French verbs are action words that describe what someone is doing. They are categorized into three groups based on their endings in the infinitive form:

-er verbs (like parler - to speak)
-ir verbs (like finir - to finish)
-re verbs (like vendre - to sell)

Verbs are conjugated to show who is doing the action (je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles) and when it is happening (present, past, future).

Key tenses to know:

Present (le présent) for current actions
Passé composé for past actions
Imparfait for ongoing or repeated past actions
Futur proche for near future
Futur simple for future actions

Regular verbs follow a pattern for conjugation, while irregular verbs (like être, avoir, aller, faire) do not and must be memorized.

Understanding verbs and their conjugations is essential for speaking and writing French.

A1

Present Tense

Regular Verbs (-er, -ir, -re)

A2

Negative Commands

Affirmative Commands

Pronominal/Reflexive Verbs

Futur Proche

Uses and Structure

B1

Verb Types
Overview of French verb types: regular vs irregular, and the three main groups (-er, -ir, -re).
- Regular Verbs (-er, -ir, -re)
  Regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs in French, including how to conjugate them in present, past (passé composé), and future (futur simple) tenses using standard patterns.
- Irregular Verbs
  French irregular verbs list, examples, and explanations for common patterns in spelling and meaning changes.
- Pronominal/Reflexive Verbs
  Pronominal and reflexive verbs in French, including definitions, usage rules, examples, and common patterns.
- Modal Auxiliaries (vouloir, pouvoir, devoir)
  Modal auxiliaries — including vouloir, pouvoir, and devoir — explain how these helpers shape meaning in French.
Verb Conjugation
Basics of French verb conjugation including verb endings, key tenses, and regular vs irregular verbs.
- Present Tense
  The French present tense (le présent) describes current actions, general truths, and near-future events. It is used with regular and irregular verbs.
- Past Tenses
  Introduction to French past tenses for describing completed actions, habits, and background events in storytelling.
  - Passé Composé
    The passé composé is a French past tense used to express completed actions, events, or changes that happened at a specific time in the past.
  - Imparfait
    The imparfait is a French past tense used to express ongoing or habitual actions, describe settings, and talk about states of being in the past.
  - Plus-que-parfait
    The plus-que-parfait is a French past tense that expresses actions completed before another past action or point in time.
  - Passé Simple (literary)
    Passé simple, a literary French past tense used in formal writing, reported speech, and narrative storytelling.
- Future Tenses
  Introduction to French future tenses for expressing actions that will happen, including the simple future and the near future.
  - Futur Proche
    Futur Proche in French grammar, showing how to use the near future tense with conjugation rules and examples.
  - Futur Simple
    The French futur simple tense, including how to form it, common irregular verbs, and examples of usage in context.
  - Futur Antérieur
    The futur antérieur is a French past future tense used to describe actions that will have been completed before another future event or point in time.
- Conditional Tenses
  Introduction to French conditional tenses for expressing hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past scenarios.
  - Present Conditional
    The French present conditional is a verb tense used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, or actions that depend on a condition. It is formed by taking the future stem of the verb and adding imperfect endings. For regular verbs, the future stem is the infinitive (or the infinitive minus the final "e" for -re verbs). Then, add the following endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
  - Past Conditional
    The past conditional (le conditionnel passé) in French expresses what would have happened if certain conditions had been met; it is formed using the conditional of avoir or être plus the past participle.
- Subjunctive Mood
  Introduction to the French subjunctive mood
  - Present Subjunctive
    The French present subjunctive tense, its uses, formation rules, and examples to express doubt, emotion, desire, and necessity.
  - Past Subjunctive
    The past subjunctive in French expresses doubt, emotion, or necessity about actions that have already been completed.
Verbal Aspects
Explore the French verbal aspects that describe the nature of actions in time, including the imperfective, perfective, and habitual aspects.
- Perfect Tenses
  French perfect tense overview, including formation, usage rules, and differences between passé composé and plus-que-parfait.
- Progressive Tenses (être en train de)
  Progressive tenses in French using the expression "être en train de" to describe ongoing actions.
Infinitives
Introduction to French infinitives
- Uses and Structure
  French infinitive, including its uses, structures, and examples across tenses and moods.
Imperative Mood
The imperative mood in French is used to give commands, make requests, or offer invitations. It has three forms for the subjects tu, nous, and vous.
- Affirmative Commands
  Affirmative commands in French, along with examples for regular and irregular verbs, and key grammar rules for usage.
- Negative Commands
  Negative commands in French show how to tell someone not to do something. They use the imperative mood along with “ne ... pas” (or other negative words) around the verb.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

French

Verbs

A1

A2

B1

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