French Verb Tenses: A Complete Guide

French verb tenses can be a challenging aspect of language learning.

This guide will help you understand and master all 24 French verb tenses and moods, from the basic present tense to the more complex literary tenses.

Understanding French Verb Tenses

French verbs are organized into different tenses and moods. Tenses indicate when an action takes place, while moods express the speaker's attitude towards the action.

Personal Moods

Personal moods have different conjugations for each subject. They include:

1. Indicative
2. Subjunctive
3. Imperative
4. Conditional

Impersonal Moods

Impersonal moods have only one form, regardless of the subject. They include:

1. Infinitive
2. Participle

Indicative Mood

The indicative mood is used to express facts or certainties.

Present Tense

The present tense is used for actions happening now or general truths.

Example: "Je parle français." (I speak French.)

Future Tense

The future tense expresses actions that will happen in the future.

Example: "Je parlerai français demain." (I will speak French tomorrow.)

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense describes ongoing or habitual past actions.

Example: "Je parlais français quand j'étais enfant." (I used to speak French when I was a child.)

Compound Past (Passé Composé)

This tense is used for completed actions in the past.

Example: "J'ai parlé français hier." (I spoke French yesterday.)

Simple Past (Passé Simple)

The simple past is mainly used in formal writing.

Example: "Il parla français toute sa vie." (He spoke French all his life.)

Pluperfect

The pluperfect describes an action that happened before another past action.

Example: "J'avais parlé français avant de déménager." (I had spoken French before moving.)

Past Anterior

This literary tense is used in formal writing to express an action immediately preceding another past action.

Example: "Dès qu'il eut parlé, il partit." (As soon as he had spoken, he left.)

Future Perfect

The future perfect describes a future action that will be completed before another future action.

Example: "J'aurai parlé français pendant dix ans quand j'obtiendrai mon diplôme." (I will have spoken French for ten years when I get my degree.)

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood expresses doubt, desire, or possibility.

Present Subjunctive

Used for current or future actions in subordinate clauses.

Example: "Il faut que je parle français." (It's necessary that I speak French.)

Past Subjunctive

Expresses completed actions in the subjunctive mood.

Example: "Je doute qu'il ait parlé français." (I doubt that he spoke French.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

A literary tense used in formal writing.

Example: "Il fallait qu'il parlât français." (It was necessary that he speak French.)

Pluperfect Subjunctive

Another literary tense for completed actions in formal contexts.

Example: "J'aurais aimé qu'il eût parlé français." (I would have liked for him to have spoken French.)

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used for commands or requests.

Present Imperative

Used for immediate commands.

Example: "Parle français!" (Speak French!)

Past Imperative

Rare in usage, it expresses a command to be completed by a certain time.

Example: "Aie parlé français avant midi!" (Have spoken French before noon!)

Conditional Mood

The conditional mood expresses hypothetical situations or polite requests.

Present Conditional

Used for hypothetical present or future situations.

Example: "Je parlerais français si j'avais le temps." (I would speak French if I had the time.)

Past Conditional

Expresses hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: "J'aurais parlé français si j'avais eu l'occasion." (I would have spoken French if I had had the opportunity.)

Past Conditional 2

An alternative form of the past conditional, used in literary contexts.

Example: "J'eusse parlé français si j'en avais eu l'occasion." (I would have spoken French if I had had the opportunity.)

Infinitive Mood

The infinitive is the base form of the verb.

Present Infinitive

The basic form of the verb.

Example: "Parler français est important." (To speak French is important.)

Past Infinitive

Expresses a completed action in the infinitive form.

Example: "Je suis content d'avoir parlé français." (I am happy to have spoken French.)

Future Infinitive

Rare in usage, it expresses a future action in the infinitive form.

Example: "Je pense devoir parler français demain." (I think I will have to speak French tomorrow.)

Participle Mood

Participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives.

Present Participle

Expresses an ongoing action.

Example: "En parlant français, j'améliore ma prononciation." (By speaking French, I improve my pronunciation.)

Past Participle

Used to form compound tenses and as an adjective.

Example: "J'ai parlé français." (I have spoken French.) / "Le français parlé en Belgique" (The French spoken in Belgium)

Perfect Participle

Expresses a completed action that occurred before another action.

Example: "Ayant parlé français, je me sens plus confiant." (Having spoken French, I feel more confident.)

Future Participle

Rare in modern French, it expresses a future action in relation to the main verb.

Example: "Les étudiants devant parler français demain sont nerveux." (The students who are to speak French tomorrow are nervous.)

Conclusion

This guide covers all 24 French verb tenses and moods.

Understanding and using these tenses correctly will significantly improve your French language skills.

For personalized practice and instant feedback on your French verb conjugations, consider using leçon.ai.

This AI-powered platform can help you master French verb tenses through tailored exercises and real-time corrections.