French conjugation

For broader coverage of this topic, see French verbs.

French conjugation refers to the variation in the endings of French verbs (inflections) depending on the person (I, you, we, etc), tense (present, future, etc.) and mood (indicative, imperative and subjunctive). Most verbs are regular and can be entirely determined by their infinitive form (ex. parler) however irregular verbs require the knowledge of more than just the infinitive form known as the principal parts of which there are seven in French. With the knowledge of these seven principal parts of a verb one can conjugate almost all French verbs. However, a handful of verbs, including être, are highly irregular and the seven principal parts are not sufficient to conjugate the verb fully.

French verbs are conventionally divided into three conjugations (conjugaisons) with the following grouping:

• 1st group: verbs ending in -er (except aller and its derivates).
• 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 and its derivates.

The first two groups follow a regular conjugation, whereas the third group is more complex. 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 verbs aller and its derivates are the only verbs 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 /ɑ/			auras /oʁɑ/	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 /swɑ/	fusse /fys/	serais /səʁɛ/
tu	es /ɛ/			seras /səʁɑ/		fusses /fys/		sois* /swɑ/
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 constitute 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	parle /paʁl/	parlai /paʁle/	parlais /paʁlɛ/	parlerai /paʁləʁe/	parle /paʁl/	parlasse /paʁlɑs/	parlerais /paʁləʁɛ/
tu	parles /paʁl/	parlas /paʁlɑ/		parleras /paʁləʁɑ/	parles /paʁl/	parlasses /paʁlɑs/		parle /paʁl/
il/elle	parle /paʁl/	parla /paʁla/	parlait /paʁlɛ/	parlera /paʁləʁa/	parle /paʁl/	parlât /paʁlɑ/	parlerait /paʁləʁɛ/
nous	parlons /paʁlɔ̃/	parlâmes /paʁlam/	parlions /paʁljɔ̃/	parlerons /paʁləʁɔ̃/	parlions /paʁljɔ̃/	parlassions /paʁlɑsjɔ̃/	parlerions /paʁləʁjɔ̃/	parlons /paʁlɔ̃/
vous	parlez /paʁle/	parlâtes /paʁlat/	parliez /paʁlje/	parlerez /paʁləʁe/	parliez /paʁlje/	parlassiez /paʁlɑsje/	parleriez /paʁləʁje/	parlez /paʁle/
ils/elles	parlent /paʁl/	parlèrent /paʁlɛʁ/	parlaient /paʁlɛ/	parleront /paʁləʁɔ̃/	parlent /paʁl/	parlassent /paʁlɑs/	parleraient /paʁləʁɛ/

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: parler/paʁle/
• Present participle: parlant/paʁlɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en parlant/ɑ̃paʁlɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: parlant(s)/paʁlɑ̃/, parlante(s)/paʁlɑ̃t/
• Past participle: parlé(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	choisis /ʃwazi/		choisissais /ʃwazisɛ/	choisirai /ʃwaziʁe/	choisisse /ʃwazis/		choisirais /ʃwaziʁɛ/
tu				choisiras /ʃwaziʁɑ/	choisisses /ʃwazis/			choisis /ʃwazi/
il/elle	choisit /ʃwazi/		choisissait /ʃwazisɛ/	choisira /ʃwaziʁa/	choisisse /ʃwazis/	choisît /ʃwazi/	choisirait /ʃwaziʁɛ/
nous	choisissons /ʃwazisɔ̃/	choisîmes /ʃwazim/	choisissions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/	choisirons /ʃwaziʁɔ̃/	choisissions /ʃwazisjɔ̃/		choisirions /ʃwaziʁjɔ̃/	choisissons /ʃwazisɔ̃/
vous	choisissez /ʃwazise/	choisîtes /ʃwazit/	choisissiez /ʃwazisje/	choisirez /ʃwaziʁe/	choisissiez /ʃwazisje/		choisiriez /ʃwaziʁje/	choisissez /ʃwazise/
ils/elles	choisissent /ʃwazis/	choisirent /ʃwaziʁ/	choisissaient /ʃwazisɛ/	choisiront /ʃwaziʁɔ̃/	choisissent /ʃwazis/		choisiraient /ʃwaziʁɛ/

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: choisir/ʃwaziʁ/
• Present participle: choisissant/ʃwazisɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en choisissant/ɑ̃ʃwazisɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: choisissant(s)/ʃwazisɑ̃/, choisissante(s)/ʃwazisɑ̃t/
• Past participle: choisi(e)(s)/ʃwazi/

Auxiliary verb: avoir (partir uses être)

Third group

Most verbs of the third group end in -re. A few end in -ir and three end in -er. There are more irregularities in the third group than in the first two.

There is no single pattern that is followed by third group verbs, but rather a number of different paradigms. The verb perdre and its endings are frequently presented as an example for the third group conjugations. See the irregular verb section for more details.

perdre

The verb perdre "to lose", in French orthography and IPA transcription

	Indicative				Subjunctive		Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple Past	Imperfect	Simple Future	Present	Imperfect	Present	Present
je	perds /pɛʁ/	perdis /pɛʁdi/	perdais /pɛʁdɛ/	perdrai /pɛʁdʁe/	perde /pɛʁd/	perdisse /pɛʁdis/	perdrais /pɛʁdʁɛ/
tu				perdras /pɛʁdʁɑ/	perdes /pɛʁd/	perdisses /pɛʁdis/		perds /pɛʁ/
il/elle	perd /pɛʁ/	perdit /pɛʁdi/	perdait /pɛʁdɛ/	perdra /pɛʁdʁa/	perde /pɛʁd/	perdît /pɛʁdi/	perdrait /pɛʁdʁɛ/
nous	perdons /pɛʁdɔ̃/	perdîmes /pɛʁdim/	perdions /peʁdjɔ̃/	perdrons /pɛʁdʁɔ̃/	perdions /pɛʁdjɔ̃/	perdissions /pɛʁdisjɔ̃/	perdrions /pɛʁdʁijɔ̃/	perdons /pɛʁdɔ̃/
vous	perdez /pɛʁde/	perdîtes /peʁdit/	perdiez /peʁdje/	perdrez /pɛʁdʁe/	perdiez /pɛʁdje/	perdissiez /pɛʁdisje/	perdriez /pɛʁdʁije/	perdez /pɛʁde/
ils/elles	perdent /pɛʁd/	perdirent /pɛʁdiʁ/	perdaient /pɛʁdɛ/	perdront /pɛʁdʁɔ̃/	perdent /pɛʁd/	perdissent /pɛʁdis/	perdraient /pɛʁdʁɛ/

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: perdre/pɛʁdʁ/
• Present participle: perdant/pɛʁdɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en perdant/ɑ̃pɛʁdɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: perdant(s)/pɛʁdɑ̃/, perdante(s)/pɛʁdɑ̃t/
• Past participle: perd-u(e)(s)/pɛʁdy/

Auxiliary verb: avoir

Irregular verbs and their paradigms

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/elle	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/elles	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
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/	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, vêt2	vêt-ons	vêt-ent	vêtu	vêti-s	The same as partir, except for the past participle	dévêtir "undress", revêtir "cover"
requér-ir	"to require, demand"	requerr-ai	requier-s	requér-ons	requièr-ent	requis	requi-s
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
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"
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
asseoir	"to sit"	assiér-ai; assoir-ai	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.
envoy-er	"to send"	enverr-ai	envoi-e3	envoy-ons3	envoi-ent3	envoyé	envoy-ai	1st group verb	renvoyer "resend"
voir	"to see"	verr-ai	voi-s	voy-ons	voi-ent3	vu	vi-s		revoir "see again"
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"
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"
choir	"to fall"	choir-ai; cherr-ai	choi-s	choy-ons	choi-ent3	chu	chu-s	Missing the indicative imperfect and the subjunctive mood (except by chût, in singular 3rd person imperfect subjunctive)	échoir "befall"
pleuv-oir	"to rain"	pleuvr-a	pleu-t	(stem pleuv-)	(stem pleuv-)	plu	plu-t	Impersonal (3rd-singular only)
vend-re	"to sell"	vendr-ai	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.
batt-re	"to beat"	battr-ai	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	vainqu-ons	vainqu-ent	vaincu	vainqui-s	Essentially same as vendre, except for c/qu variation	convaincre "convince"
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"
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.
trai-re	"to milk"	trair-ai	trai-s	tray-ons3	trai-ent3	trai-t	tray-ai	PS is conjugated as in 1st group verbs.	contraire "contract", extraire "extract", soustraire "subtract", retraire "withdraw"
prend-re	"to take"	prendr-ai	prend-s, prend2	pren-ons	prenn-ent	pris	pri-s		comprendre "understand", apprendre "study", reprendre "take again", etc.
mett-re	"to put"	mettr-ai	met-s, met2	mett-ons	mett-ent	mis	mi-s		promettre "promise", permettre "permit", compromettre "compromise, damage", soumettre "submit, subdue", transmettre "transmit"
écri-re	"to write"	écrir-ai	écri-s	écriv-ons	écriv-ent	écrit	écrivi-s		décrire "describe", inscrire "inscribe"
boi-re	"to drink"	boir-ai	boi-s	buv-ons	boiv-ent	bu	bu-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
suffi-re	"to suffice"	suffir-ai	suffi-s	suffis-ons	suffis-ent	suffi	suffi-s		confire "pickle", circoncire "circumcise", frire "fry"
plai-re	"to please"	plair-ai	plai-s, plaît	plais-ons	plais-ent	plu	plu-s	Note the 3rd sg. plaît
croi-re	"to believe"	croir-ai	croi-s	croy-ons3	croi-ent3	cru	cru-s
brui-re	"to make a low noise"	bruir-ai	brui-t	(stem bruiss-)	bruiss-ent	brui	brui-t	Rare outside of third person, conjugated like choisir (regular -ir verbs)
maudi-re	"to curse"	maudir-ai	maudi-t	maudiss-ons	maudiss-ent	maudit	maudi-t	Very close to bruire
ri-re	"to laugh"	rir-ai	ri-s	ri-ons	ri-ent	ri	ri-s		sourire "smile"
conclu-re	"to conclude"	conclur-ai	conclu-s	conclu-ons	conclu-ent	conclu	conclu-s		Other verbs in -clure
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"
connaît-re	"to know"	connaîtr-ai	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"
naît-re	"to be born"	naîtr-ai	nai-s, naît	naiss-ons	naiss-ent	né	naqui-s	Note the 3rd sg. naît
coud-re	"to sew"	coudr-ai	coud-s, coud2	cous-ons	cous-ent	cousu	cousi-s
moud-re	"to grind, mill"	moudr-ai	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, absoute	absolu-s	The same as résoudre, except for the past participle. Note the masculine absous and feminine absoute
clo-re	"to close"	clor-ai	clo-s, clôt	clos-ons	clos-ent	clos	(missing)	Missing the subjunctive and indicative imperfect, as well as the simple past tens. Note the 3rd sg. clôt

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	reçois /ʁəswɑ/	reçus /ʁəsy/	recevais /ʁəsəvɛ/	recevrai /ʁəsəvʁe/	reçoive /ʁəswav/	reçusse /ʁəsys/	recevrais /ʁəsəvʁɛ/
tu				recevras /ʁəsəvʁɑ/	reçoives /ʁəswav/	reçusses /ʁəsys/		reçois /ʁəswɑ/
il/elle	reçoit /ʁəswa/	reçut /ʁəsy/	recevait /ʁəsəvɛ/	recevra /ʁəsəvʁa/	reçoive /ʁəswav/	reçût /ʁəsy/	recevrait /ʁəsəvʁɛ/
nous	recevons /ʁəsəvɔ̃/	reçûmes /ʁəsym/	recevions /ʁəsəvjɔ̃/	recevrons /ʁəsəvʁɔ̃/	recevions /ʁəsəvjɔ̃/	reçussions /ʁəsysjɔ̃/	recevrions /ʁəsəvʁijɔ̃/	recevons /ʁəsəvɔ̃/
vous	recevez /ʁəsəve/	reçûtes /ʁəsyt/	receviez /ʁəsəvje/	recevrez /ʁəsəvʁe/	receviez /ʁəsəvje/	reçussiez /ʁəsysje/	recevriez /ʁəsəvʁije/	recevez /ʁəsəve/
ils/elles	reçoivent /ʁəswav/	reçurent /ʁəsyʁ/	recevaient /ʁəsəvɛ/	recevront /ʁəsəvʁɔ̃/	reçoivent /ʁəswav/	reçussent /ʁəsys/	recevraient /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) orSUBJ+e
il/elle	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 or1P+ions	PAST+ssions	FUT+ions	(same as pres. indic. 1st pl.) orSUBJ+ons
vous	1P+ez	PAST+ˆtes	1P+iez	FUT+ez	SUBJ+iez or1P+iez	PAST+ssiez	FUT+iez	(same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.) orSUBJ+ez
ils/elles	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 orSUBJ-ant
• Gerundive: en 1P-ant or en SUBJ-ant
• Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s) orSUBJ-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, 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, 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/, /vɑ/1	allai /ale/	allais /alɛ/	irai /iʁe/	aille /aj/	allasse /alɑs/	irais /iʁɛ/
tu	vas /vɑ/	allas /alɑ/		iras /iʁɑ/	ailles /aj/	allasses /alɑs/		va /va/
il/elle/on	va /va/	alla /ala/	allait /alɛ/	ira /iʁa/	aille /aj/	allât /alɑ/	irait /iʁɛ/
nous	allons /alɔ̃/	allâmes /alam/	allions /aljɔ̃/	irons /iʁɔ̃/	allions /aljɔ̃/	allassions /alɑsjɔ̃/	irions /iʁjɔ̃/	allons /alɔ̃/
vous	allez /ale/	allâtes /alat/	alliez /alje/	irez /iʁe/	alliez /alje/	allassiez /alɑsje/	iriez /iʁje/	allez /ale/
ils/elles	vont /vɔ̃/	allèrent /alɛʁ/	allaient /alɛ/	iront /iʁɔ̃/	aillent /aj/	allassent /alɑs/	iraient /iʁɛ/

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 (x)2	e3		e	isse	e
tu	es			es3		es	isses	es
il	e	it	t (d)	e3		e	isse	e
nous	ons	issons	ons			ions	issions	ions
vous	ez	issez	ez			iez	issiez	iez
ils	ent	issent	ent			ent	issent	ent
	Indicatif (Imparfait)					Subjonctif (Imparfait)
je	ais	issais	ais			asse	isse	isse4	usse
tu						asses	isses	isses4	usses
il	ait	issait	ait			ât	ît	ît4	ût
nous	ions	issions	ions			assions	issions	issions4	ussions
vous	iez	issiez	iez			assiez	issiez	issiez4	ussiez
ils	aient	issaient	aient			assent	issent	issent4	ussent
	Indicatif (Passé simple)					Impératif (Présent)
je	ai	is	is4	us
tu	as					e	is	s	e3
il	a	it	it4	ut
nous	âmes	îmes	îmes4	ûmes		ons	issons	ons	ons
vous	âtes	îtes	îtes4	ûtes		ez	issez	ez	ez
ils	èrent	irent	irent4	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. Only in je/tu peux (I/you can), je/tu veux (I/you want), and je/tu vaux (I am/you are 'worth').

. 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.

3. 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).

4. Except for je vins (I came), je tins (I held), etc..., que je vinsse (that I come), que je tinsse (that I hold), etc...

See also

• Bescherelle, a reference book for (usually French) verb conjugation

Notes

1. A simple form
2. Conventionally used only in written language (especially in literature) or in extremely formal speech.
3. Very rarely used in contemporary French

References

1. Le nouveau Bescherelle: L'art de conjuguer, 1972, pp. 10

• Larousse de la conjugaison, 1980.

External links

• Verb2Verbe - French/English verb conjugation with translations
• Language Atlas - overview of all the different types of conjugations and corresponding Anki files
• 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