The perfect tenses in French are used to express actions that have been completed (or will be completed) relative to a certain point in time. They correspond to the concept of "having done," "had done," or "will have done" something, and are essential for describing sequences and nuances in events.
- Passé Composé: Expresses completed actions in the past.
- Plus-que-parfait: Describes actions completed before another past action (past perfect).
- Futur Antérieur: Refers to actions that will have been completed in the future.
Imparfait and Conditionnel Présent are not considered perfect tenses.
Plus-que-parfait is used for actions completed before another past action.
Avoir and Être are the auxiliary verbs for perfect tenses.
Passé Composé
The passé composé is used to express actions that were completed in the past and are viewed as finished. It is often used for specific events, actions, or changes, and is the most common way to talk about "what happened" in the past.
- Replaces simple past in spoken French.
- Used for isolated events or actions with a clear beginning and end.
Formation:
Subject + Auxiliary (avoir/être) in present + Past Participle
- Most verbs use avoir.
- Some verbs of motion/state use être (and past participle agrees in gender/number).
| Subject | Avoir (present) | Être (present) | Past Participle (parler) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | ai | suis | parlé |
| Tu | as | es | parlé |
| Il/Elle | a | est | parlé |
| Nous | avons | sommes | parlé |
| Vous | avez | êtes | parlé |
| Ils/Elles | ont | sont | parlé |
Examples:
- J’ai mangé (avoir) - I ate / I have eaten.
- Elle est partie (être) - She left.
'Parler' uses avoir: J'ai parlé.
'Être' is used for reflexive verbs and some motion/state verbs.
Plus-que-parfait
The plus-que-parfait expresses an action that had already been completed before another action took place in the past. It's the French equivalent of the past perfect ("had done").
- Describes "the past of the past."
- Used when narrating sequences/events in the past.
Formation:
Subject + Avoir/Être (imparfait) + Past Participle
| Subject | Avoir (imparfait) | Être (imparfait) | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | avais | étais | ... |
| Tu | avais | étais | ... |
| Il/Elle | avait | était | ... |
| Nous | avions | étions | ... |
| Vous | aviez | étiez | ... |
| Ils/Elles | avaient | étaient | ... |
Examples:
- J’avais mangé avant de partir. (I had eaten before leaving.)
- Elle était déjà sortie quand tu es arrivé. (She had already left when you arrived.)
Plus-que-parfait uses avoir/être in imparfait.
Plus-que-parfait is for actions completed before another past action.
Futur Antérieur
The futur antérieur is used to describe actions that will have been completed at some point in the future. It expresses "will have done" something.
- Used for assumptions about the past in the future.
- Useful in conditional or time clause contexts.
Formation:
Subject + Avoir/Être (future) + Past Participle
| Subject | Avoir (futur) | Être (futur) |
|---|---|---|
| Je | aurai | serai |
| Tu | auras | seras |
| Il/Elle | aura | sera |
| Nous | aurons | serons |
| Vous | aurez | serez |
| Ils/Elles | auront | seront |
Examples:
- J’aurai fini avant midi. (I will have finished before noon.)
- Ils seront partis quand tu arriveras. (They will have left when you arrive.)
Futur antérieur expresses a future completed action.
Avoir or Être in the future tense are used.
Conclusion
Perfect tenses in French—passé composé, plus-que-parfait, and futur antérieur—allow you to describe completed actions with precision in the past, relative past, and future.
- Passé composé = completed actions in the past.
- Plus-que-parfait = "had done" (before another past action).
- Futur antérieur = "will have done" (in the future).