French conjugation

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French conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a French verb from its principal parts by inflection. French verbs are conventionally divided into three conjugations (conjugaisons) with the following grouping:

• 1st group: verbs ending in -er (except aller)
• 2nd group: verbs ending in -ir, with the gerund ending in -issant
• 3rd group: verbs ending in -re (with the exception of irregular verbs)
  • 1st section: verbs ending in -ir, with the gerund ending in -ant
  • 2nd section: verbs ending in -oir
  • 3rd section: verbs ending in -re
  • aller

The first two groups follow a regular conjugation, whereas the third group follows an irregular one. The third group is considered a closed-class conjugation form,^[1] meaning that most new verbs introduced to the French language are of the first group (téléviser, atomiser, radiographier), with the remaining ones being of the second group (alunir).

The verb aller is the only verb ending in -er belonging to the third group.

Moods and tenses

There are seven different moods in French conjugation: indicative (indicatif), subjunctive (subjonctif), conditional (conditionnel), imperative (impératif), infinitive (infinitif), participle (participe), and gerund (gérondif). The infinitive, participle, and gerundive are not verbal moods.

Tenses are described under the mood to which they belong, and they are grouped as follows. Other tenses are constructed through the use of an auxiliary verb:

• Indicative
  • Present (présent)^{[note 1]}
  • Present perfect (passé composé): literally "compound past", formed with an auxiliary verb in the present
  • Imperfect (imparfait)^{[note 1]}
  • Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait): literally "more than perfect", formed with an auxiliary verb in the imperfect
  • Simple past (passé simple)^{[note 1][note 2]}
  • Past perfect (passé antérieur): formed with an auxiliary verb in the simple past^{[note 2]}
  • Simple future (futur simple)^{[note 1]}
  • Future perfect (futur antérieur): formed with an auxiliary verb in the simple future
• Subjunctive
  • Present^{[note 1]}
  • Past (passé): formed with an auxiliary verb in the subjunctive present
  • Imperfect^{[note 1][note 2]}
  • Pluperfect: formed with an auxiliary verb in the subjunctive imperfect^{[note 2]}
• Imperative
  • Present^{[note 1]}
  • Past: formed with an auxiliary verb in the present imperative^{[note 3]}
• Conditional
  • Present^{[note 1]}
  • Past (form 1): formed with an auxiliary verb in the present conditional
  • Past (form 2): formed with an auxiliary verb in the imperfect subjunctive^{[note 3]}
• Infinitive
  • Present^{[note 1]}
  • Past: formed with an auxiliary verb in the present infinitive
• Participle
  • Present^{[note 1]}
  • Past^{[note 1]}
• Gerund: (constructed by preceding the present participle with the preposition en)

Auxiliary verbs

There are two auxiliary verbs in French: avoir (to have) and être (to be), used to conjugate compound tenses according to these rules:

• Transitive verbs (direct or indirect) in the active voice are conjugated with the verb avoir.
• Intransitive verbs are conjugated with either avoir or être (see French verbs#Temporal auxiliary verbs).
• Reflexive verbs (or "pronominal verbs") are conjugated with être.
• être is used to form the passive voice. être is itself conjugated according to the tense and mood, and this may require the use of avoir as an additional auxiliary verb, e.g. Il a été mangé (It was eaten).

Compound tenses are conjugated with an auxiliary followed by the past participle, ex: j'ai fait (I did), je suis tombé (I fell). When être is used, the participle is inflected according to the gender and number of the subject. The participle is inflected with the use of the verb avoir according to the direct object, but only if the direct object precedes the participle, ex:

• il a marché, elle a marché, nous avons marché (he walked, she walked, we walked)
• il est tombé, elle est tombée, nous sommes tombés, elles sont tombées (he fell, she fell, we fell, they (fem.) fell)
• Il a acheté une voiture. Voilà la voiture qu'il a achetée. (He bought a car. Here is the car he bought)

As stand-alone verbs, the conjugation of the two auxiliaries is listed in the table below:

Avoir

This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are imperfect av- /av/; present subjunctive ai- /ɛ/; future and conditional aur- /oʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive e- (not pronounced: eus, eusse are pronounced as bare inflections /y, ys/). Although the stem changes, the inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb.

In the present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

Avoir "to have"

	Indicative				Subjunctive		Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple Past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Imperfect	Present	Present
j'	ai /e/	eus /y/	avais /avɛ/	aurai /oʁe/	aie /ɛ/	eusse /ys/	aurais /oʁɛ/
tu	as /a/			auras /oʁa/	aies /ɛ/	eusses /ys/		aie* /ɛ/
il/elle/on	a /a/	eut /y/	avait /avɛ/	aura /oʁa/	ait /ɛ/	eût /y/	aurait /oʁɛ/
nous	avons /avɔ̃/	eûmes /ym/	avions /avjɔ̃/	aurons /oʁɔ̃/	ayons /ɛjɔ̃/	eussions /ysjɔ̃/	aurions /oʁjɔ̃/	ayons* /ɛjɔ̃/
vous	avez /ave/	eûtes /yt/	aviez /avje/	aurez /oʁe/	ayez /ɛje/	eussiez /ysje/	auriez /oʁje/	ayez* /ɛje/
ils/elles	ont /ɔ̃/	eurent /yʁ/	avaient /avɛ/	auront /oʁɔ̃/	aient /ɛ/	eussent /ys/	auraient /oʁɛ/

* Notice that the imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: avoir /avwaʁ/
• Present participle: ayant /ejɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en ayant /ɑ̃n‿ejɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: ayant(s) /ejɑ̃/, ayante(s) /ejɑ̃t/
• Past participle: eu(e)(s) /y/

Auxiliary verb: avoir

Être

This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: imperfect ét- /et/; present subjunctive soi- /swa/; future and conditional ser- /səʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive in f- /f/. The inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb (that is, as an -re verb but with the vowel u /y/ in the f- forms). For example, subjunctive soyons, soyez is pronounced with the y sound (/swajɔ̃, swaje/) of other -re and -oir verbs.

In the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

Être "to be"

	Indicative				Subjunctive		Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Imperfect	Present	Present
je	suis /sɥi/	fus /fy/	étais /etɛ/	serai /səʁe/	sois /swa/	fusse /fys/	serais /səʁɛ/
tu	es /ɛ/			seras /səʁa/		fusses /fys/		sois* /swa/
il/elle/on	est /ɛ/	fut /fy/	était /etɛ/	sera /səʁa/	soit /swa/	fût /fy/	serait /səʁɛ/
nous	sommes /sɔm/	fûmes /fym/	étions /etjɔ̃/	serons /səʁɔ̃/	soyons /swajɔ̃/	fussions /fysjɔ̃/	serions /səʁjɔ̃/	soyons* /swajɔ̃/
vous	êtes /ɛt/	fûtes /fyt/	étiez /etje/	serez /səʁe/	soyez /swaje/	fussiez /fysje/	seriez /səʁje/	soyez* /swaje/
ils/elles	sont /sɔ̃/	furent /fyʁ/	étaient /etɛ/	seront /səʁɔ̃/	soient /swa/	fussent /fys/	seraient /səʁɛ/

* The imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

The non-finite forms use the stem êt- /ɛt/ (before a consonant)/ét- /et/ (before a vowel):

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

Auxiliary verb: avoir

First group verbs (-er verbs)

French verbs ending in -er, which comprise the largest class, inflect somewhat differently from other verbs. Between the stem and the inflectional endings that are common across most verbs, there may be a vowel, which in the case of the -er verbs is a silent -e- (in the simple present singular), -é or -ai /e/ (in the past participle and the je form of the simple past), and -a- /a/ (in the rest of simple past singular and in the past subjunctive). In addition, the orthographic -t found in the -ir and -re verbs in the singular of the simple present and past is not found in this conjugation, so that the final consonants are -Ø, -s, -Ø rather than -s, -s, -t.

Parler

The verb parler "to speak", in French orthography and IPA transcription

	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-eras /paʁləʁa/	parl-es /paʁl/	parl-asses /paʁlas/		parl-e /paʁl/
il	parl-e /paʁl/	parl-a /paʁla/	parl-ait /paʁlɛ/	parl-era /paʁləʁa/	parl-e /paʁl/	parl-ât /paʁla/	parl-erait /paʁləʁɛ/
nous	parl-ons /paʁlɔ̃/	parl-âmes /paʁlam/	parl-ions /paʁljɔ̃/	parl-erons /paʁləʁɔ̃/	parl-ions /paʁljɔ̃/	parl-assions /paʁlasjɔ̃/	parl-erions /paʁləʁjɔ̃/	parl-ons /paʁlɔ̃/
vous	parl-ez /paʁle/	parl-âtes /paʁlat/	parl-iez /paʁlje/	parl-erez /paʁləʁe/	parl-iez /paʁlje/	parl-assiez /paʁlasje/	parl-eriez /paʁləʁje/	parl-ez /paʁle/
ils	parl-ent /paʁl/	parl-èrent /paʁlɛʁ/	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 (traditional usage) or è (rectified modern usage), in order to link the two words : « Parlè-je ? », /paʁlɛʒ/, "Am I speaking?" (This is a very rare construction, however.)
• When the second-person singular form of the imperative is followed by its object y or en, a final s is added: « Parles-en ! », [paʁlzɑ̃], "Talk about it!"

Exceptional verbs:

• The verb aller, though it ends in -er is completely irregular and belongs to the third group.
• In -cer verbs, the c becomes a ç before endings that start with a or o, to indicate that it is still pronounced /s/ (je déplace - nous déplaçons); similarly, in -ger verbs, the g becomes ge before such endings, to indicate that it is pronounced /ʒ/ (je mange - nous mangeons).
• In -oyer and -uyer verbs, the y becomes an i before endings that start with a silent e (nous envoyons - j'envoie); in -ayer verbs, the writer may or may not change the y to an i before such endings (je paye - je paie). Additionally, the future and conditional forms of envoyer start with enverr- rather than envoyer-; and similarly with renvoyer.
• In -é.er verbs, the é becomes an è before silent endings, and optionally in the future and conditional tenses.
• In -e.er verbs other than most -eler and -eter verbs, the e becomes an è before endings that start with a silent e (including the future and conditional endings). For example: peler (to peel) -> je pèle (present) / je pèlerai (futur) / je pèlerais (conditional).
• In most -eler and -eter verbs, the writer must either change the e to an è before endings that start with a silent e, or change the l or t to ll or tt. In the rest of these verbs, only one or the other form is allowed. For example: appeler (to call) -> j'appelle (present) / j'appellerai (futur) / j'appellerais (conditional).
• The verbal adjective of following verbs is irregular: adhérer - adhérent(e)(s); coïncider - coïncident(e)(s); confluer - confluent(e)(s); affluer - affluent(e)(s); converger - convergent(e)(s); déterger - détergent(e)(s); différer - différent(e)(s); exceller - excellent(e)(s); diverger - divergent(e)(s); négliger, négligent(e)(s); précéder - précédent(e)(s); violer - violent(e)(s); influer - influent(e)(s); communiquer - communicant(e)(s); suffoquer - suffocant(e)(s); provoquer - provocant(e)(s); naviguer - navigant(e)(s); déléguer - délégant(e)(s); fatiguer - fatigant(e)(s); intriguer - intrigant(e)(s).

Second group verbs (-ir verbs / gerund ending in -issant)

The -ir verbs differ from the -er verbs in the following points:

• The vowel of the inflections is always -i-, for example -isse in the past subjunctive rather than the -asse of the -er verbs.
• A few of the singular inflections themselves change, though this is purely orthographic and does not affect the pronunciation: in the simple present and past, these are -s, -s, -t rather than -Ø, -s, -Ø. (The change in pronunciation is due to the change of vowel from e, ai, a to -i-.)
• In the simple present, imperfect, the present subjunctive, and the gerund, a suffix -iss- /is/ appears between the root and the inflectional endings. In the simple present singular, this suffix has disappeared and the endings are -is, -is, -it.

choisir

The verb choisir "to choose", in French orthography and IPA transcription

	Indicative				Subjunctive		Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple Past	Imperfect	Simple Future	Present	Imperfect	Present	Present
je	chois-is /ʃwazi/		chois-issais /ʃwazisɛ/	chois-irai /ʃwaziʁe/	chois-isse /ʃwazis/		chois-irais /ʃwaziʁɛ/
tu				chois-iras /ʃwaziʁa/	chois-isses /ʃwazis/			chois-is /ʃwazi/
il	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-irions /ʃwaziʁjɔ̃/	chois-issons /ʃwazisɔ̃/
vous	chois-issez /ʃwazise/	chois-îtes /ʃwazit/	chois-issiez /ʃwazisje/	chois-irez /ʃwaziʁe/	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-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 diaeresis 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/elle hait but nous haïssons, vous haïssez, ils/elles 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/-). Another conjugation is used in Quebec French that keeps the two syllables stem with the hiatus /ai/, and therefore the diaeresis for all the paradigm: J'haïs, tu haïs, il/elle haït, nous haïssons, vous haïssez, ils/elles haïssent. Note that the h of haïr is mute in Quebec French, hence the elision for j'haïs /ʒai/ compared to European French je hais /ʒə.ɛ/.

Third group

First sub-conjugation: Verbs with seven principal parts

Most irregular French verbs can be described with seven principal parts. In reality, few if any verbs have separate stems for all seven parts; instead, they tend to "inherit" the same stem as another part. Note that the endings for these verbs are basically the same as for regular -ir verbs; in fact, regular -ir verbs can be fit into this scheme by treating the -iss- variants as different principal parts.

Principal part	How to get the stem	"Inherited" (regular) value of stem
infinitive	Remove ending -er, -ir, -oir, -re	—
First singular present indicative	Remove ending -s, -e	Infinitive stem
First plural present indicative	Remove ending -ons	Infinitive stem
Third plural present indicative	Remove ending -ent	First plural present stem
(First singular) future	Remove ending -ai	Full infinitive stem (minus any -e)
(Masculine singular) past participle	Full word	Infinitive stem, plus -i (plus -u if ends -re)
(First singular) simple past	Remove ending -s, -ai	Past participle (minus any -s or -t)

The following table shows how the paradigm of an irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that a few verbs construct the present indicative (especially the singular) differently.

Paradigm for most irregular verbs (7 principal parts)

	Indicative				Subjunctive		Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Imperfect	Present	Present
je	1S+s	PAST+s	1P+ais	FUT+ai	3P+e	PAST+sse	FUT+ais
tu				FUT+as	3P+es	PAST+sses		(same as pres. indic. 3rd. sg. if ends with vowel, else 2nd. sg.)
il	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.)

Table of principal parts of irregular (and -ir) French verbs (7 principal parts)

INF: Infinitive	Meaning	FUT: Future	Present Indicative			PP: Past Participle	PAST: Simple Past	Notes	Similar verbs
			1S: 1st Sing (2nd Sing, 3rd Sing)	1P: 1st Plur (2nd Plur)	3P: 3rd Plur
chois-ir	"to choose"	choisir-ai	choisi-s	choisiss-ons	choisiss-ent	choisi	choisi-s	How a regular -ir verb would be represented by its principal parts	About 300 verbs in -ir
"haïr"	"to hate"	haïr-ai	hai-s / haï-s1	haïss-ons	haïss-ent	haï	haï-s	The same as a regular -ir verb but in Sing. pres. indic. the diaeresis drops out
vend-re	"to sell"	vendr-ai	vend-s, vend-s, vend2	vend-ons	vend-ent	vendu	vendi-s	So-called "regular -re" verbs; all end in -dre, but not -indre	attendre "wait", défendre "defend", descendre "go down", entendre "hear", étendre "extend", fondre "melt", pendre "hang", perdre "lose", prétendre "pretend", rendre "return, give back", répandre "spill", répondre "respond", etc.
craind-re	"to fear"	craindr-ai	crain-s	craign-ons	craign-ent	craint	craign-is		All verbs in -aindre, -eindre, -oindre, e.g. contraindre "compel", plaindre "complain"; atteindre "reach", ceindre "gird", empreindre "stamp", éteindre "turn off", étreindre "hug", feindre "pretend", geindre "whine", peindre "paint", restreindre "restrict", teindre "dye"; joindre "join", oindre "anoint", poindre "dawn", rejoindre "rejoin"
part-ir	"to leave"	partir-ai	par-s	part-ons	part-ent	parti	parti-s	Sing. pres. indic. stem drops last consonant of basic stem: je pars, dors, mens, sens, sers, sors /ʒ(ə) paʁ, dɔʁ, mɑ̃, sɔʁ, sɑ̃, sɛʁ/	se départir "divest", repartir" "leave again", dormir "sleep", s'endormir "fall asleep", se rendormir "fall back asleep", mentir "lie (tell lies)", démentir "contradict", sentir "feel", consentir "agree", pressentir "foresee", ressentir "feel", servir "serve", desservir "clear away", resservir "serve again", sortir "go out", ressortir "come back"
vêt-ir	"to dress"	vêtir-ai	vêt-s	vêt-ons	vêt-ent	vêtu	vêti-s	The same as partir, except for the past participle	dévêtir "undress", revêtir "cover"
ouvr-ir	"to open"	ouvrir-ai	ouvr-e, ouvr-es, ouvr-e	ouvr-ons	ouvr-ent	ouvert	ouvri-s	Sing. pres. indic. uses endings -e -es -e, as with -er verbs	couvrir "cover", "découvrir" "discover", offrir "offer", souffrir "suffer"
condui-re	"to lead"	conduir-ai	condui-s	conduis-ons	conduis-ent	conduit	conduisi-s		All verbs in -uire e.g. construire "build", cuire "cook", détruire "destroy", instruire "instruct", réduire "reduce", produire "produce", traduire "translate", etc.
recev-oir	"to receive"	recevr-ai	reçoi-s	recev-ons	reçoiv-ent	reçu	reçu-s		Other verbs in -cevoir, e.g. apercevoir "perceive", concevoir "conceive", décevoir "disappoint"
envoy-er	"to send"	enverr-ai	envoi-e3	envoy-ons3	envoi-ent3	envoyé	envoy-ai
voir	"to see"	verr-ai	voi-s	voy-ons	voi-ent3	vu	vi-s		revoir "see again"
choir	"to fall"	choir-ai	choi-s	choy-ons	choi-ent3	chu	chu-s		échoir "befall"
dev-oir	"to owe, must"	devr-ai	doi-s	dev-ons	doiv-ent	dû	du-s	Very similar to recevoir, but adds a circumflex to du to distinguish it from the partitive article du - due, dus and dues remain unchanged
mouv-oir	"to move"	mouvr-ai	meu-s	mouv-ons	meuv-ent	mû	mu-s	Adds a circumflex to mu to distinguish it from the Greek letter mu (μ) - mue, mus and mues remain unchanged
émouv-oir	"to move, affect"	émouvr-ai	émeu-s	émouv-ons	émeuv-ent	ému	ému-s		promouvoir "promote"
pleuv-oir	"to rain"	pleuvr-a	pleu-t	(stem pleuv-)	(stem pleuv-)	plu	plu-t	Impersonal (3rd-singular only)
asseoir	"to sit"	assiér-ai; assoir-ai	assied-s, assied-s, assied;2 assoi-s	assey-ons; assoy-ons	assey-ent; assoi-ent	assis	assi-s	Notice that there are two sets of conjugations.
cueill-ir /kœjiʁ/	"to gather"	cueiller-ai	cueill-e, cueill-es, cueill-e	cueill-ons	cueill-ent	cueilli	cueilli-s	Like ouvrir except the future; sing. pres. indic. uses endings -e -es -e, as with -er verbs
ven-ir	"to come"	viendr-ai	vien-s	ven-ons	vienn-ent	venu	vin-s	Note simple past plural vînmes, vîntes, vinrent /vɛ̃m, vɛ̃t, vɛ̃ʁ/	revenir "return", devenir "become", se souvenir "remember", parvenir "reach", prévenir "tell beforehand"; tenir "hold", retenir "memorize", contretenir "talk", soutenir "sustain", maintenir "maintain", appartenir "belong", etc.
mour-ir	"to die"	mourr-ai	meur-s	mour-ons	meur-ent	mort	mouru-s
cour-ir	"to run"	courr-ai	cour-s	cour-ons	cour-ent	couru	couru-s
di-re	"to say, tell"	dir-ai	di-s	dis-ons, dites	dis-ent	dit	di-s	Note the 2nd pl. dites	contredire "contradict", interdire "forbid"
li-re	"to read"	lir-ai	li-s	lis-ons	lis-ent	lu	lu-s
écri-re	"to write"	écrir-ai	écri-s	écriv-ons	écriv-ent	écrit	écrivi-s		décrire "describe", inscrire "inscribe"
ri-re	"to laugh"	rir-ai	ri-s	ri-ons	ri-ent	ri	ri-s		sourire "smile"
suffi-re	"to suffice"	suffir-ai	suffi-s	suffis-ons	suffis-ent	suffi	suffi-s		confire "pickle", circoncire "circumcise", frire "fry"
boi-re	"to drink"	boir-ai	boi-s	buv-ons	boiv-ent	bu	bu-s
croi-re	"to believe"	croir-ai	croi-s	croy-ons3	croi-ent3	cru	cru-s
conclu-re	"to conclude"	conclur-ai	conclu-s	conclu-ons	conclu-ent	conclu	conclu-s		Other verbs in -clure
plai-re	"to please"	plair-ai	plai-s, 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, prend2	pren-ons	prenn-ent	pris	pri-s		comprendre "understand", apprendre "study", reprendre "take again", etc.
viv-re	"to live"	vivr-ai	vi-s	viv-ons	viv-ent	vécu	vécu-s		revivre "come alive again", survivre "survive"
suiv-re	"to follow"	suivr-ai	sui-s	suiv-ons	suiv-ent	suivi	suivi-s		poursuivre "pursue"
naît-re	"to be born"	naîtr-ai	nai-s, nai-s, naît	naiss-ons	naiss-ent	né	naqui-s	Note the 3rd sg. naît
connaît-re	"to know"	connaîtr-ai	connai-s, connai-s, connaît	connaiss-ons	connaiss-ent	connu	connu-s	Note the 3rd sg. connaît	reconnaître "recognize", paraître "seem", apparaître "appear", reparaître "reappear", disparaître "disappear"
mett-re	"to put"	mettr-ai	met-s, met-s, met2	mett-ons	mett-ent	mis	mi-s		promettre "promise", permettre "permit", compromettre "compromise, damage", soumettre "submit, subdue", transmettre "transmit"
batt-re	"to beat"	battr-ai	bat-s, bat-s, bat2	batt-ons	batt-ent	battu	batti-s	Close to vendre
romp-re	"to break"	rompr-ai	romp-s	romp-ons	romp-ent	rompu	rompi-s	Very close to vendre
vainc-re	"to conquer"	vaincr-ai	vainc-s, vainc-s, vainc	vainqu-ons	vainqu-ent	vaincu	vainqui-s	Essentially same as vendre, except for c/qu variation	convaincre "convince"
trair-re	"to milk"	trair-ai	trai-s	tray-ons3	trai-ent3	trai-t	(missing)		contraire "contract", extraire "extract", soustraire "subtract", retraire "withdraw"
coud-re	"to sew"	coudr-ai	coud-s, coud-s, coud2	cous-ons	cous-ent	cousu	cousu-s
moud-re	"to grind, mill"	moudr-ai	moud-s, moud-s, moud2	moul-ons	moul-ent	moulu	moulu-s
résoud-re	"to solve, resolve"	résoudr-ai	résou-s	résolv-ons	résolv-ent	résolu	résolu-s
absoud-re	"to solve, absolve"	absoudr-ai	absou-s	absolv-ons	absolv-ent	absous	absolu-s	The same as résoudre, except for the past participle

¹ Only in Quebec French

² The ending -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).

³ Alternation of "-ai-" and -oi- before consonant or unstressed e, "-ay-" and -oy- before other vowels is automatic in all verbs.

The following table shows an example paradigm of one of these verbs, recevoir "to receive".

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				recevr-as /ʁəsəvʁa/	reçoiv-es /ʁəswav/	reçu-sses /ʁəsys/		reçoi-s /ʁəswa/
il	reçoi-t /ʁəswa/	reçu-t /ʁəsy/	recev-ait /ʁəsəvɛ/	recevr-a /ʁəsəvʁa/	reçoiv-e /ʁəswav/	reçû-t /ʁəsy/	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.

Paradigm for the highly irregular verbs (11 principal parts)

	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	1P+ions	FUT+ons	SUBJ+ions or 1P+ions	PAST+ssions	FUT+ions	(same as pres. indic. 1st pl.) or SUBJ+ons
vous	1P+ez	PAST+ˆtes	1P+iez	FUT+ez	SUBJ+iez or 1P+iez	PAST+ssiez	FUT+iez	(same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.) or SUBJ+ez
ils	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.)

Table of principal parts of the highly irregular French verbs (11 principal parts)

INF: Infinitive	Meaning	FUT: Future	Present Indicative			Present Subjunctive		Imperative	Present Participle	PP: Past Participle	PAST: Simple Past	Notes	Similar verbs
			1S: 1st Sing (2nd Sing, 3rd Sing)	1P: 1st Plur (2nd Plur)	3P: 3rd Plur	SUBJ:1st Sing	1st Plur
pouv-oir	"to be able"	pourr-ai	peux/puis, peux, peut	pouv-ons	peuv-ent	puiss-e	follows subj. (puiss-ions)	follows indic.	follows 1P (pouv-ant)	pu	pu-s (reg.)	alternate 1st sing. puis required in questions, use elsewhere is mannered; note that old pres. part. puiss-ant is attested as an adjective "powerful"
sav-oir	"to know"	saur-ai	sai-s	sav-ons	sav-ent	sach-e	follows subj. (sach-ions)	follows subj. (sache, sachons, sachez)	follows subj. (sach-ant)	su	su-s
voul-oir	"to want"	voudr-ai	veux, veux, veut	voul-ons	veul-ent	veuill-e	follows indic. (voul-ions)	follows subj. (veuille, veuillons, veuillez)	follows 1P (voul-ant)	voulu	voulu-s
val-oir	"to be worth"	vaudr-ai	vaux, vaux, vaut	val-ons	val-ent	vaill-e	follows indic. (val-ions)	follows indic. (vaux, valons, valez)	follows 1P (val-ant)	valu	valu-s
fall-oir	"to be necessary"	faudr-a	fau-t	(stem fall-)	–	faill-e	–	–	–	fall-u	fallu-t	Impersonal (3rd-singular only)
fai-re	"to do"	fer-ai	fai-s	fais-ons, faites	font	fass-e	follows subj. (fass-ions)	follows indic.	follows 1P (fais-ant)	fait	fi-s	2nd pl. pres. indic. faites (also in imperative)	défaire, refaire, satisfaire
av-oir	"to have"	aur-ai	ai, as, a	av-ons	ont	ai-e, ai-es, ai-t; ai-ent	ay-ons, ay-ez	follows subj. (aie, ayons, ayez)	follows subj. (ay-ant)	eu /y/	eu-s
êt-re	"to be"	ser-ai	suis, es, est	sommes, êtes; stem ét-	sont	soi-s, soi-s, soi-t; soi-ent	soy-ons, soy-ez	follows subj. (sois, soyons, soyez)	follows 1P (ét-ant)	été	fu-s
all-er	"to go"	ir-ai	vais/vas1, vas, va	all-ons	vont	aill-e	follows indic. (all-ions)	follows indic.	follows 1P (all-ant)	allé	all-ai	2nd. sg. imperat. va, but vas-y "go there"	s'en aller "leave"

Aller

The verb aller means "to go" and is sufficiently irregular that it merits listing its conjugation in full. It is the only verb with the first group ending "er" to have an irregular conjugation. It belongs to none of the three sections of the third group, and is often categorized on its own. The verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: past all- /al/ (simple past, imperfect, past subjunctive); present subjunctive aill- /aj/; conditional and future ir- /iʁ/. The inflections of these tenses are completely regular, and pronounced as in any other -er verb. However, in the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

Aller "to go"

	Indicative				Subjunctive		Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Imperfect	Present	Present
je	vais, vas1 /vɛ/, /va/	allai /ale/	allais /alɛ/	irai /iʁe/	aille /aj/	allasse /alas/	irais /iʁɛ/
tu	vas /va/	allas	allais	iras	ailles	allasses	irais	va
il/elle/on	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/elles	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

¹ In Classical French and even in certain dialects (like in Cajun and some Quebec dialects) je vas is used.

Inflectional endings of the three verb groups

	1st group	2nd group	3rd group			1st group	2nd group	3rd group
	Indicatif (Présent)					Subjonctif (Présent)
je	e1	is	s (x3)	e5		e	isse	e2.1
tu	es			es5		es	isses	es2.1
il	e	it	t (d,c4)	e5		e	isse	e2.3
nous	ons	issons	ons2.1	ons		ions	issions	ions
vous	ez	issez	ez (es2.2)	ez		iez	issiez	iez
ils	ent	issent	ent (nt2)	ent		ent	issent	ent
	Indicatif (Imparfait)					Subjonctif (Imparfait)
je	ais	issais	ais			asse	isse	isse6	usse
tu						asses	isses	isses6	usses
il	ait	issait	ait			ât	ît	ît6	ût
nous	ions	issions	ions			assions	issions	issions6	ussions
vous	iez	issiez	iez			assiez	issiez	issiez6	ussiez
ils	aient	issaient	aient			assent	issent	issent6	ussent
	Indicatif (Passé simple)					Impératif (Présent)
je	ai	is	is6	us
tu	as					e	is	s	e5
il	a	it	it6	ut
nous	âmes	îmes	îmes6	ûmes		ons	issons	ons	ons
vous	âtes	îtes	îtes6	ûtes		ez	issez	ez	ez
ils	èrent	irent	irent6	urent
	Indicatif (Futur simple)					Conditionnel (Présent)
je	erai	irai	rai			erais	irais	rais
tu	eras	iras	ras
il	era	ira	ra			erait	irait	rait
nous	erons	irons	rons			erions	irions	rions
vous	erez	irez	rez			eriez	iriez	riez
ils	eront	iront	ront			eraient	iraient	raient

1. In an interrogative sentence, the final e is written é (traditional spelling) or è (rectified spelling), and is pronounced as an open è [ɛ]. Additionally, the e in je becomes silent. For example: je marche /ʒə.maʁʃ/ (I walk), marchè-je? /maʁʃɛʒ/ (do I walk?)

2. The following verbs have the ending -ont: ils sont (they are), ils ont (they have), ils font (they do), ils vont (they go).

2.1. Only the verb être has irregular endings here: nous sommes (we are), que je soi-s (that I be), que tu soi-s (that you be).

2.2. The following verbs (and their derivatives) have the ending -es: vous êtes (you are), vous faites (you do), vous dites (you tell).

2.3. Only the verbs être and avoir take a final t: qu'il/elle/on soi-t (that it/he/she/we be), qu'il/elle/on ai-t (that it/he/she/we have).

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. The verbs vaincre (defeat) and convaincre (convince) are conjugated as vainc and convainc, respectively, in 3rd singular person.

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...

The first-person plural in modern spoken French

The ending of the first-person plural -ons, along with the pronoun nous of the first-person plural, is rarely used in modern spoken French.^[2]:90 They are replaced by the pronoun on, which uses the third-person singular form of the verb. For example, nous chantons ("we sing" or "we are singing"), is likely to be replaced by on chante in almost all contexts except in very careful language. This almost leads to a loss of a verb form in Modern French. However, the verb ending -ons can still be found in the imperative: Chantons ! ("Let's sing!"), which can also be replaced in some contexts by: On chante !

See also

• Bescherelle, a type of dictionary of (usually French) verb conjugation

Notes

References

• Larousse de la conjugaison, 1980.

External links

• Verb2Verbe - French/English verb conjugation with translations
• A two-page PDF reference guide of the 681 most common French/English verbs
• Le Conjugueur - online conjugation for all French verbs
• Bescherelle - conjugation & conjugation books.
• WordReference - French conjugation (Beta)
• Conjugation-FR - French conjugation
• Open source XML database of French verb conjugation rules. RegEx based.
• French verb practice at UT Austin
• schoLINGUA - Conjugation trainer - over 12,000 French verbs
• Comment-conjuguer.fr - online conjugation for all French verbs and conjugation rules