdire "forbid" |
| li-re | "to read" | lir-ai | li-s | lis-ons | lis-ent | lu | lu-s | ||
| écri-re | "to write" | écrir-ai | écri-s | écriv-ons | écriv-ent | écrit | écrivi-s | décrire "describe", inscrire "inscribe" | |
| ri-re | "to laugh" | rir-ai | ri-s | ri-ons | ri-ent | ri | ri-s | sourire "smile" | |
| suffi-re | "to suffice" | suffir-ai | suffi-s | suffis-ons | suffis-ent | suffi | suffi-s | confire "pickle", circoncire "circumcise", frire "fry" | |
| boi-re | "to drink" | boir-ai | boi-s | buv-ons | boiv-ent | bu | bu-s | ||
| croi-re | "to believe" | croir-ai | croi-s | croy-ons3 | croi-ent3 | cru | cru-s | ||
| conclu-re | "to conclude" | conclur-ai | conclu-s | conclu-ons | conclu-ent | conclu | conclu-s | Other verbs in -clure | |
| plai-re | "to please" | plair-ai | plai-s, plaît | plais-ons | plais-ent | plu | plu-s | Note the 3rd sg. plaît | |
| clo-re | "to close" | clor-ai | clo-s, clôt | clos-ons | clos-ent | clos | (missing) | Missing the subjunctive and indicative imperfect, as well as the simple past tens. Note the 3rd sg. clôt | |
| prend-re | "to take" | prendr-ai | prend-s, prend2 | pren-ons | prenn-ent | pris | pri-s | comprendre "understand", apprendre "study", reprendre "take again", etc. | |
| viv-re | "to live" | vivr-ai | vi-s | viv-ons | viv-ent | vécu | vécu-s | revivre "come alive again", survivre "survive" | |
| suiv-re | "to follow" | suivr-ai | sui-s | suiv-ons | suiv-ent | suivi | suivi-s | poursuivre "pursue" | |
| naît-re | "to be born" | naîtr-ai | nai-s, naît | naiss-ons | naiss-ent | né | naqui-s | Note the 3rd sg. naît | |
| connaît-re | "to know" | connaîtr-ai | connai-s, connaît | connaiss-ons | connaiss-ent | connu | connu-s | Note the 3rd sg. connaît | reconnaître "recognize", paraître "seem", apparaître "appear", reparaître "reappear", disparaître "disappear" |
| mett-re | "to put" | mettr-ai | met-s, met2 | mett-ons | mett-ent | mis | mi-s | promettre "promise", permettre "permit", compromettre "compromise, damage", soumettre "submit, subdue", transmettre "transmit" | |
| batt-re | "to beat" | battr-ai | bat-s, bat2 | batt-ons | batt-ent | battu | batti-s | Close to vendre | |
| romp-re | "to break" | rompr-ai | romp-s | romp-ons | romp-ent | rompu | rompi-s | Very close to vendre | |
| vainc-re | "to conquer" | vaincr-ai | vainc-s, vainc | vainqu-ons | vainqu-ent | vaincu | vainqui-s | Essentially same as vendre, except for c/qu variation | convaincre "convince" |
| trai-re | "to milk" | trair-ai | trai-s | tray-ons3 | trai-ent3 | trai-t | tray-ai | PS is conjugated as in 1st group verbs. | contraire "contract", extraire "extract", soustraire "subtract", retraire "withdraw" |
| coud-re | "to sew" | coudr-ai | coud-s, coud2 | cous-ons | cous-ent | cousu | cousi-s | ||
| moud-re | "to grind, mill" | moudr-ai | moud-s, moud2 | moul-ons | moul-ent | moulu | moulu-s | ||
| résoud-re | "to solve, resolve" | résoudr-ai | résou-s | résolv-ons | résolv-ent | résolu | résolu-s | ||
| absoud-re | "to solve, absolve" | absoudr-ai | absou-s | absolv-ons | absolv-ent | absous, absoute | absolu-s | The same as résoudre, except for the past participle. Note the masculine absous and feminine absoute | |
1 Only in Quebec French
2 The ending -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).
3 Alternation of "-ai-" and -oi- before consonant or unstressed e, "-ay-" and -oy- before other vowels is automatic in all verbs.
The following table shows an example paradigm of one of these verbs, recevoir "to receive".
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple Past | Imperfect | Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | reçois /ʁəswɑ/ | reçus /ʁəsy/ | recevais /ʁəsəvɛ/ | recevrai /ʁəsəvʁe/ | reçoive /ʁəswav/ | reçusse /ʁəsys/ | recevrais /ʁəsəvʁɛ/ | |
| tu | recevras /ʁəsəvʁɑ/ | reçoives /ʁəswav/ | reçusses /ʁəsys/ | reçois /ʁəswɑ/ | ||||
| il/elle | reçoit /ʁəswa/ | reçut /ʁəsy/ | recevait /ʁəsəvɛ/ | recevra /ʁəsəvʁa/ | reçoive /ʁəswav/ | reçût /ʁəsy/ | recevrait /ʁəsəvʁɛ/ | |
| nous | recevons /ʁəsəvɔ̃/ | reçûmes /ʁəsym/ | recevions /ʁəsəvjɔ̃/ | recevrons /ʁəsəvʁɔ̃/ | recevions /ʁəsəvjɔ̃/ | reçussions /ʁəsysjɔ̃/ | recevrions /ʁəsəvʁijɔ̃/ | recevons /ʁəsəvɔ̃/ |
| vous | recevez /ʁəsəve/ | reçûtes /ʁəsyt/ | receviez /ʁəsəvje/ | recevrez /ʁəsəvʁe/ | receviez /ʁəsəvje/ | reçussiez /ʁəsysje/ | recevriez /ʁəsəvʁije/ | recevez /ʁəsəve/ |
| ils/elles | reçoivent /ʁəswav/ | reçurent /ʁəsyʁ/ | recevaient /ʁəsəvɛ/ | recevront /ʁəsəvʁɔ̃/ | reçoivent /ʁəswav/ | reçussent /ʁəsys/ | recevraient /ʁəsəvʁɛ/ | |
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: recevoir
- Present participle: recevant
- Gerundive: en recevant
- Verbal adjective: recevant(e)(s)
- Past participle: reçu(e)(s)
Verbs with eleven principal parts
Nine verbs also have an irregular subjunctive stem, used at least for the singular and third plural of the present subjunctive. These verbs can be said to have 11 principal parts, because the subjunctive stem may or may not be used for the first and second plural present subjunctive, the imperative and/or the present participle, in ways that vary from verb to verb.
The following table shows how the paradigm of an 11-principal-part irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that these verbs are generally the most irregular verbs in French, and many of them construct the present indicative (especially the singular) in an idiosyncratic fashion. The verb aller also constructs its past participle and simple past differently, according to the endings for -er verbs.
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple past | Imperfect | Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | 1S+s | PAST+s | 1P+ais | FUT+ai | SUBJ+e | PAST+sse | FUT+ais | |
| tu | 1S+s | PAST+s | 1P+ais | FUT+as | SUBJ+es | PAST+sses | FUT+ais | (same as pres. indic. 2nd. sg.; but use 3rd. sg. if ends with vowel) or SUBJ+e |
| il/elle | 1S+t | PAST+t | 1P+ait | FUT+a | SUBJ+e | PAST+ˆt | FUT+ait | |
| nous | 1P+ons | PAST+ˆmes | 1P+ions | FUT+ons | SUBJ+ions or 1P+ions | PAST+ssions | FUT+ions | (same as pres. indic. 1st pl.) or SUBJ+ons |
| vous | 1P+ez | PAST+ˆtes | 1P+iez | FUT+ez | SUBJ+iez or 1P+iez | PAST+ssiez | FUT+iez | (same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.) or SUBJ+ez |
| ils/elles | 3P+ent | PAST+rent | 1P+aient | FUT+ont | SUBJ+ent | PAST+ssent | FUT+aient | |
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)
- Present participle: 1P-ant or SUBJ-ant
- Gerundive: en 1P-ant or en SUBJ-ant
- Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s) or SUBJ-ant(e)(s)
- Past participle: PP(e)(s)
The following table gives the principal parts for the 11-principal-part verbs. (Stems that are irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)
| INF: Infinitive | Meaning | FUT: Future | Present Indicative | Present Subjunctive | Imperative | Present Participle | PP: Past Participle | PAST: Simple Past | Notes | Similar verbs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1S: 1st Sing (2nd Sing, 3rd Sing) | 1P: 1st Plur (2nd Plur) | 3P: 3rd Plur | SUBJ:1st Sing | 1st Plur | |||||||||
| pouv-oir | "to be able" | pourr-ai | peux/puis, peux, peut | pouv-ons | peuv-ent | puiss-e | follows subj. (puiss-ions) | follows indic. | follows 1P (pouv-ant) | pu | pu-s (reg.) | alternate 1st sing. puis required in questions, use elsewhere is mannered; note that old pres. part. puiss-ant is attested as an adjective "powerful" | |
| sav-oir | "to know" | saur-ai | sai-s | sav-ons | sav-ent | sach-e | follows subj. (sach-ions) | follows subj. (sache, sachons, sachez) | follows subj. (sach-ant) | su | su-s | ||
| voul-oir | "to want" | voudr-ai | veux, veut | voul-ons | veul-ent | veuill-e | follows indic. (voul-ions) | follows subj. (veuille, veuillons, veuillez) | follows 1P (voul-ant) | voulu | voulu-s | ||
| val-oir | "to be worth" | vaudr-ai | vaux, vaut | val-ons | val-ent | vaill-e | follows indic. (val-ions) | follows indic. (vaux, valons, valez) | follows 1P (val-ant) | valu | valu-s | ||
| fall-oir | "to be necessary" | faudr-a | fau-t | (stem fall-) | – | faill-e | – | – | – | fall-u | fallu-t | Impersonal (3rd-singular only) | |
| fai-re | "to do" | fer-ai | fai-s | fais-ons, faites | font | fass-e | follows subj. (fass-ions) | follows indic. | follows 1P (fais-ant) | fait | fi-s | 2nd pl. pres. indic. faites (also in imperative) | défaire, refaire, satisfaire |
| av-oir | "to have" | aur-ai | ai, as, a | av-ons | ont | ai-e, ai-es, ai-t; ai-ent | ay-ons, ay-ez | follows subj. (aie, ayons, ayez) | follows subj. (ay-ant) | eu /y/ | eu-s | ||
| êt-re | "to be" | ser-ai | suis, es, est | sommes, êtes; stem ét- | sont | soi-s, soi-s, soi-t; soi-ent | soy-ons, soy-ez | follows subj. (sois, soyons, soyez) | follows 1P (ét-ant) | été | fu-s | ||
| all-er | "to go" | ir-ai | vais/vas1, vas, va | all-ons | vont | aill-e | follows indic. (all-ions) | follows indic. | follows 1P (all-ant) | allé | all-ai | 2nd. sg. imperat. va, but vas-y "go there" | s'en aller "leave" |
Aller
The verb aller means "to go" and is sufficiently irregular that it merits listing its conjugation in full. It is the only verb with the first group ending "er" to have an irregular conjugation. It belongs to none of the three sections of the third group, and is often categorized on its own. The verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: past all- /al/ (simple past, imperfect, past subjunctive); present subjunctive aill- /aj/; conditional and future ir- /iʁ/. The inflections of these tenses are completely regular, and pronounced as in any other -er verb. However, in the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple past | Imperfect | Future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | vais, vas1 /vɛ/, /vɑ/1 | allai /ale/ | allais /alɛ/ | irai /iʁe/ | aille /aj/ | allasse /alas/ | irais /iʁɛ/ | |
| tu | vas /vɑ/ | allas /alɑ/ | iras /iʁɑ/ | ailles /aj/ | allasses /alas/ | va /va/ | ||
| il/elle/on | va /va/ | alla /ala/ | allait /alɛ/ | ira /iʁa/ | aille /aj/ | allât /alɑ/ | irait /iʁɛ/ | |
| nous | allons /alɔ̃/ | allâmes /alɑm/ | allions /aljɔ̃/ | irons /iʁɔ̃/ | allions /aljɔ̃/ | allassions /alasjɔ̃/ | irions /iʁjɔ̃/ | allons /alɔ̃/ |
| vous | allez /ale/ | allâtes /alɑt/ | alliez /alje/ | irez /iʁe/ | alliez /alje/ | allassiez /alasje/ | iriez /iʁje/ | allez /ale/ |
| ils/elles | vont /vɔ̃/ | allèrent /alɛʁ/ | allaient /alɛ/ | iront /iʁɔ̃/ | aillent /aj/ | allassent /alas/ | iraient /iʁɛ/ | |
The non-finite forms are all based on all- /al/:
- Infinitive: aller
- Present participle: allant
- Gerundive: en allant
- Verbal adjective: allant(e)(s)
- Past participle: allé(e)(s)
Auxiliary verb: être
1 In Classical French and even in certain dialects (like in Cajun and some Quebec dialects) je vas is used.
Inflectional endings of the three verb groups
| 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicatif (Présent) | Subjonctif (Présent) | ||||||||
| je | e1 | is | s (x)2 | e3 | e | isse | e | ||
| tu | es | es3 | es | isses | es | ||||
| il | e | it | t (d) | e3 | e | isse | e | ||
| nous | ons | issons | ons | ons | ions | issions | ions | ||
| vous | ez | issez | ez | ez | iez | issiez | iez | ||
| ils | ent | issent | ent | ent | ent | issent | ent | ||
| Indicatif (Imparfait) | Subjonctif (Imparfait) | ||||||||
| je | ais | issais | ais | asse | isse | isse4 | usse | ||
| tu | asses | isses | isses4 | usses | |||||
| il | ait | issait | ait | ât | ît | ît4 | ût | ||
| nous | ions | issions | ions | assions | issions | issions4 | ussions | ||
| vous | iez | issiez | iez | assiez | issiez | issiez4 | ussiez | ||
| ils | aient | issaient | aient | assent | issent | issent4 | ussent | ||
| Indicatif (Passé simple) | Impératif (Présent) | ||||||||
| je | ai | is | is4 | us | |||||
| tu | as | e | is | s | e3 | ||||
| il | a | it | it4 | ut | |||||
| nous | âmes | îmes | îmes4 | ûmes | ons | issons | ons | ons | |
| vous | âtes | îtes | îtes4 | ûtes | ez | issez | ez | ez | |
| ils | èrent | irent | irent4 | urent | |||||
| Indicatif (Futur simple) | Conditionnel (Présent) | ||||||||
| je | erai | irai | rai | erais | irais | rais | |||
| tu | eras | iras | ras | ||||||
| il | era | ira | ra | erait | irait | rait | |||
| nous | erons | irons | rons | erions | irions | rions | |||
| vous | erez | irez | rez | eriez | iriez | riez | |||
| ils | eront | iront | ront | eraient | iraient | raient | |||
1. In an interrogative sentence, the final e is written é (traditional spelling) or è (rectified spelling), and is pronounced as an open è [ɛ]. Additionally, the e in je becomes silent. For example: je marche /ʒə.maʁʃ/ (I walk), marchè-je? /maʁʃɛʒ/ (do I walk?)
2. Only in je/tu peux (I/you can), je/tu veux (I/you want), and je/tu vaux (I am/you are 'worth').
. Verbs in -dre have a final d for the 3rd singular person, except for those ending in -indre and -soudre which take a final t. The verbs vaincre (defeat) and convaincre (convince) are conjugated as vainc and convainc, respectively, in 3rd singular person.
3. The only verbs having this ending are: assaillir (assail), couvrir (cover), cueillir (pluck), défaillir (default), offrir (offer), ouvrir (open), souffrir (suffer), tressaillir (shiver), and in the imperative only, avoir (have), savoir (know), and vouloir (want).
4. Except for je vins (I came), je tins (I held), etc..., que je vinsse (that I come), que je tinsse (that I hold), etc...
See also
- Bescherelle, a reference book for (usually French) verb conjugation
Notes
- A simple form
- Conventionally used only in written language (especially in literature) or in extremely formal speech.
- Very rarely used in contemporary French
References
- Le nouveau Bescherelle: L'art de conjuguer, 1972, pp. 10
- Larousse de la conjugaison, 1980.
External links
- Verb2Verbe - French/English verb conjugation with translations
- Language Atlas - overview of all the different types of conjugations and corresponding Anki files
- A two-page PDF reference guide of the 681 most common French/English verbs
- Le Conjugueur - online conjugation for all French verbs
- Bescherelle - conjugation & conjugation books.
- WordReference - French conjugation (Beta)
- Conjugation-FR - French conjugation
- Open source XML database of French verb conjugation rules. RegEx based.
- French verb practice at UT Austin
- schoLINGUA - Conjugation trainer - over 12,000 French verbs
- Comment-conjuguer.fr - online conjugation for all French verbs and conjugation rules