French tenses and moods
Choose a tense to see when it is used and open conjugation tables for common verbs.
Présent: present
Use it for current actions, habits and general facts.
Je travaille à la maison.
I work at home.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Présent: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationPassé composé: completed past action
Use it to say what happened: a completed action or event in the past. Form it with avoir or être in the present plus the past participle.
Hier, j’ai acheté un livre.
Yesterday I bought a book.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Passé composé: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationImparfait: past habits and descriptions
Use it for past habits, descriptions and actions in progress. In a story it often sets the scene for an event in the passé composé.
Quand j’étais enfant, je lisais beaucoup.
When I was a child, I used to read a lot.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Imparfait: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationPlus-que-parfait: past perfect
Use it for an action completed before another past event. Form it with avoir or être in the imparfait plus the past participle.
J’avais fini quand elle est arrivée.
I had finished when she arrived.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Plus-que-parfait: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationFutur simple: future
Use it for future actions, promises and predictions. Many common verbs have an irregular future stem.
Demain, nous partirons tôt.
Tomorrow we will leave early.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Futur simple: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationFutur antérieur: future perfect
Use it for something that will have happened by a future point. It can also express a guess about a past event.
Quand vous arriverez, j’aurai fini.
When you arrive, I will have finished.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Futur antérieur: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationPassé simple: literary past
This is a narrative past tense used mainly in literature and historical writing. In conversation, the passé composé usually takes its place.
Il ouvrit la porte.
He opened the door.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Passé simple: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationPassé antérieur: literary past perfect
This literary compound tense describes an event completed before an event in the passé simple, often after dès que or lorsque.
Dès qu’il eut fini, il sortit.
As soon as he had finished, he went out.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Passé antérieur: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationConditionnel présent: present conditional
Use it for hypothetical actions, wishes and polite requests. It can also express the future viewed from the past.
Je voudrais un café.
I would like a coffee.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Conditionnel présent: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationConditionnel passé: past conditional
Use it for a hypothetical past action, a regret or an unconfirmed report. Form it with the conditional of avoir or être plus the past participle.
Si j’avais eu le temps, je serais venu.
If I had had time, I would have come.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Conditionnel passé: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationSubjonctif présent: present subjunctive
Use it after expressions that require the subjunctive, including many expressions of necessity, wishes, feelings and doubt. Learn the French construction, not just its English translation.
Il faut que vous veniez.
You need to come.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Subjonctif présent: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationSubjonctif passé: past subjunctive
Use it in subjunctive constructions for an action completed before the relevant moment.
Je suis content que vous ayez réussi.
I am glad you succeeded.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Subjonctif passé: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationSubjonctif imparfait: literary imperfect subjunctive
This is a literary subjunctive form associated with a past main clause. Modern conversation normally uses the present subjunctive instead.
Il fallait qu’elle fût présente.
She had to be present.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Subjonctif imparfait: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugationImpératif présent: imperative
Use it for requests, advice and commands. There are forms for tu, nous and vous, without the subject pronoun before the verb.
Ouvrez votre livre.
Open your book.
Conjugation tables: être, avoir, aller, faire, dire, vouloir, savoir, devoir, voir.
Impératif présent: 20 common French verbs
Practise conjugation