French conjugation
Encyclopedia
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:
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, 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.
in French conjugation: Indicatif, Subjonctif, conditionnel
, impératif
, infinitif
, participe
, and gérondif
.
Tenses are described under the mood to which they belong, and they are grouped as follows. An asterisk indicates a simple form. Other tenses are constructed through the use of an auxiliary verb:
Note that some of these tenses are very rarely used in contemporary French. Others, such as the passé simple, the passé antérieur or the imparfait du subjonctif and the plus-que-parfait du subjonctif, are still used, but only in the written language (especially in literature) or in extremely formal speech.
verbs in French: avoir (to have) and être (to be), used to conjugate compound tenses according to these rules:
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:
As stand-alone verbs, the conjugation of the two auxiliaries is listed in the table below:
In the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:
* Notice that the imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.
Non-finite forms:
Auxiliary verb: avoir
In the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:
* The imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.
The non-finite forms use the stem êt- /ɛt/ (before a consonant)/ét- /ɛt/ (before a vowel):
Auxiliary verb: avoir
Non-finite forms:
Auxiliary verb: avoir
(arriver, entrer, monter, passer, rester, rentrer, retourner, and tomber use être)
Exceptional contexts:
Exceptional verbs:
Non-finite forms:
Auxiliary verb: avoir (partir uses être)
haïr
The verb haïr loses its dieresis in the singular of the simple present tense (the i loses its trema, reflecting the pronunciation of the initial syllable as a single vowel /ɛ/ rather than the hiatus /ai/): je hais, tu hais, il hait but nous haïssons, vous haïssez, ils haïssent /ʒə ɛ, ty ɛ, il ɛ, nu aisɔ̃, vu aise, il ais/. Hais is as usual used for the imperative. In all other forms, the root is /ai/ (imperfect and present & past subjunctive /ais/-, future and conditional /aiʁ/-).
. 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.
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.
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:
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.)
1 The ending -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).
2 Alternation of -oi- before consonant or unstressed e, -oy- before other vowels is automatic in all verbs.
The following table shows an example paradigm of one of these verbs, recevoir "to receive".
Non-finite forms:
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.
Non-finite forms:
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.)
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:
The non-finite forms are all based on all- /al/:
Auxiliary verb: être
1. In an interrogative sentence, the final e is written é, and is pronounced as an open è [ɛ]. Additionally, the e in je becomes silent. For example: je marche [ʒe maʁʃ] (I walk), marché-je? [maʁʃɛːʒ] (do I walk?)
2. The following verbs have the ending -ont: ils sont (they are), ils ont (they have), ils font (they do), ils vont (they go).
3. only in je/tu peux (I/you can), je/tu veux (I/you want), and je/tu vaux (I am/you are 'worth').
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. Except for je vins (I came), je tins (I held), etc..., que je vinsse (that I come), que je tinsse (that I hold), etc...
French verbs
French verbs are a part of speech in French grammar. Each verb lexeme has a collection of finite and non-finite forms in its conjugation scheme....
from its principal parts
Principal parts
In language learning, the principal parts of a verb are those forms that a student must memorize in order to be able to conjugate the verb through all its forms.- English :...
by inflection
Inflection
In grammar, inflection or inflexion is the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, aspect, person, number, gender and case...
. 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:
- 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
The first two groups follow a regular conjugation, whereas the third group follows an irregular
Irregular verb
In contrast to regular verbs, irregular verbs are those verbs that fall outside the standard patterns of conjugation in the languages in which they occur. The idea of an irregular verb is important in second language acquisition, where the verb paradigms of a foreign language are learned...
one. The third group is considered a closed-class conjugation form, 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 moodsGrammatical mood
In linguistics, grammatical mood is a grammatical feature of verbs, used to signal modality. That is, it is the use of verbal inflections that allow speakers to express their attitude toward what they are saying...
in French conjugation: Indicatif, Subjonctif, conditionnel
Conditional mood
In linguistics, the conditional mood is the inflectional form of the verb used in the independent clause of a conditional sentence to refer to a hypothetical state of affairs, or an uncertain event, that is contingent on another set of circumstances...
, impératif
Imperative mood
The imperative mood expresses commands or requests as a grammatical mood. These commands or requests urge the audience to act a certain way. It also may signal a prohibition, permission, or any other kind of exhortation.- Morphology :...
, infinitif
Infinitive
In grammar, infinitive is the name for certain verb forms that exist in many languages. In the usual description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives...
, participe
Participle
In linguistics, a participle is a word that shares some characteristics of both verbs and adjectives. It can be used in compound verb tenses or voices , or as a modifier...
, and gérondif
Gerund
In linguistics* As applied to English, it refers to the usage of a verb as a noun ....
.
Tenses are described under the mood to which they belong, and they are grouped as follows. An asterisk indicates a simple form. Other tenses are constructed through the use of an auxiliary verb:
- Indicatif
- Présent (Present) *
- Passé composé (present perfect), literally 'compound past', formed with an auxiliary verb in the present
- Imparfait (Imperfect) *
- Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect), literally 'more than perfect', formed with an auxiliary verb in the imperfect
- Passé simple (simple past) *
- Passé antérieur (past perfect), formed with an auxiliary verb in the passé simple
- Futur simple (simple future) *
- Futur antérieur (future perfect), formed with an auxiliary verb in the futur simple
- Subjonctif
- Présent *
- Passé (past), formed with an auxiliary verb in the subjunctive present
- Imparfait *
- Plus-que-parfait, formed with an auxiliary verb in the subjunctive imperfect
- Impératif
- Présent *
- Passé, formed with an auxiliary verb in the present imperative (rare)
- Conditionnel
- Présent *
- Passé 1ere forme (Past - form I), formed with an auxiliary verb in the present conditional
- Passé 2eme forme (Past - form II), formed with an auxiliary verb in the imperfect subjunctive (rare)
- Infinitif
- Présent *
- Passé, formed with an auxiliary verb in the present infinitive
- Participe
- Présent *
- Passé *
- gérondif (constructed by preceding the present participle with the preposition 'en')
Note that some of these tenses are very rarely used in contemporary French. Others, such as the passé simple, the passé antérieur or the imparfait du subjonctif and the plus-que-parfait du subjonctif, are still used, but only in the written language (especially in literature) or in extremely formal speech.
Auxiliary verbs
There are two auxiliaryAuxiliary verb
In linguistics, an auxiliary verb is a verb that gives further semantic or syntactic information about a main or full verb. In English, the extra meaning provided by an auxiliary verb alters the basic meaning of the main verb to make it have one or more of the following functions: passive voice,...
verbs in French: avoir (to have) and être (to be), used to conjugate compound tenses according to these rules:
- Transitive verbTransitive verbIn syntax, a transitive verb is a verb that requires both a direct subject and one or more objects. The term is used to contrast intransitive verbs, which do not have objects.-Examples:Some examples of sentences with transitive verbs:...
s (direct or indirect) in the active voiceActive voiceActive voice is a grammatical voice common in many of the world's languages. It is the unmarked voice for clauses featuring a transitive verb in nominative–accusative languages, including English and most other Indo-European languages....
are conjugated with the verb avoir. - Intransitive verbIntransitive verbIn grammar, an intransitive verb is a verb that has no object. This differs from a transitive verb, which takes one or more objects. Both classes of verb are related to the concept of the transitivity of a verb....
s are conjugated with either avoir or être (see French verbs#Temporal auxiliary verbs). - Reflexive verbReflexive verbIn grammar, a reflexive verb is a verb whose semantic agent and patient are the same. For example, the English verb to perjure is reflexive, since one can only perjure oneself...
s (or "pronominal verbs") are conjugated with être. - être is used to form the passive voicePassive voicePassive voice is a grammatical voice common in many of the world's languages. Passive is used in a clause whose subject expresses the theme or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an action or has its state changed. A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is...
. 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
Inflection
In grammar, inflection or inflexion is the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, aspect, person, number, gender and case...
according to the gender
Grammatical gender
Grammatical gender is defined linguistically as a system of classes of nouns which trigger specific types of inflections in associated words, such as adjectives, verbs and others. For a system of noun classes to be a gender system, every noun must belong to one of the classes and there should be...
and number
Grammatical number
In linguistics, grammatical number is a grammatical category of nouns, pronouns, and adjective and verb agreement that expresses count distinctions ....
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- /ɔʁ/; 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 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 | |
| j' | ai /e/ | eus /y/ | avais /avɛ/ | aurai /ɔʁe/ | aie /ɛ/ | eusse /ys/ | aurais /ɔʁɛ/ | |
| tu | as /a/ | eus /y/ | avais /avɛ/ | auras /ɔʁa/ | aies /ɛ/ | eusses /ys/ | aurais /ɔʁɛ/ | aie* /ɛ/ |
| il/elle | a /a/ | eut /y/ | avait /avɛ/ | aura /ɔʁa/ | ait /ɛ/ | eût /y/ | aurait /ɔʁɛ/ | |
| nous | avons /avɔ̃/ | eûmes /ym/ | avions /avjɔ̃/ | aurons /ɔʁɔ̃/ | ayons /ɛjɔ̃/ | eussions /ysjɔ̃/ | aurions /ɔʁjɔ̃/ | ayons* /ɛjɔ̃/ |
| vous | avez /ave/ | eûtes /yt/ | aviez /avje/ | aurez /ɔʁe/ | ayez /ɛje/ | eussiez /ysje/ | auriez /ɔʁje/ | ayez* /ɛje/ |
| ils/elles | ont /ɔ̃/ | eurent /yʁ/ | avaient /avɛ/ | auront /ɔʁɔ̃/ | aient /ɛ/ | eussent /ys/ | auraient /ɔʁɛ/ | |
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: avoir /avwaʁ/
- Present participle: ayant /ejɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en ayant /an 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- /s(ə)ʁ/; 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 /s(ə)ʁe/ | sois /swa/ | fusse /fys/ | serais /s(ə)ʁɛ/ | |
| tu | es /ɛ/ | fus /fy/ | étais /etɛ/ | seras /s(ə)ʁa/ | sois /swa/ | fusses /fys/ | serais /s(ə)ʁɛ/ | sois* /swa/ |
| il/elle | est /ɛ/ | fut /fy/ | était /etɛ/ | sera /s(ə)ʁa/ | soit /swa/ | fût /fy/ | serait /s(ə)ʁɛ/ | |
| 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 /s(ə)ʁɔ̃/ | soient /swa/ | fussent /fys/ | seraient /s(ə)ʁɛ/ | |
The non-finite forms use the stem êt- /ɛt/ (before a consonant)/ét- /ɛt/ (before a vowel):
- Infinitive: être
- Present participle: étant
- Gerundive: en étant
- Verbal adjective: étant(e)(s)
- Past participle: été(e)(s)
Auxiliary verb: avoir
First group verbs (-er verbs)
French verbs ending in -er, which comprise the largest class, inflect somewhat differently than 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 -, -s, - rather than -s, -s, -t.Parler
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Conditional | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple past | Imperfect | Simple future | Present | Imperfect | Present | Present | |
| je | parl-e /paʁl/ |
parl-ai /paʁle/ |
parl-ais /paʁlɛ/ |
parl-erai /paʁləʁe/ |
parl-e /paʁl/ |
parl-asse /paʁlas/ |
parl-erais /paʁləʁɛ/ |
|
| tu | parl-es /paʁl/ |
parl-as /paʁla/ |
parl-ais /paʁlɛ/ |
parl-eras /paʁləʁa/ |
parl-es /paʁl/ |
parl-asses /paʁlas/ |
parl-erais /paʁləʁɛ/ |
parl-e /paʁl/ |
| il | parl-e /paʁl/ |
parl-a /paʁla/ |
parl-ait /paʁlɛ/ |
parl-era /paʁləʁa/ |
parl-e /paʁl/ |
parl-ât /paʁlɑ/ |
parl-erait /paʁləʁɛ/ |
|
| nous | parl-ons /paʁlɔ̃/ |
parl-âmes /paʁlɑm/ |
parl-ions /paʁljɔ̃/ |
parl-erons /paʁləʁɔ̃/ |
parl-ions /paʁljɔ̃/ |
parl-assions /paʁlasjɔ̃/ |
parl-erions /paʁləʁjɔ̃/ |
parl-ons /paʁlɔ̃/ |
| vous | parl-ez /paʁle/ |
parl-âtes /paʁlɑt/ |
parl-iez /paʁlje/ |
parl-erez /paʁləʁe/ |
parl-iez /paʁlje/ |
parl-assiez /paʁlasje/ |
parl-eriez /paʁləʁje/ |
parl-ez /paʁle/ |
| ils | parl-ent /paʁl/ |
parl-èrent /paʁlɛːʁ/ |
parl-aient /paʁlɛ/ |
parl-eront /paʁləʁɔ̃/ |
parl-ent /paʁl/ |
parl-assent /paʁlas/ |
parl-eraient /paʁləʁɛ/ |
|
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: parl-er /paʁle/
- Present participle: parl-ant /paʁlɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en parl-ant /ɑ̃ paʁlɑ̃/
- Verbal adjective: parl-ant(s) /paʁlɑ̃/, parl-ante(s) /paʁlɑ̃t/
- Past participle: parl-é(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 or è, in order to link the two words : « Parlé-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 -, -s, -. (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 | chois-is /ʃwazi/ |
chois-is /ʃwazi/ |
chois-issais /ʃwazisɛ/ |
chois-irai /ʃwaziʁe/ |
chois-isse /ʃwazis/ |
chois-isse /ʃwazis/ |
chois-irais /ʃwaziʁɛ/ |
|
| tu | chois-is /ʃwazi/ |
chois-is /ʃwazi/ |
chois-issais /ʃwazisɛ/ |
chois-iras /ʃwaziʁa/ |
chois-isses /ʃwazis/ |
chois-isses /ʃwazis/ |
chois-irais /ʃwaziʁɛ/ |
chois-is /ʃwazi/ |
| il | chois-it /ʃwazi/ |
chois-it /ʃwazi/ |
chois-issait /ʃwazisɛ/ |
chois-ira /ʃwaziʁa/ |
chois-isse /ʃwazis/ |
chois-ît /ʃwazi/ |
chois-irait /ʃwaziʁɛ/ |
|
| nous | chois-issons /ʃwazisɔ̃/ |
chois-îmes /ʃwazim/ |
chois-issions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/ |
chois-irons /ʃwaziʁɔ̃/ |
chois-issions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/ |
chois-issions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/ |
chois-irions /ʃwaziʁjɔ̃/ |
chois-issons /ʃwazisɔ̃/ |
| vous | chois-issez /ʃwazise/ |
chois-îtes /ʃwazit/ |
chois-issiez /ʃwazisje/ |
chois-irez /ʃwaziʁe/ |
chois-issiez /ʃwazisje/ |
chois-issiez /ʃwazisje/ |
chois-iriez /ʃwaziʁje/ |
chois-issez /ʃwazise/ |
| ils | chois-issent /ʃwazis/ |
chois-irent /ʃwaziʁ/ |
chois-issaient /ʃwazisɛ/ |
chois-iront /ʃwaziʁɔ̃/ |
chois-issent /ʃwazis/ |
chois-issent /ʃwazis/ |
chois-iraient /ʃwaziʁɛ/ |
|
Non-finite forms:
- Infinitive: chois-ir /ʃwaziʁ/
- Present participle: chois-issant /ʃwazisɑ̃/
- Gerundive: en chois-issant /ɑ̃ ʃwazisɑ̃/
- Verbal adjective: chois-issant(s) /ʃwazisɑ̃/, chois-issante(s) /ʃwazisɑ̃t/
- Past participle: chois-i(e)(s) /ʃwazi/
Auxiliary verb: avoir (partir uses être)
haïr
The verb haïr loses its dieresis in the singular of the simple present tense (the i loses its trema, reflecting the pronunciation of the initial syllable as a single vowel /ɛ/ rather than the hiatus /ai/): je hais, tu hais, il hait but nous haïssons, vous haïssez, ils haïssent /ʒə ɛ, ty ɛ, il ɛ, nu aisɔ̃, vu aise, il ais/. Hais is as usual used for the imperative. In all other forms, the root is /ai/ (imperfect and present & past subjunctive /ais/-, future and conditional /aiʁ/-).
Verbs with seven principal parts
Most irregular French verbs can be described with seven principal partsPrincipal parts
In language learning, the principal parts of a verb are those forms that a student must memorize in order to be able to conjugate the verb through all its forms.- English :...
. 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 Infinitive In grammar, infinitive is the name for certain verb forms that exist in many languages. In the usual description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives... |
Remove ending -er, -ir, -oir, -re | — |
| First singular present indicative Present Indicative Present Indicative is a 1972 Hungarian drama film directed by Péter Bacsó. The film was selected as the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.-Cast:... |
Remove ending -s, -e | Infinitive stem |
| First plural present indicative Present Indicative Present Indicative is a 1972 Hungarian drama film directed by Péter Bacsó. The film was selected as the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.-Cast:... |
Remove ending -ons | Infinitive stem |
| Third plural present indicative Present Indicative Present Indicative is a 1972 Hungarian drama film directed by Péter Bacsó. The film was selected as the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.-Cast:... |
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 | 1S+s | PAST+s | 1P+ais | FUT+as | 3P+es | PAST+sses | FUT+ais | (same as pres. indic. 3rd. sg. if ends with vowel, else 2nd. sg.) |
| il | 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 | 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 |
| vend-re | "to sell" | vendr-ai | vend-s, vend-s, vend1 | 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, sors, sens, sers /ʒ(ə) paʁ, dɔʁ, mɑ̃, sɔʁ, sɑ̃, sɛʁ/ | dormir "sleep", mentir "lie (tell lies)", sentir "feel", servir "serve", sortir "go out" |
| 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", offrir "offer", souffrir "suffer" |
| dui-re | "to lead" | duir-ai | dui-s | duis-ons | duis-ent | duis | duisi-s | All verbs in -uire (except nuire), e.g. construire "build", cuire "cook", détruire "destroy", instruire "instruct", produire "produce", traduire "translate" | |
| 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-e2 | envoy-ons2 | envoi-ent2 | envoyé | envoy-ai | ||
| voir | "to see" | verr-ai | voi-s | voy-ons | voi-ent2 | vu | vi-s | ||
| 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 | |
| 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-s, assied;1 assoi-s | assey-ons; assoy-ons | assey-ent; assoi-ent | assis | assi-s | Note double forms, irregular infinitive | |
| 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/ | tenir "hold" |
| 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 | |
| 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 | suffit | 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-ons2 | croi-ent2 | 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, plai-s, plaît | plais-ons | plais-ent | plu | plu-s | Note the 3rd sg. plaît | |
| clo-re | "to close" | clor-ai | clo-s, clo-s, clôt | clos-ons | clos-ent | clos | (missing) | Also missing the imperfect; note the 3rd sg. clôt | |
| prend-re | "to take" | prendr-ai | prend-s, prend-s, prend1 | pren-ons | prenn-ent | pris | pri-s | ||
| viv-re | "to live" | vivr-ai | vi-s | viv-ons | viv-ent | vécu | vécu-s | ||
| suiv-re | "to follow" | suivr-ai | sui-s | suiv-ons | suiv-ent | suivi | suivi-s | ||
| naît-re | "to be born" | naîtr-ai | nai-s, nai-s, naît | naiss-ons | naiss-ent | né | naqui-s | Note the 3rd sg. naît | |
| connaît-re | "to recognize" | connaîtr-ai | connai-s, connai-s, connaît | connaiss-ons | connaiss-ent | connu | connu-s | Note the 3rd sg. connaît | |
| mett-re | "to put" | mettr-ai | met-s, met-s, met1 | mett-ons | mett-ent | mis | mi-s | ||
| batt-re | "to beat" | battr-ai | bat-s, bat-s, bat1 | 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-s, vainc | vainqu-ons | vainqu-ent | vaincu | vainqui-s | Essentially same as vendre, except for c/qu variation | |
| coud-re | "to sew" | coudr-ai | coud-s, coud-s, coud1 | cous-ons | cous-ent | cousu | cousu-s | ||
| moud-re | "to grind, mill" | moudr-ai | moud-s, moud-s, moud1 | moul-ons | moul-ent | moulu | moulu-s | ||
| absoud-re | "to absolve" | absoudr-ai | absou-s | absolv-ons | absolv-ent | absous | (missing) | ||
1 The ending -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).
2 Alternation of -oi- before consonant or unstressed e, -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 | reçoi-s /ʁəswa/ |
reçu-s /ʁəsy/ |
recev-ais /ʁəsəvɛ/ |
recevr-ai /ʁəsəvʁe/ |
reçoiv-e /ʁəswav/ |
reçu-sse /ʁəsys/ |
recevr-ais /ʁəsəvʁɛ/ |
|
| tu | reçoi-s /ʁəswa/ |
reçu-s /ʁəsy/ |
recev-ais /ʁəsəvɛ/ |
recevr-as /ʁəsəvʁa/ |
reçoiv-es /ʁəswav/ |
reçu-sses /ʁəsys/ |
recevr-ais /ʁəsəvʁɛ/ |
reçoi-s /ʁəswa/ |
| il | reçoi-t /ʁəswa/ |
reçu-t /ʁəsy/ |
recev-ait /ʁəsəvɛ/ |
recevr-a /ʁəsəvʁa/ |
reçoiv-e /ʁəswav/ |
reçû-t /ʁəsys/ |
recevr-ait /ʁəsəvʁɛ/ |
|
| nous | recev-ons /ʁəsəvɔ̃/ |
reçû-mes /ʁəsym/ |
recev-ions /ʁəsəvjɔ̃/ |
recevr-ons /ʁəsəvʁɔ̃/ |
recev-ions /ʁəsəvjɔ̃/ |
reçu-ssions /ʁəsysjɔ̃/ |
recevr-ions /ʁəsəvʁijɔ̃/ |
recev-ons /ʁəsəvɔ̃/ |
| vous | recev-ez /ʁəsəve/ |
reçû-tes /ʁəsyt/ |
recev-iez /ʁəsəvje/ |
recevr-ez /ʁəsəvʁe/ |
recev-iez /ʁəsəvje/ |
reçu-ssiez /ʁəsysje/ |
recevr-iez /ʁəsəvʁije/ |
recev-ez /ʁəsəve/ |
| ils | reçoiv-ent /ʁəswav/ |
reçu-rent /ʁəsyʁ/ |
recev-aient /ʁəsəvɛ/ |
recevr-ont /ʁəsəvʁɔ̃/ |
reçoiv-ent /ʁəswav/ |
reçu-ssent /ʁəsys/ |
recevr-aient /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 | 1S+t | PAST+t | 1P+ait | FUT+a | SUBJ+e | PAST+ˆt | FUT+ait | |
| nous | 1P+ons | PAST+ˆmes | SUBJ+ions or 1P+ions | FUT+ons | 1Pions | PAST+ssions | FUT+ions | (same as pres. indic. 1st pl.) or SUBJ+ons |
| vous | 1P+ez | PAST+ˆtes | SUBJ+iez or 1P+iez | FUT+ez | 1Piez | PAST+ssiez | FUT+iez | (same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.) or SUBJ+ez |
| ils | 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. | follows indic. | follows 1P | 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. | follows subj. | follows subj. | su | su-s | ||
| voul-oir | "to want" | voudr-ai | veux, veux, veut | voul-ons | veul-ent | veuill-e | follows indic. | follows subj. | follows 1P | voulu | voulu-s | ||
| val-oir | "to be worth" | vaudr-ai | vaux, vaux, vaut | val-ons | val-ent | vaill-e | follows indic. | follows indic. | follows 1P | 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. | follows indic. | follows 1P | 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. | follows subj. | 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. | follows 1P | été | fu-s | ||
| all-er | "to go" | ir-ai | vais, vas, va | all-ons | vont | aill-e | follows indic. | follows indic. | follows 1P | allé | all-ai | 2nd. sg. imperat. va, but vas-y "go there" | |
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 /vɛ/ | allai /ale/ | allais /alɛ/ | irai /iʁe/ | aille /aj/ | allasse /alas/ | irais /iʁɛ/ | |
| tu | vas /va/ | allas | allais | iras | ailles | allasses | irais | va |
| il | va /va/ | alla | allait | ira | aille | allât | irait | |
| nous | allons /alɔ̃/ | allâmes | allions | irons | allions | allassions | irions | allons |
| vous | allez /ale/ | allâtes | alliez | irez | alliez | allassiez | iriez | allez |
| ils | vont /vɔ̃/ | allèrent | allaient | iront | aillent | allassent | iraient | |
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
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 (x3) | e5 | e | isse | e | ||
| tu | es | is | s (x3) | es5 | es | isses | es | ||
| il | e | it | t (d4) | e5 | e | isse | e | ||
| nous | ons | issons | ons | ons | ions | issions | ions | ||
| vous | ez | issez | ez | ez | iez | issiez | iez | ||
| ils | ent | issent | ent (nt2) | ent | ent | issent | ent | ||
| Indicatif (Imparfait) | Subjonctif (Imparfait) | ||||||||
| je | ais | issais | ais | asse | isse6 | isse6 | usse6 | ||
| tu | ais | issais | ais | asses | isses | isses | usses | ||
| il | ait | issait | ait | ât | ît | ît | ût | ||
| nous | ions | issions | ions | assions | issions | issions | ussions | ||
| vous | iez | issiez | iez | assiez | issiez | issiez | ussiez | ||
| ils | aient | issaient | aient | assent | issent | issent | ussent | ||
| Indicatif (Passé simple) | Impératif (Présent) | ||||||||
| je | ai | is | is6 | us6 | |||||
| tu | as | is | is | us | e | is | s | e5 | |
| il | a | it | it | ut | |||||
| nous | âmes | îmes | îmes | ûmes | ons | issons | ons | ons | |
| vous | âtes | îtes | îtes | ûtes | ez | issez | ez | ez | |
| ils | èrent | irent | irent | urent | |||||
| Indicatif (Futur simple) | Conditionnel (Présent) | ||||||||
| je | erai | irai | rai | erais | irais | rais | |||
| tu | eras | iras | ras | erais | irais | rais | |||
| 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, and is pronounced as an open è [ɛ]. Additionally, the e in je becomes silent. For example: je marche [ʒe maʁʃ] (I walk), marché-je? [maʁʃɛːʒ] (do I walk?)
2. The following verbs have the ending -ont: ils sont (they are), ils ont (they have), ils font (they do), ils vont (they go).
3. only in je/tu peux (I/you can), je/tu veux (I/you want), and je/tu vaux (I am/you are 'worth').
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. Except for je vins (I came), je tins (I held), etc..., que je vinsse (that I come), que je tinsse (that I hold), etc...
External links
- A Two-Page PDF Reference Guide of the 681 Most Common French/English Verbs
- Open source xml database of French verb conjugation rules. RegEx based.
- Online French Conjugation
- Le Conjugueur - online conjugation for all French verbs
- Conjugation-FR - French Conjugation
- French Conjugation (Beta)
- Conjugation & conjugation books.