French conjugation

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Main article: French verbs

French verbs are divided into three conjugations (conjugaisons) by the ending of their infinitives: -er verbs, -ir verbs, and -re verbs. There are also many irregular verbs, of which the most often used are avoir, être, and faire.

-er verbs

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: parler
• Present participle: parlant
• Gerundive: en parlant
• Verbal adjective: parlant(e)(s)
• Past Participle: parlé(e)(s)

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 : « Parlè-je ? », [paʀlɛʒ], "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 ! », [paʀlzɑ̃], "Talk about it!"

Exceptional verbs:

• The verb aller is completely irregular.
• In -cer verbs, the c becomes a ç before endings that start with a or o, to indicate that it is still pronounced /s/; similarly, in -ger verbs, the g becomes ge before such endings, to indicate that it is pronounced /ʒ/.
• In -oyer and -uyer verbs, the y becomes an i before endings that start with a silent e; in -ayer verbs, the writer may or may not change the y to an i before such endings. 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).
• 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.
• 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).

-ir verbs

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: choisir
• Present participle: choisissant
• Gerundive: en choisissant
• Verbal adjective: choisissant(e)(s)
• Past participle: choisi(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir (partir uses être)

Exceptional verbs:

• The verbs dormir, mentir, partir, sentir and servir follow a different conjugation

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: partir
• Present participle: partant
• Gerundive: en partant
• Verbal adjective: partant(e)(s)
• Past participle: parti(e)(s)

• The verbs couvrir, découvrir, offrir, ouvrir and souffrir follow a different conjugation

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: ouvrir
• Present participle: ouvrant
• Gerundive: en ouvrant
• Verbal adjective: ouvrant(e)(s)
• Past participle: ouvert(e)(s)

• The verbs acquérir, cueillir and saillir are irregular

-re verbs

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: attendre
• Present participle: attendant
• Gerundive: en attendant
• Verbal adjective: attendant(e)(s)
• Past participle: attendu(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir(descendre uses être)

• If the verb radical does not end on a d (attend), the third person simple present of the indicative ends on a t (e.g. rompre --> il rompt)
• Battre, mettre and all verbs on -aindre or -eindre are irregular

aller

to go

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: aller
• Present participle: allant
• Gerundive: en allant
• Verbal adjective: allant(e)(s)
• Past participle: allé(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: être

avoir

to have

* Notice that the imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: avoir
• Present participle: ayant
• Gerundive: en ayant
• Verbal adjective: ayant(e)(s)
• Past participle: eu(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

dire

to say, talk

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: dire
• Present participle: disant
• Gerundive: en disant
• Verbal adjective: disant(e)(s)
• Past participle: dit(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

être

to be

* Notice that the imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: être
• Present participle: étant
• Gerundive: en étant
• Verbal adjective: étant(e)(s)
• Past participle: été(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

faire

to do, make

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: faire
• Present participle: faisant
• Gerundive: en faisant
• Verbal adjective: faisant(e)(s)
• Past participle: fait(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

• défaire, refaire, and satisfaire follow the same pattern.

lire

to read

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: lire
• Present participle: lisant
• Gerundive: en lisant
• Verbal adjective: lisant(e)(s)
• Past participle: lu(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

• élire, réélire, and relire follow the same pattern.

naître

to be born

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: naître
• Present participle: naissant
• Gerundive: en naissant
• Verbal adjective: naisant(e)(s)
• Past participle: né(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: être

pouvoir

to be able (to)

^*In case of questions puis is used exclusively: puis-je venir? Can I come? The usage of puis in other cases is mannered.

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: pouvoir
• Present participle: pouvant
• Gerundive: en pouvant
• Verbal adjective: pouvant(e)(s)
• Past participle: pu(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

prendre

to take

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: prendre
• Present participle: prenant
• Gerundive: en prenant
• Verbal adjective: prenant(e)(s)
• Past participle: pris(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

• apprendre, comprendre, entreprendre, reprendre, and surprendre follow the same pattern

savoir

to know

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: savoir
• Present participle: sachant
• Gerundive: en sachant
• Verbal adjective: sachant(e)(s)
• Past participle: su(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

venir

to come

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: venir
• Present participle: venant
• Gerundive: en venant
• Verbal adjective: venant(e)(s)
• Past participle: venu(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: être

• advenir, contrevenir, convenir, devenir, tenir, maintenir, intervenir, parvenir, provenir, revenir, se souvenir, and survenir follow the same pattern.

vouloir

to want

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: vouloir
• Present participle: voulant
• Gerundive: en voulant
• Verbal adjective: voulant(e)(s)
• Past participle: voulu(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: avoir

External links

• Open source database of French verb conjugation rules
• Online French Conjugation
• Online conjugator, 100+ languages
• French Conjugation (Beta)
• Memorize French ER verbs

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