French Conjugation

Modal verbs, often called "modals," are verbs that express notions such as obligation, desire, ability, or necessity. They are generally followed by an infinitive verb.

📖 Devoir: Obligation or Advice

This verb expresses a strong obligation or necessity. It can also be used to give advice or indicate probability.

To practice Modal Verbs: devoir, vouloir, savoir, pouvoir, falloir or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

Reflexive verbs are always accompanied by a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject. This pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) is placed before the verb and reflects the action of the subject onto itself.

📖 Conjugation in the Present Indicative

The conjugation of a reflexive verb follows the rules of its verb group, with the addition of the reflexive pronoun that agrees with the subject.

⚠️ Types of Reflexive Verbs

There are three types of reflexive verbs, and the function of the reflexive pronoun varies.

• Reflexive verbs: The action is performed by the subject on itself. The pronoun is a direct or indirect object.
  ✅ Exemples :

  • Je me lave. (Je lave qui ? → Moi-même)
  • Elle se brosse les cheveux. (Elle brosse quoi ? Les cheveux. Pour qui ? → Pour elle-même)
• Reciprocal verbs: The action is performed by two or more subjects on each other.
  ✅ Exemple : Nous nous parlons. (Je parle à toi, et tu parles à moi).
• Intrinsically reflexive verbs: These verbs always exist in this form. The pronoun has no grammatical function.
  ✅ Exemples :

  • Il s'agit de...
  • Je me souviens de...
  • Nous nous méfions de...

🔄 Negation and Questions

The reflexive pronoun is always placed before the verb, and negation (ne... pas) surrounds the "pronoun + verb" unit.

To practice Reflexive Verbs or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The passé composé and imparfait are the two most commonly used tenses to talk about the past in French. While both describe past actions, they have very different functions. One expresses completion, the other description. Mastering them is essential for narrating a story fluently and accurately.

📖 Conjugation of 1st and 2nd Group Verbs

Passé Composé

The passé composé is a compound tense formed with an auxiliary verb in the present tense (avoir or être) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

• 1st group verbs (in -er): The past participle is formed by replacing the -er ending with -é.
  ✅ Exemple (parler) : J'ai parlé. / Tu as parlé. / Nous avons parlé.
• 2nd group verbs (in -ir): The past participle is formed by replacing the -ir ending with -i.
  ✅ Exemple (finir) : J'ai fini. / Tu as fini. / Nous avons fini.

Passé Composé with the Auxiliary Être

Most French verbs use the auxiliary avoir in the passé composé. However, a specific group of verbs and all reflexive verbs use the auxiliary être.

📖 Formation with the Auxiliary "Être"

The passé composé with the auxiliary être is formed with the auxiliary être conjugated in the present indicative (je suis, tu es, il est...) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

⚠️ Agreement of the Past Participle

With the auxiliary être, the past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject. This is an essential rule to remember.

• Feminine subject: Add an -e.
  ✅ Exemple : Elle est allée au marché.
• Plural subject: Add an -s.
  ✅ Exemple : Ils sont partis en vacances.
• Feminine plural subject: Add -es.
  ✅ Exemple : Elles sont arrivées en retard.

⚠️ Verbs Conjugated with "Être"

The auxiliary être is used in two main cases:

• Motion and state verbs: A group of 16 verbs use this auxiliary. They can be remembered more easily by thinking of a person entering, leaving, going up, going down, etc.

  ⚠️ Verbes concernés :

  • Aller, venir
  • Entrer, sortir
  • Monter, descendre
  • Arriver, partir
  • Naître, mourir
  • Rester, passer
  • Tomber, retourner
  • Devenir, revenir

  ✅ Exemple : Elle est allée à la boulangerie. Ils sont partis tôt.

  Note: When some of these verbs are followed by a direct object, they use avoir. For example: "J'ai sorti le chien."

• Reflexive verbs: These verbs are constructed with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se...). They are always conjugated with the auxiliary "être".

  ✅ Exemple (se laver) :

  • Je me suis lavé(e)
  • Tu t'es lavé(e)
  • Il s'est lavé
  • Nous nous sommes lavés(e)s
  • Vous vous êtes lavés(e)s
  • Elles se sont lavées

Imparfait

The imparfait is a simple tense. To form it, take the stem of the verb conjugated in the first person plural (nous) in the present indicative, then add the following endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

• 1st group verbs (in -er):
  ✅ Exemple (parler) : Je parlais. / Tu parlais. / Il parlait. / Nous parlions. / Vous parliez. / Ils parlaient.
• 2nd group verbs (in -ir):
  ✅ Exemple (finir) : Je finissais. / Tu finissais. / Il finissait. / Nous finissions. / Vous finissiez. / Ils finissaient.

🔄 Usage and Distinction

The main difference between the two tenses lies in the perception of the action: is it completed or ongoing?

• Passé Composé: Completed and Specific Action

  The passé composé is used to describe an action with a clear beginning and end in the past. It refers to an event that occurred once or multiple times but is considered complete. It can be associated with specific time markers (yesterday, last week, once, etc.).

  ✅ Exemples :

  • Hier, j'ai mangé une pizza. (Action ponctuelle et terminée).
  • J'ai voyagé en Italie l'année dernière. (Action terminée).
  • Il a téléphoné trois fois. (Action répétée, mais le nombre de fois est précis et l'action est achevée).
• Imparfait: Description, Habit, or Ongoing Action

  The imparfait is used to describe a situation, habit, or action that was ongoing in the past without indicating its start or end. It sets the scene in a story and evokes duration.

  ✅ Exemples :

  • Quand j'étais enfant, j'aimais le chocolat. (Description d'un état ou d'une habitude).
  • Il faisait beau, les oiseaux chantaient. (Description d'une situation passée).
  • Je travaillais quand tu es arrivé. (Action en cours au moment de l'événement).

✍️ Alternation of the Two Tenses in a Narrative

In a story, the passé composé and imparfait complement each other. The imparfait sets the scene, context, and background actions, while the passé composé advances the plot with specific, completed events.

To practice Passé Composé or Imparfait, or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following buttons:

Exercises on Passé Composé

Exercises on Imparfait Mixed Exercises on Passé Composé and Imparfait

The agreement of the past participle is one of the most complex rules in French grammar. The main rule is simple, but it has many exceptions. The past participle may or may not agree in gender and number depending on the auxiliary used (être or avoir).

📖 With the Auxiliary "Être"

The rule is the simplest and most straightforward: the past participle always agrees in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the subject of the verb. This applies to motion verbs and reflexive verbs (se laver, s'habiller...).

📖 With the Auxiliary "Avoir"

This is where the rule becomes more nuanced: the past participle does not agree with the subject but with the direct object (COD), provided it is placed before the verb.

Case 1: The COD is after the verb → no agreement

This is the most common case where the past participle remains invariable.

Case 2: The COD is before the verb → agreement

The past participle agrees in gender and number with the COD. This often occurs with COD pronouns (le, la, les, que, l', nous, vous).

⚠️ Special Cases

It is important to note some exceptions to these rules:

• Reflexive verbs: The agreement is made with the COD if it is placed before the verb.
  ✅ Exemples :

  • Elles se sont lavées. ("se" est COD et est placé avant le verbe).
  • Elles se sont lavé les mains. (pas d'accord car le COD "les mains" est placé après le verbe).
• Verb "faire": The past participle of "faire" remains invariable, even with the auxiliary "être".
  ✅ Exemple : La voiture que j'ai fait réparer.
• Expression "avoir l'air": The agreement is made with the subject if "air" means "to resemble."
  ✅ Exemple : Elle a l'air fatiguée.

To practice Past Participle Agreement or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

To talk about the future in French, two main tenses are used: the near future and the simple future. Although both express future actions, they are not interchangeable and indicate different degrees of certainty or immediacy. Understanding their distinction is essential to choosing the appropriate tense.

📖 Near Future

The near future, also called the immediate future, is used to talk about an action that will happen in the very near future, certain, or planned. It is much more common in spoken French than the simple future.

Construction

It is formed with the verb aller conjugated in the present indicative, followed by an infinitive verb.

📖 Simple Future

The simple future is used to talk about an action that will occur in a more distant or uncertain future. It can express a prediction, a distant plan, or a promise. It is more formal than the near future.

Construction

For most verbs, add the simple future endings to the infinitive of the verb. These endings are: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

• Verbs in -er: Keep the entire infinitive and add the endings.
  ✅ Exemple (parler) : Je parlerai, tu parleras, il parlera, nous parlerons, vous parlerez, ils parleront.
• Verbs in -ir: Keep the entire infinitive and add the endings.
  ✅ Exemple (finir) : Je finirai, tu finiras, il finira, nous finirons, vous finirez, ils finiront.
• Verbs in -re: Remove the final -e and add the endings.
  ✅ Exemple (vendre) : Je vendrai, tu vendras, il vendra, nous vendrons, vous vendrez, ils vendront.

⚠️ Special Cases (Irregular Verbs)

Some irregular verbs have a different stem in the simple future. They must be learned by heart.

🔄 Distinction and Alternation

The choice between the two depends on the context and the speaker's intention:

• Near Future: The tense for imminent, concrete, and certain actions.
  ✅ Exemple : "Regarde le ciel, il va pleuvoir." (C'est sur le point d'arriver).
• Simple Future: The tense for predictions, commitments, or more distant actions.
  ✅ Exemple : "Il pleuvra demain, selon la météo." (C'est une prédiction).

To practice Near Future or Simple Future, or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The imperative is the verbal mood used to give an order, advice, prohibition, or instruction. It exists only in three persons: the 2nd person singular (tu), the 1st person plural (nous), and the 2nd person plural (vous). These three persons are conjugated without a subject pronoun.

📖 Formation of the Imperative

The conjugation of the imperative is generally very similar to that of the present indicative, but with some rules to follow, especially for 1st group verbs.

1st Group Verbs (in -er)

For 1st group verbs, take the present indicative conjugation, but remove the -s from the 2nd person singular (tu).

⚠️ Exception: Add an -s to the end if the verb is followed by the pronouns "y" or "en".

2nd Group Verbs (in -ir)

For 2nd group verbs, the imperative is identical to the present indicative conjugation. There is no change in the 2nd person singular.

⚠️ Negative Form of the Imperative

To express a prohibition, place the negation words ne and pas around the verb.

To practice The Imperative or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The present progressive and recent past are two essential verbal constructions for precisely situating an action in time. The first indicates that an action is ongoing, while the second expresses an action that has just been completed. They provide temporal nuances that simple tenses cannot always convey.

📖 Present Progressive

The present progressive, or "durative," emphasizes that an action is currently in progress at the moment of speaking. It highlights the continuity of the action.

Construction

It is formed with the expression être en train de, conjugated in the present indicative, followed by an infinitive verb.

The use of the present progressive with reflexive verbs follows the same logic, but the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject.

📖 Recent Past

The recent past is used to express an action that has just been completed, i.e., one that occurred very recently. It emphasizes the immediacy of the action's completion.

Construction

It is formed with the verb venir conjugated in the present indicative, followed by the preposition de and an infinitive verb.

The use of the recent past with reflexive verbs follows the same logic, but the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject.

🔄 Distinction and Alternation

The distinction between the two is a matter of temporality:

• Present Progressive: The action is ongoing and not yet completed.
  ✅ Exemple : "Je suis en train de lire un livre." (Je n'ai pas fini le livre).
• Recent Past: The action is completed, very recently.
  ✅ Exemple : "Je viens de lire un livre." (J'ai fini le livre à l'instant).

To practice Present Progressive or Recent Past, or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The pluperfect is a past tense that expresses an action completed before another past action. It is the equivalent of the "past perfect" in English. It is the ideal tense for recounting past events while specifying their precedence relative to others.

📖 Construction of the Pluperfect

The pluperfect is a compound tense. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the imparfait, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

🔄 Main Use: Anteriority in the Past

The pluperfect is mainly used to indicate an action that occurred before another action expressed in the imparfait or passé composé. It allows for recounting past events while respecting chronology.

It is often associated with time indicators such as "avant que," "déjà," or "quand."

⚠️ Agreement of the Past Participle

As with the passé composé, the agreement rule applies:

• With the auxiliary être, the past participle always agrees with the subject.
  ✅ Exemple : Elle était venue nous voir.
• With the auxiliary avoir, the past participle agrees with the direct object (COD) if it is placed before the verb.
  ✅ Exemple : La lettre que j'avais reçue.

To practice The Pluperfect or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The future perfect is a compound tense that expresses a future action that will be completed before another future action. It is the equivalent of the "future perfect" in English. It is the ideal tense for situating a future action relative to another, creating a logical order in the sentence.

📖 Construction of the Future Perfect

The future perfect is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the simple future, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

🔄 Main Use: Anteriority in the Future

The future perfect is used to express that an action will be completed before another future action, often introduced by the simple future. It organizes future events in time.

It is frequently used with time conjunctions such as "quand," "dès que," "après que," "lorsque."

⚠️ Agreement of the Past Participle

As with other compound tenses, the agreement rule applies:

• With the auxiliary être, the past participle always agrees with the subject.
  ✅ Exemple : Elles seront revenues demain.
• With the auxiliary avoir, the past participle agrees with the direct object (COD) if it is placed before the verb.
  ✅ Exemple : La lettre, je l'aurai écrite avant ce soir.

To practice The Future Perfect or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The present conditional is a mood and tense that expresses a fact or action whose realization depends on a condition. It is used to make polite requests, give advice, express wishes, or formulate hypotheses about the present or future.

📖 Construction of the Present Conditional

The formation of the present conditional is very regular for most verbs. It is based on the same stem as the simple future, with the addition of the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

1st Group Verbs (in -er)

Take the entire infinitive and add the imparfait endings.

2nd Group Verbs (in -ir)

Take the entire infinitive and add the imparfait endings.

3rd Group and Irregular Verbs

The stem is the same as that of the simple future. They often need to be memorized.

🔄 Main Use

The present conditional is used in several contexts:

• To express a condition or hypothesis: Often after "si" + imparfait.
  ✅ Exemple : Si j'avais de l'argent, j'achèterais une nouvelle voiture.
• To make a request or polite wish:
  ✅ Exemple : Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
• To give advice or a suggestion:
  ✅ Exemple : Tu devrais prendre un peu de repos.
• To express unconfirmed information: (in a journalistic context)
  ✅ Exemple : Le président serait en visite à Paris.

To practice The Present Conditional or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The past conditional is a compound tense that expresses an action that could have occurred in the past if a certain condition had been met. It is used to express unrealized hypotheses, regrets, reproaches, or unconfirmed information about a past action.

📖 Construction of the Past Conditional

The past conditional is formed with the auxiliary avoir or être conjugated in the present conditional, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

🔄 Main Use

The past conditional is used in several contexts:

• To express an unrealized hypothesis in the past: It is often used in sentences with "si" + pluperfect.
  ✅ Exemple : Si tu m'avais invité, je serais venu. (Je n'ai pas été invité, donc je ne suis pas venu).
• To express regret or reproach:
  ✅ Exemple : J'aurais dû t'écouter. (Regret de ne pas avoir écouté).
  ✅ Exemple : Tu aurais pu me prévenir ! (Reproche).
• To express unconfirmed information in the past: (in a journalistic context)
  ✅ Exemple : Un accident aurait eu lieu sur l'autoroute hier.

⚠️ Agreement of the Past Participle

As with all compound tenses, the agreement rule applies:

• With the auxiliary être, the past participle always agrees with the subject.
  ✅ Exemple : Elle serait partie plus tôt.
• With the auxiliary avoir, the past participle agrees with the direct object (COD) if it is placed before the verb.
  ✅ Exemple : La lettre, il l'aurait écrite hier.

To practice The Past Conditional or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The conditional is an essential verbal mood for expressing actions subject to a condition, as well as wishes, advice, or unconfirmed facts. It is divided into two main tenses, each with specific uses: the present and the past. Mastering these nuances allows for more precise expression in French.

📖 The Present Conditional

The present conditional expresses an uncertain action whose realization depends on a condition. It is also used for polite acts and advice.

• Hypothesis about the present or future: It is used with a subordinate clause introduced by "si" in the imparfait.
  ✅ Exemple : Si j'avais du temps (imparfait), j'irais au cinéma (conditionnel présent).
• Wish or desire: It expresses a desire in a softened, polite way.
  ✅ Exemple : Je voudrais voyager en Italie.
• Advice or suggestion: It allows giving advice in a gentler way than with the imperative.
  ✅ Exemple : Tu devrais te reposer un peu.
• Unconfirmed information: It is often used in journalism to report uncertain facts.
  ✅ Exemple : Le président serait en visite à Paris.

📖 The Past Conditional

The past conditional expresses a past action that could not be realized. It is used to express regrets, reproaches, or unreal past hypotheses.

• Unrealized hypothesis in the past: It is used with a subordinate clause introduced by "si" in the pluperfect.
  ✅ Exemple : Si j'avais su (plus-que-parfait), je serais venu (conditionnel passé).
• Regret or reproach: It allows expressing negative feelings about a past action.
  ✅ Exemple : J'aurais aimé te voir. (Regret)
  ✅ Exemple : Tu aurais pu me prévenir ! (Reproche)
• Unconfirmed information in the past: Like the present, it serves to report a past fact without confirming it.
  ✅ Exemple : Le témoin aurait vu le suspect s'enfuir.

🔄 Summary and Associated Tenses

The main difference between the two tenses lies in the timing of the action and the tense of the condition.

• Present Conditional:
  • Action: Present or future, uncertain.
  • "si" + imparfait -> present conditional
• Past Conditional:
  • Action: Past, unreal.
  • "si" + pluperfect -> past conditional

To practice Use of the Present Conditional and Past Conditional or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The gerund is an invariable verbal form that expresses an ongoing action occurring simultaneously with another. It is always preceded by the preposition "en" and is formed from the present participle. It is essential for expressing simultaneity, manner, or cause of an action.

📖 Formation of the Gerund

The gerund is formed with the preposition "en" followed by the present participle of the verb. The present participle is formed from the stem of the 1st person plural of the present indicative (the "nous"), to which the ending "-ant" is added.

It is important to note that the gerund is invariable.

🔄 Main Use of the Gerund

The gerund is used to express actions related to the main action of the sentence. It is often synonymous with conjunctions like "pendant que," "au moment où," or "parce que."

• Simultaneity: The gerund expresses an action occurring at the same time as the main action.
  ✅ Exemple : Il écoute la radio en travaillant. (Il travaille et il écoute la radio en même temps).
• Manner or means: It indicates how the main action is performed.
  ✅ Exemple : Elle a appris le français en écoutant de la musique. (Le moyen d'apprendre était la musique).
• Cause: It can express the cause or reason for the main action.
  ✅ Exemple : Il s'est blessé en tombant. (La cause de la blessure est la chute).
• Condition: It can be used to express a condition, though this use is less common.
  ✅ Exemple : En travaillant plus, tu réussiras mieux. (Si tu travailles plus, tu réussiras mieux).

To practice The Gerund or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises

The present subjunctive is a verbal mood used to express an action or state that is uncertain, hypothetical, or subjective. Unlike the indicative, which expresses real facts, the subjunctive is used to express will, emotion, doubt, possibility, necessity, or desire. It is very often introduced by the conjunction "que."

📖 Formation of the Present Subjunctive

For most verbs, the rule is fairly simple: take the stem of the 3rd person plural of the present indicative, and add the subjunctive endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

Note that many verbs are irregular in the subjunctive. They must be learned by heart.

🔄 When to Use the Present Subjunctive?

The present subjunctive is mainly used in a subordinate clause, introduced by "que," after verbs and expressions that express:

• Will, wish, or desire: vouloir que, aimer que, souhaiter que, préférer que, il faut que, il vaut mieux que...
  ✅ Exemple : Je souhaite que tu réussisses ton examen.
• Emotion or feeling: être content que, être heureux que, regretter que, avoir peur que, être désolé que...
  ✅ Exemple : Je suis désolé qu'il soit parti.
• Doubt or uncertainty: douter que, il est possible que, il n'est pas certain que...
  ✅ Exemple : Je doute qu'il vienne à la fête.
• Certain subordinating conjunctions: pour que, afin que, bien que, avant que, sans que, à condition que...
  ✅ Exemple : Je te donne mon adresse pour que tu puisses venir.

⚠️ Subjunctive vs. Indicative

The distinction between subjunctive and indicative depends on certainty. After verbs of opinion, use:

• The indicative if the opinion is affirmative: je pense que, je crois que, je trouve que...
  ✅ Exemple : Je pense que tu as raison.
• The subjunctive if the opinion is negative or interrogative: je ne pense pas que, je ne crois pas que, crois-tu que...
  ✅ Exemple : Je ne pense pas que tu aies raison.

⚠️ The Subjunctive May Be Used with the Past Conditional

They can appear in the same sentence, but each in its own clause with its own role.

In the example, the main verb (in the past conditional) expresses an idea of regret, and the subordinate clause (in the present subjunctive) is the reason for that regret.

To practice The Present Subjunctive or to test your knowledge, try the exercises by clicking the following button:

Exercises