Tenses and moods in French
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In French, seven verbal moods are used:
- four personal moods, which conjugate: Indicative, conditional, subjunctive and imperative
- three impersonal moods, which do not conjugate: infinitive, participle and gerund
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.The personal moods
- 1.1.The French Indicative
- 1.1.1.Present tense
- 1.1.2.Imperfect
- 1.1.3.Literary past tense
- 1.1.4.Future simple
- 1.1.5.Past completed
- 1.1.6.Pluperfect
- 1.1.7.Past anterior
- 1.1.8.Future perfect
- 1.2.The conditional
- 1.2.1.Present conditional
- 1.2.2.Past conditional
- 1.3.The subjunctive
- 1.3.1.Present subjunctive
- 1.3.2.Past subjunctive
- 1.3.3.Imperfect subjunctive
- 1.3.4.Pluperfect subjunctive
- 1.4.The imperative
- 1.4.1.Present imperative
- 1.4.2.Past imperative
- 2.The impersonal moods
- 2.1.The infinitive
- 2.2.The participle
- 2.2.1.Present participle
- 2.2.2.Past participle
- 2.3.The gerund
- 2.3.1.Present gerund
- 2.3.2.Past gerund
The personal moods
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The French Indicative
The indicative has eight tenses: four simple tenses and four compound tenses that conjugate with the auxiliaries avoir or être.
| Simple tenses | Compound tenses |
|---|---|
| present (le présent) | past completed (le passé composé) |
| imperfect (l'imparfait) | pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) |
| litterary past tense (le passé simple) | past anterior (le passé antérieur) |
| future simple (le futur simple) | future perfect (le futur antérieur) |
Present tense
You use a verb in the present tense (French: le présent) to talk about a fact or an action that takes place as we speak. But you can also use it to tell a past "as if we were there" or to express a scientific truth or a usual fact.
The endings of the present tense are :
- -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent for the 1st group verbs.
- -is,-is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent for 2nd group verbs
The 3rd group verbs have three different endings:
- -s, -s, -t, -ons, -ez, -ent for all verbs in general
- -ds, -ds, -d, -dons, -dez, -dent for infinitive verbs ending in -dre except joindre
- -x, -x, -t, -ons, -ez, -ent for infinitive verbs like pouvoir, valoir, vouloir
Examples:
| Examples | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st group | nous aimons préparer des tartes | (we love to prepare pies) |
| 2nd group | ton amie grandit vite | (your friend is growing fast) |
| 3rd group | je lis ce livre de Victor Hugo Rafael prends le chocolat tu vaux plus que ça | (I am reading this Victor Hugo's Book) (Rafael is taking chocolate) (you worth more than this) |
Imperfect
The imperfect (French: l'imparfait) does not exist in English as it expresses a fact or an action that has already taken place at the moment we are speaking but which can still unfold. The imperfect is often used to describe a scene, a landscape.
The endings of the imperfect are :
- -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, aient for all group verbs.
Examples:
| Imperfect | Translation |
|---|---|
| Je faisais une tarte pour ce soir | (I was making a pie for tonight) |
| On pouvait voir le soleil se coucher | (We could see the sun going down) |
| Tu étais timide quand tu étais enfant | (You were so shy when you were a child) |
Literary past tense
The literary past tense (French: le passé simple) is utilized in rather literary contexts. It's mainly expresses a completed action of the past, most often a brief action.
The endings of the literary past tense are:
- -ai, as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent for the 1st group verbs,
- -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent for the 2nd group verbs.
The 3rg group verbs have three different endings:
- -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent for verbs like prendre
- -us, -us, -ut, -ûmes, -ûtes, urent for verbs like devoir, croire
- -ins, -ins, -int, -înmes, -întes, -inrent for verbs like venir
Examples:
| Examples | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st group | nous passâmes pour des inconnus | (we were unknow) |
| 2nd group | ils finirent leurs devoirs avant de partir | (they had finished their homework before leaving) |
| 3rd group | je vins très tôt ce jour-là tu vis son grand-père nous crurent à ses paroles | (I had came very early that day) (you had seen his grand father) (we had believed him) |
Future simple
The future simple (French: le futur simple) expresses a fact or an action that will take place later, it has not yet taken place at the moment we speak.
The endings of the future simple are:
- -rai, -ras, -ra, -rons, -rez, -ront for all group verbs.
Examples:
| Future simple | Translation |
|---|---|
| Nous partirons en Espagne, la semaine prochaine | (We will go to Spain, next week) |
Je serai très prochainement le nouveau président | (I will soon become the new president) |
| Ils achèteront une nouvelle télévision | (They will buy a new television) |
Past completed
The past completed (French: le passé composé) as the name suggests, is a time of the past. It therefore expresses an action or fact that has already taken place at the time we express ourselves.
It is a compound time and is formed with the auxiliary être or avoir conjugated in the present tense + the past participle.
Examples:
| Past completed | Translations |
|---|---|
| Nous sommes allés chez ta grand-mère | (We went to your grand-mother's) |
| Tu as fait une grande découverte au travail | (You discovered something big at work) |
| Ils ont mangé une paella lors de le voyage en Espagne. | (They ate a paella during their trip in Spain) |
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (French: le plus-que-parfait) allows to express the anteriority of an action compared to a past action. It can be used with another time of the past either the completed past or literary past tense.
It is also a compound time and is formed with the auxiliary être or avoir conjugated in the imperfect tense + the past participle.
Examples:
| Pluperfect | Translations |
|---|---|
| J'étais allée voir si ma mère étais là | (I had went to see if my mother was here) |
| Ils m'avaient raconté leur voyage à Bali | (they had told me their trip in Bali) |
| Ce jour-là, nous étions tellement fatigués | (that day, we were so tired) |
Past anterior
The past anterior (French: le passé antérieur) expresses the anteriority of an action and is used most often with the literary past tense.
It is a compound time and is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the literary past tense + the past participle.
Examples:
| Past anterior | Translations |
|---|---|
| Tu eus fait une belle tarte lorsqu'ils arrivèrent | (you had done a good pie when they has arrived) |
| Nous fûmes été récompensés pour ce projet lors de la soirée | (we had been awarded for this project at the award show) |
| Nous eûmes parlé du réchauffement quand ils vinrent | (we had talked about the global warming when they has arrived) |
Future perfect
The future perfect (French: le futur antérieur) is a time of the future. iI can be used all alone in a sentence or with the future simple.
When used alone, it expresses a fact or an action that will be completed at that moment.
Examples:
| Future + complement | Translations |
|---|---|
| Dans deux ans, nous serons partis en France. | (in two years, we will have left for France) |
| Nous aurons vécu en Italie | (we will have lived in Italy) |
| Ils seront déjà allés voir la nouvelle maison | (they will have already went to see the new house) |
When used with the future simple, it expresses an action that will take place before a second action.
Examples:
| Future + future simple | Translations |
|---|---|
| Quand tu finiras, j'aurais déja préparé le repas | (when you will finish, I will have already prepared lunch) |
| Tu fermeras la porte, quand tes parents seront partis | (you will close the door when your parents will have left) |
Je serai fan de lui, quand il aura fait de bonnes chansons | (I will become an amateur when he will have done good music) |
The conditional
The conditional (French: le conditionnel) is a mood that is used to express a wish, hypothesis or a fact or an action subject to a condition. In the French grammar, you must know that you will find it more and more identified as a tense of the indicative.
It is considered that the conditional has also a time value with two tenses: the present conditional and the past conditional.
Examples:
| Conditional | Translations |
|---|---|
| Tu aimerais aller voir ta grand-mère | (you would like to go see your grand-mother) |
| Nous ferions faire cette barrière pour le chien. | (We would make someone make the fence for the dog) |
| Nous voudrions parler au directeur | (we would like to talk to the CEO) |
Present conditional
The present conditional (French: le conditionnel présent) is a tense of a future in the past. You can use it to mitigate a request.
It is formed with the verb conjugated in the future tense that we complete with the endings of the imperfect:
- -rais, -rais, -rait, -rions, -riez, -raient.
Examples:
| Present conditional | Translations |
|---|---|
| je préférerais une glace à la vanille | (I would prefer a vanilla ice cream) |
| nous voudrions un dessert à la fraise. | (we would like a strawberry dessert) |
| ils parleraient de politique | (they would talk about politics) |
Past conditional
The past conditional (French: le conditionnel passé) can be used to express a regret or a reproach.
It is a compound and is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the conditional present + the past participle
Examples:
| Past conditional | Translations |
|---|---|
| Tu aurais pu nous dire que tu ne viendras pas | (you could have told us that you won't come) |
| Il aurait aimé devenir pilote d'avion | (you would have liked to become an airplane pilot) |
| Nous aurions voulu faire une surprise a Léa | (we would have wanted to make a surprise for Lea) |
The subjunctive
The subjunctive is a mood used to express a doubt, a desired fact, an uncertain action that has not been realized at the moment we express ourselves with verbs expressing envy, desire, emotion, obligation, doubt or uncertainty.
The subjunctive has 4 tenses: the subjunctive present and past and the subjunctive imperfect and pluperfect which are not used orally.
In order to conjugate the verbs in the subjunctive, you use que (qu') before the verb.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive (French: le subjonctif présent) expresses an uncertain action, not realized at the moment of speaking.
The endings of the present subjunctive are:
- -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ient for the 1st group verbs and 3rd group verbs.
- -isse, -isses, isse, -issions, -issiez, -issent for the 2nd group verbs.
Examples:
| Present subjunctive | Translations |
|---|---|
| Je veux qu'il essaie ce nouveau dispositif. | (you need to try this new device) |
| J'aimerais qu'il aille faire sa carte d'identité. | (I would like him to go do his ID card) |
| Il est possible qu'il finisse à 14h | (he may finish at 2pm) |
Past subjunctive
The past subjunctive (French: le subjonctif passé) expresses an uncertain action, supposedly realized at the moment when we express ourselves.
It is a compound and is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjuguated in the present subjunctive + the past participle
Examples:
| Past subjunctive | Translations |
|---|---|
| Je pense qu'il ait été courageux. | (I think that he was courageous) |
| Nous ne croyons pas qu'ils soient partis à la plage sans nous | (we don't think that they went to the beach without us) |
| C'est important de voir que tu aies fait ce projet | (It is important that you made this project) |
Imperfect subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive (French: le subjoncif imparfait) is especially used in literature. It is a simple tense that expresses an uncertain action, not realized at the moment when the speaker spoke.
It has its own endings:
- -asse, -asses, -ât, -assions, -assiez, - assent for 1st group verbs
- -isse, -isses, -ît, -issions, -issiez, -issent for 2nd group verbs and some 3rd group verbs
- -usse, -usses, -ût ,-ussions, -ussiez, ussent for some 3rd group verbs
Examples
| Examples | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st group verb | il fallait que nous aimassions ce nouveau chat | (we had to love this new cat) |
| 2nd group verb | il était important que vous choisissiez cette matière | (you had to choose this subject) |
| 3rd group verb | je voyais qu'ils prissent le jus de mangue nous croyons qu'elle couût toute la journée | (I saw that they took the mango juice) (we believed that she ran all day long) |
Pluperfect subjunctive
The pluperfect subjunctive (French: le subjonctif plus-que-parfait) is used in literature. It expresses an uncertain action, supposedly realized at the moment when the speaker spoke.
It is a compound and is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive + the past participle.
Examples:
| Pluperfect subjunctive | Translations |
|---|---|
| Je croyais que nous eussions vu cette lumière au loin | (I thought that we saw this light from far) |
| Vous ne pensiez pas qu'il fût venu à votre barbecue | (you didn't think that he came to your barbecue) |
| Tu imaginais que nous fussions partis en Australie | (you imagined that we went to Australia) |
The imperative
The imperative is a mood used to express an order, an advice, a prayer or a recommendation to be realized in the near or distant future.
The imperative is conjuguated in only 3 persons: 2nd singular pronoun, 1st and 2nd plural pronouns.
It has 2 tenses: the present imperative and the past imperative.
Present imperative
The present imperative (French: l'impératif présent) is used to state an order or prohibition.
Its conjugation is very close to conjugated forms of the present tense but there is no "s" at the end of 2nd singular pronoun for the 1st group verbs.
Examples:
| Present imperative | Translations |
|---|---|
| Mange ta glace ! | (eat your ice cream !) |
| Préparez cette table ! | (prepare this table !) |
| Faisons une surprise à maman ! | (let's make a surprise for mom !) |
Past imperative
The past imperative (French: l'impératif passé) is not really used but it allows to express the anteriority of an ordered action compared to an action which is not yet realized.
It is a compound time and is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the present imperative + the past participle.
Examples:
| Past imperative | Translations |
|---|---|
| Ayez fait vos devoirs avant mon retour ! | (do your homework before I return !) |
| Soyons partis à la plage avant ce soir ! | (let's be gone before tonight !) |
| Sois venu me voir avant que je ferme ! | (be here before I close !) |
The impersonal moods
The infinitive
The infinitive (French: l'infinitif) is the form of the verbs that has no mark of person, number, or tense. You recognize the infinitive at its endings:
- -er
- -ir
- -oir
- -re
The participle
The participle (French: le participe) indicated how an action is performed in relation to another.
It exists in a simple form: the present participle and a compound form: the past participle.
Present participle
The present participle (French: le participe présent) is used as an invariable adverb unless it is used as an adjective, then it agrees in gender and number with the subject.
Examples:
| Present participle | Translations |
|---|---|
| Ce jeune homme bienveillant. | (this young benevolent man) |
| Elle allait à l'école tout en chantant. | (she was going to school singing) |
| Cette fille charmante m'a parlé de son père. | (This lovely girl talked to me about his father) |
Past participle
The past participle (French: le participe passé) is used with the auxiliary être or avoir in the conjugation of the compound times, most often to express a past action.
The basic ending is the masculine singular but with the auxiliary être it can have 4 possible endings.
| endings | 1st group verbs | 2nd group verbs |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | -é | -i |
| masculine plural | -és | -is |
| feminine singular | -ée | -ie |
| feminine plural | -ées | -ies |
The 3rd group verbs have three different endings for the past participle
| Endings | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | -s | - | -us |
| masculine plural | -s | -s | -us |
| feminine singular | -se | -e | -ute |
| feminine plural | -ses | -es | -utes |
Examples:
- J'ai pris un médicament à base de menthe. (I took a mint-based medication)
- Nous avons nettoyé la voiture de papa. (we cleaned dad's car)
- Ils sont partis à Londres pour les vacances. (they went to London for the holidays)
The gerund
The gerund (French: le gérondif) is used as an adverb and has 2 tenses: the present and past gerund.
Present gerund
The present gerund (French: le gérondif présent) is invariable. It indicates a simultaneity between two actions whose subject are the same.
It is often introduced by the preposition "en".
Examples:
| Present gerund | Translations |
|---|---|
| Tu parles en t'énervant. | (you speak while getting angry) |
| Tes parents se disputent en mangeant | (your parents are fighting while eating) |
| Nous marchons en parlant. | (we are walking while talking) |
Past gerund
The past gerund (French: le gérondif passé) expresses anteriority. It is a compound time, therefore you use the present participle of the auxiliaries être or avoir + the past participle.
Examples:
| Past gerund | Translations |
|---|---|
| Étant arrivés, nous avons préparé le repas avant qu'ils ne viennent | (by being here, we prepared the lunch before they arrive) |
| Ayant vendu notre voiture, nous ne pourrons pas venir. | (by selling our car, we cannot come) |
| Ayant fait une belle tarte, je crois que tu vas aimer | (by making a good pie, i think you are going to like it) |
Click in the following to learn the conjugation of the auxiliaries avoir and être.
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Do you want to learn Spanish with a kind and patient teacher? Someone to help you gain confidence and practice the language with topics according to your level and needs? In addition to that ... Do you want to get a study material and corrections? Well, I'm the right teacher for you . My name is Andrea and I'm from South America - Ecuador. I am a full-time Spanish teacher and I have a variety of resources to help you learn Spanish online.
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In the first lesson I try to get an impression of the students, their attitude, cognitive style, needs, level of exposure to the language, motivation etc. I try an inductive - conversational approach first, I plan every lesson and I provide the student with a Google Drive file, anticipating contents and activities.Mostly I tend to work on what it's best for the students (ex. some of them prefer learning tables with grammar rules, verbs etc by heart, I make them understand that this is not considered the fastest nor most efficient way generally, but if it works for them I encourage it). I always try to make them capable of learn by their own and I want them to see me as a facilitator, a guide, not "the person who owns the knowledge". I keep my students focused by constantly stimulating them, asking questions, asking them to share thoughts and formulate hypotheses. Also I always provide explanations for what I do, why I do it in a certain way and at a certain time. I also use a manual.
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Thanks Giacomo!
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Native speaker from Paris with about 15 years of teaching experience. I’m well-travelled, and I’ve lived and worked in different parts of the world (Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and a little bit in Asia).
I have a postgraduate degree (France) in Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies and I’m currently a freelance translator. I’ve previously worked at universities in France and abroad (South Africa/Australia) and have a solid experience in teaching (French Language, Literature, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, etc.), designing courses, evaluating and guiding students, preparing students for exams/job interviews/professional presentations, managing a Language and Literature department at the university, presenting papers at academic conferences worldwide, publishing, translating and journalism. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach people with different profiles and from various backgrounds: international professionals, university students, beginner translators and teachers, high school students, retirees, travellers, francophiles, children (help with homework), etc.
Being an open-minded, flexible and patient teacher, I enjoy helping others to discover their potential and to explore it. Adapting myself to my students' needs, pace and objectives is essential for me, and designing the best way to work with each student is very stimulating and rewarding.
After the initial introductory lesson, I will design customised lesson plans that will evolve as you progress. We can also, at any time during the programme, change our working method if you wish to do so. I remain very flexible in that regard.
The learning materials will be varied, and we will choose together the themes and aspects of French language to be covered, in line with your objectives. In any case, I am very attentive in general, so please don't hesitate to make any suggestions.
Regardless of your level and objectives, I'm sure that we can find the best way possible to share and enjoy this French language adventure together.
A. B.
It is a great experience to be a student of Priscilla. She is a very caring teacher, her lessons are engaging and she is a good communicator, very patient and encouraging.
Priscilla R.
Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
R. T.
Very helpfull teacher with excellent tips on how to improve your french. The informal style has a lot of merit and can help you aquire the language in a natural, unstructured and unforced fashion. Recommended for anyone who prefers a learn by doing approach.
Hella K.
Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
L. T.
Very modern. At the same time, we process texts via a file. The lessons were adapted to my needs and are very effective and recommendable!
We worked with Lida to perfect her French. She is at a very advanced level and we study specific vocabulary for her work. She is a very dedicated student and I see her speaking French better and better. Lida, keep up the good work!
Dear future student,
My name is Mélanie, I am 40 years old, I am Belgian and I live near Brussels in Belgium.
I have 7 years of experience in teaching French as a foreign language. I have a degree in Modern Languages and Literature. I have an agrégation in higher secondary education. French is my mother tongue. Additionally I have a C2 level in Spanish.
I have taught adults (beginner - advanced) in various training institutions (CLL, CVO Semper, ...). I have taught both large and small groups. I can therefore adapt my teaching methods according to the number of people.
As far as my teaching methods are concerned, I create communicative exercises.
I always try to get the student to express themselves as much as possible. In case of groups, I create individual exercises, in groups of two or four.
I give homework in which the students have to write a short text related to a grammatical concept they have seen. I also give additional grammatical exercises.
I also test my students' knowledge. For example, during the course, I listen to my students and comment on their oral productions. I also do small listening comprehensions and reading comprehensions.
I can also explain certain grammatical points or translate certain words into the student's language if it is needed, but generally I always try to teach in the target language.
If my student is looking for a job, I can also help him/her to write his/her CV and cover letter and also prepare his/her interview.
If my student works in a company, I can also prepare exercises specific to the company's field. I have given courses to warehouse workers for Delhaize, to plumbers, to students in Tourism.
I also taught asylum seekers.
As far as teaching material is concerned, I use a lot of material from Zexperts fle https://leszexpertsfle.com/toutes-les-ressources-fle/ which I adapt to the objectives of the lesson. I also look for exercises in FLE manuals such as Totem, Edito, Alter Ego, Expression orale... Naturally, I adapt the exercises according to the needs of the student. I also look for songs in YouTube.
S. .
I have had about 10 lessons in French from Mélanie. We treated a lot of different subjects such as grammar, talking and listening exercises. Mélanie is a very good and patient teacher and I learned a lot in these lessons on how to communicate in French.
MELANIE B.
I want to help people to improve the level of their chosen language.
I couldn't imagine a better teacher than Nancy! Together with Nancy you find the right method for you to improve your French in a fun and personal way. I would recommend her to everyone!
Nancy C.
Hi,
I m claudie , I m french and i have experience to teach french to foreign people.
I create in a school of langage in Spain a little faculty for my french lessons with a group from 15 years olds until 25.
The pupils were all the levels A1 until C2!
I was teaching as well with lillte children and adults in Spain and Rumania.
I m a very dynamic teacher with a lot of patient and empathy.
You will make a lot of progress!
I. H.
I have started with French courses because I needed to improve my French language for work. Claudie is a great teacher who comes up with materials that suit my medical interests and needs. Claudie makes the lessons interesting and relaxed and she’s remarkably patient. Thanks Claudie for the great lessons!!!
Claudie S.
Thank you very much for this comment, always a pleasure to help you learn the French language !!
I am French living in Lisbon in Portugal. I have lived in different countries such as England, the United States and India. It gave me some experience of learning a foreign language and teaching it.
I am passionate about different cultures and try to share my love for French culture with you in a lively way.
I adapt to the needs of the students, whether to improve their oral, written, prepare for an exam or a job interview. I prioritize the conversation to allow the student to "unblock" and have fun speaking the language. I write down the vocabulary and grammar that the student lacks to express himself.
Learning a foreign language is, in my view, above all through cultural curiosity. We want to learn a language because we want to live in the country, travel there or get to know it better. We feel attracted. It is its Culture that motivates us in our learning: music, film, text, literature, way of being and cultural differences forming "another world". This means that learning is not just about learning a list of words and grammar lessons, as is taught too often in school. Practice again and again through conversation, books, music, movies and above all the pleasure of speaking and listening.
I adapt the student's personal work according to their available time and their objective (conversation, deadline for an exam, scheduled trip, etc.).
I am at your disposal for any further information.
See you soon,
A. P.
Florence is such a joy to work with! A true expert and professional at teaching French, regardless of your level. Florence takes tremendous care in planning your personalized lesson, incredibly thoughtful and patient with her students. She also has such a warm, supportive and encouraging manner with a great sense of humor. She will have you speaking, reading and writing in perfect French much sooner than you think with her approach and highly efficient techniques; methods only a highly experienced instructor can provide. I am lucky to have found her to help me sit for academic French exams and you will feel the same way when working with her. Thank you Florence!!!
Florence F.