Verbs - Essential French Grammar

Essential French Grammar (2012)

Verbs

Comparison of English and French Verbs

English verbs are rather simple to learn. They require very few changes of endings, and the ones which are required are relatively uniform. For example, the present tense of the verb “to sing” is: I sing; you sing; he, she, it sings; we sing; you (PL.) sing; they sing.

French verbs are more complex. French verbs require more endings which vary according to the person and number of the subject. There are three main types of verbs or conjugations, and most verbs may be used correctly by following the model or sample verb for that conjugation. The three conjugations are:

MODEL VERB

IST CONJ.

verbs whose infinitive4 ends in -er

parler (to speak)

2ND CONJ.

verbs whose infinitive ends in -ir

finir (to finish)

3RD CONJ.

verbs whose infinitive ends in -re

vendre (to sell)

The great majority of French verbs belong to the 1st conjugation and, with very few exceptions, the verbs in this conjugation are regular, that is, they take endings or are conjugated exactly the way the model verb parler is conjugated.

The Present Tense

Comparison of Present Tense in French and English

Although we are usually not aware of it, in English we have three different ways of expressing an action in the present. We can say “I walk,” or (progressive) “I am walking,” or (emphatic) “I do walk.” There are slight shades of meaning which distinguish these forms. In French, however, there is only one way of expressing an action in the present, and this one way conveys all the meanings of the three English constructions.

1st Conjugation Verbs (Infinitive ending -er)

parler (to speak)

je parle

I speak, am speaking

tu parles

you (FAM. SING.) speak, are speaking

il (elle) parle

he (she) speaks, is speaking

nous parlons

we speak, are speaking

vous parlez

you speak, are speaking

ils (elles) parlent

they speak, are speaking

Several points should be noted:

1. The tu form is the familiar singular, used only to address close friends, close relatives (such as members of one’s family), children, and animals. A tourist will probably have no occasion to use this form and should always use vous, which can refer to both singular and plural subjects, the same as the pronoun “you” in English.

2. All the singular forms and the third person plural (je parle, tu parses, il parle, ils parlent) are pronounced alike.

3. The first person plural (the nous form) of all verbs of all conjugations and in all tenses, with only one exception (nous sommes, we are), ends in -ons:

4. The vous form of all verbs in all tenses, with very few exceptions, ends in -ez.

5. The third person plural (ils and elles) form of all verbs in all tenses without exception ends in -nt.

2nd Conjugation Verbs (Infinitive ending -ir)

finir (to finish)

je finis

I finish, am finishing

tu finis

you finish, are finishing

il (elle) finit

he (she) finishes, is finishing

nous finissons

we finish, are finishing

vous finissez

you finish, are finishing

ils (elles) finissent

they finish, are finishing

Notes on the second conjugation:

1. All the singular forms (je finis, tu finis, il finit) are pronounced alike.

2. The plural endings are the same as for the 1st conjugation (-ons, -ez, -ent) except that -iss- is placed before them.

3. There are not many verbs that follow the pattern of finir. The following are the most important and probably the only ones a tourist is likely to need:

bâtir (to build)

remplir (to fill)

choisir (to choose)

réussir (to succeed)

4. Two common verbs ending in -ir are conjugated like 1st conjugation verbs.

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5. A number of important verbs ending in -ir are irregular and are discussed in the irregular verb section, p. 34.

3rd Conjugation Verbs (Infinitive ending -re)

vendre (to sell)

je vends

I sell, am selling

tu vends

you sell, are selling

il (elle) vend

he (she) sells, is selling

nous vendons

we sell, are selling

vous vendez

you sell, are selling

ils (elles) vendent

they sell, are selling

Notes on the third conjugation:

1. All the singular forms are pronounced alike (je vends, tu vends, il vend).

2. The plural endings are the same as for the ist conjugation (-ons, -ez, -ent).

3. There are not many verbs that follow exactly the pattern of vendre. The following are the most important:5

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4. A number of important -re verbs are irregular and are discussed in the irregular verb section which follows.

The Present Tense of Common Irregular Verbs

The following irregular verbs are so frequently used that the student will do well to memorize their forms.

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The Command or Imperative Form

How to Form Commands

The command form (“Speak!”) is the vous form of the present tense of the verb without the subject pronoun.

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The command is usually softened by adding s’il vous plaît (please).

Parlez plus haut, s’il vous plaît.
Speak louder, please.

Descendez vite, s‘il vous plaît.
Come down quickly, please.

How to Avoid the Command Form

A substitute for the command form is the use of the vous form of the verb vouloir (to wish, want) plus the infinitive of the working verb in the normal question word order (see rule 2, page 17). The word bien is often inserted after the word vous to soften the statement. This construction is equivalent to the English phrase “Will you please ... ?”

Voulez-vous (bien) parlez plus haut?
Will you please speak louder?

Voulez-vous (bien) laisser la clé?
Will you please leave the key?

First Person Plural Commands

The first person plural command “Let’s speak!” is the present tense of the verb without the subject pronoun nous.

Allons! (Let’s go!)

Lisons! (Let’s read!)

Bâtissons! (Let’s build!)

Ouvrons! (Let’s open!)

Irregular Command Forms

The verb être (to be) has irregular command forms:

Soyez ici à quatre heures.

Be here at four o‘clock.

Soyons heureux.

Let’s be happy.

The Passé Composé or Past Indefinite Tense

Comparison of the Past Indefinite Tense in French and English

French, like English, has several ways of expressing a past event. The past tense which is most important and most useful in French is called le passé composé. It corresponds to the English simple past (I spoke, I finished, I bought) as well as to the English present perfect (I have spoken, I have finished, I have bought).

How to Form the Passé Composé and the Past Participle

The passé composé of most verbs is formed by using the present tense of the verb avoir (to have) and the past participle. This is very similar to the way in which the present perfect tense in English is formed. The past participle ends in for the first conjugation verbs (parler, parlé), in -i for the second conjugation verbs (finir, fini), and in -u for the third conjugation verbs (vendre, vendu).

Study the following models:

IST CONJ. VERBS

(visiter—to visit)

j‘ai visité

I visited, have visited

tu as visité

you visited, have visited

il (elle) a visité

he (she) visited, has visited

nous avons visité

we visited, have visited

vous avez visité

you visited, have visited

ils (elles) ont visité

they visited, have visited

2ND CONJ. VERBS

(choisir—to choose)

j’ai choisi

I chose, have chosen

tu as choisi

you chose, have chosen

il (elle) a choisi

he (she) chose, has chosen

nous avons choisi

we chose, have chosen

vous avez choisi

you chose, have chosen

ils (elles) ont choisi

they chose, have chosen

3RD CONJ. VERBS

(perdre—to lose)

j‘ai perdu

I lost, have lost

tu as perdu

you lost, have lost

il (elle) a perdu

he (she) lost, has lost

nous avons perdu

we lost, have lost

vous avez perdu

you lost, have lost

ils (elles) ont perdu

they lost, have lost

Verbs with Irregular Past Participles

INFINITIVE

PAST PARTICIPLE

s’asseoir (to be seated)

assis (seated)

avoir (to have)

eu (had)

boire (to drink)

bu (drunk)

conduire (to conduct)

conduit (conducted)

connaître (to know)

connu (known)

courir (to run)

couru (run)

croire (to believe)

cru (believed)

devoir (to owe; must)

dû (ought)

dire (to say, tell)

dit (said, told)

être (to be)

été (been)

écrire (to write)

écrit (written)

faire (to do, make)

fait (done, made)

lire (to read)

lu (read)

mettre (to put)

mis (put)

mourir (to die)

mort (died)

naître (to be born)

né (born)

offrir (to offer)

offert (offered)

ouvrir (to open)

ouvert (opened)

partir (to leave)

parti (left)

pouvoir (to be able)

pu (been able)

prendre (to take)

pris (taken)

recevoir (to receive)

reçu (received)

rire (laugh)

ri (laughed)

savoir (to know)

su (known)

venir (to come)

venu (come)

voir (to see)

vu (seen)

vouloir (to wish, want)

voulu (wished, wanted)

How to Use the Passé Composé

Study the following sentences which contain examples of the past tense:

Nous avons dépensé beaucoup d’argent.
We spent (have spent) a lot of money.

J‘ai déjà reçu l’invitation.
I have already received the invitation.

Elle a été malade la semaine dernière.
She was ill last week.

Verbs Which Form Their Compound Tenses Using être as the Auxiliary Verb

The following sixteen verbs use être and not avoir as the auxiliary verb to form the passé composé and other compound tenses.6

aller (to go)

arriver (to arrive)

descendre (to descend)

devenir (to become)

entrer (to enter)

monter (to go up)

mourir (to die)

naître (to be born)

partir (to leave)

rentrer (to return)

rester (to remain)

retourner (to return)

revenir (to come back)

sortir (to go out)

tomber (to fall)

venir (to come)

The past participle of verbs conjugated with être as the auxiliary verb change endings so as to agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb. If the subject is feminine singular, an -e is added to the past participle. If the subject is masculine plural, a -s is added, and if it is feminine plural an -es is added. (These changes do not affect pronunciation, however, except in the case of the verb mourir, past participle: mort, morts, morte, mortes. The addition of the -e in the feminine singular and plural forms causes the t to be sounded.)

Study the conjugation of the verb sortir in the passé composé. Observe the changes which the past participle makes in order to agree in gender and number with the subject.

sortir (to leave, go out)

je suis sorti

I (MASC.) left, have left

je suis sortie

I (FEM.) left, have left

tu es sorti

you (MASC. FAM.) left, have left

tu es sortie

you (FEM. FAM.) left, have left

il est sorti

he left, has left

elle est sortie

she left, has left

nous sommes sortis

we (MASC. PL. or MASC. and FEM. PL.) left, have left

nous sommes sorties

we (FEM. PL.) left, have left

vous êtes sorti

you (MASC. SING.) left, have left

vous êtes sortie

you (FEM. SING.) left, have left

vous êtes sortis

you (MASC. PL. or MASC. and FEM. PL.) left, have left

vous êtes sorties

you (FEM. PL.) left, have left

ils sont sortis

they (MASC. PL. or MASC. and FEM. PL.) left, have left

elles sont sorties

they (FEM. PL.) left, have left

Ils sont arrivés hier et sont allés tout de suite au consulat américain.
They arrived yesterday and went at once to the American consulate.

Nous sommes restés longtemps.
We stayed a long time.

How to Use ne ... pas with Compound Tenses

To make a sentence negative in the passé composé or any other compound tense, surround the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) by ne ... pas. (Remember that ne contracts to n’ before a vowel.)

Je n’ai pas encore payé la note.
I haven’t paid the bill yet.

Elles ne sont pas arrivées à temps.
They (FEM.) did not arrive on time.

How to Form Questions in Compound Tenses

To make a sentence involving a compound tense negative, either use est-ce que as in the present tense (see p. 17), or place the auxiliary verb before the subject and connect it to the subject by a hyphen. Note that a -t- is inserted in the third person singular of verbs conjugated with avoir.

Est-ce que vous avez commencé le roman?
Have you begun the novel?

or

Avez-vous commencé le roman?
Have you begun the novel?

Est-ce qu‘il a bien travaillé?
Did he work well?

or

A-t-il bien travaillé?
Did he work well?

Est-ce qu‘elle est rentrée de bonne heure?
Did she come back early?

or

Est-elle rentrée de bonne heure?
Did she come back early?

The Imperfect Tense

How to Form the Imperfect Tense

Another past tense in French is the imperfect. It is used to express what was happening or what used to happen. It is formed by dropping the -ons of the first person plural of the present tense (nous parl-ons, nous finiss-ons, nous attend-ons), and adding the following endings:

(je) -ais

(nous) -ions

(tu) -ais

(vous) -iez

(il, elle) -ait

(ils, elles) -aient

Study the following models:

IST CONJ. VERBS

(parler—to speak)

je parlais

I spoke, used to speak, was speaking

tu parlais

you spoke, used to speak, were speaking

il (elle) parlait

he (she) spoke, used to speak, was speaking

nous parlions

we spoke, used to speak, were speaking

vous parliez

you spoke, used to speak, were speaking

ils (elles) parlaient

they spoke, used to speak, were speaking

2ND CONJ. VERBS

(finir—to finish)

je finissais

I finished, used to finish, was finishing

tu finissais

you finished, used to finish, were finishing

il (elle) finissait

he (she) finished, used to finish, was finishing

nous finissions

we finished, used to finish, were finishing

vous finissiez

you finished, used to finish, were finishing

ils (elles) finissaient

they finished, used to finish, were finishing

3RD CONJ. VERBS

(attendre—to wait)

j‘attendais

I waited, used to wait, was waiting

tu attendais

you waited, used to wait, were waiting

il (elle) attendait

he (she) waited, used to wait, was waiting

nous attendions

we waited, used to wait, were waiting

vous attendiez

you waited, used to wait, were waiting

ils (elles) attendaient

they waited, used to wait, were waiting

Observations about the imperfect:

1. All the singular forms and the third person plural (-ais, -ais, -ait, -aient) are pronounced alike.

2. The endings of the first and second persons plural (-ions, -iez) are the same as in the present tense except for the insertion of the i before the ending.

3. The only irregular verb in the imperfect tense is être (to be). Être uses the stem ét-, to which the regular imperfect endings are added (j’étais, tu étais, il (elle) était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils (elles) étaient).

How to Use the Imperfect Tense

The following sentences will show you the difference between the imperfect and the passé composé. Note that the imperfect describes actions which used to happen, repeatedly or regularly, or actions which were taking placewhen something else happened. The passé composé, on the other hand, is used to describe single rather than repeated actions, and generally actions which are considered completed.

I used to see him every day.

Je le voyais tous les jours. (imperfect)

I saw him yesterday.

Je l’ai vu hier. (passé composé)

What were you doing when he called you?

Que faisiez-vous (imperfect) quand il vous a téléphoné? (passé composé)

What did you do when he called you?

Qu‘avez-vous fait (passé composé) quand il vous a téléphoné? (passé composé)

I did not have a lot of money when I was young.

Je n‘avais pas (imperfect) beaucoup d’argent quand j’étais (imperfect) jeune.

Certain verbs which by their very nature express an attitude or a condition rather than an action, use the imperfect more frequently than the passé composé. The following are the most important:

avoir

(to have)

croire

(to believe)

désirer

(to desire, want)

espérer

(to hope)

être

(to be)

penser

(to think)

pouvoir

(to be able)

savoir

(to know)

vouloir

(to want, wish)

Il croyait que nous n‘avions pas I’argent.
He thought we did not have the money.

Je voulais la voir.
I wanted to see her.

Je ne savais pas s‘ils pouvaient venir.
I didn’t know if they could come.

The Pluperfect Tense

The pluperfect tense (in English, had plus the past participle) in French is formed with the imperfect of avoir (or être for the verbs which are conjugated with être [see p. 39]) and the past participle. The French pluperfect corresponds in usage to English. It is not extremely important for a beginner since the passé composé will convey the meaning adequately.

Study the following models:

(prendre—to take)

j‘avais pris

I had taken

tu avais pris

you had taken

il (elle) avait pris

he (she) had taken

nous avions pris

we had taken

vous aviez pris

you had taken

ils (elles) avaient pris

they had taken

(tomber—to fall)

j’étais tombé (tombée7)

I had fallen

tu étais tombé (tombée)

you had fallen

il était tombé

he had fallen

elle était tombée

she had fallen

nous étions tombés (tombées)

we had fallen

vous étiez tombé (tombée) (tombés) (tombées)

you had fallen

ils étaient tombés

they had fallen

elles étaient tombées

they had fallen

Here are some examples of the usage of the pluperfect tense.

Je n‘avais jamais été en Europe.
I had never been to Europe.

Elle était partie avant leur arrivée.
She had left before their arrival.

The Future Tense

The Future Tense of Regular Verbs

The future tense (in English, will or shall plus the infinitive) is formed in French by adding the following endings to the infinitive form of the verb:

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Study the following models, and notice that 3rd conjugation verbs drop the final -e of the infinitive before the future endings are attached.

IST CONJ. VERBS

(donner—to give)

je donnerai

I shall give

tu donneras

you will give

il (elle) donnera

he (she) will give

nous donnerons

we shall give

vous donnerez

you will give

ils (elles) donneront

they will give

2ND CONJ. VERBS

(bâtir—to build)

je bâtirai

I shall build

tu bâtiras

you will build

il (elle) bâtira

he (she) will build

nous bâtirons

we shall build

vous bâtirez

you will build

ils (elles) bâtiront

they will build

3RD CONJ. VERBS

(rendre—to give back)

je rendrai

I shall give back

tu rendras

you will give back

il (elle) rendra

he (she) will give back

nous rendrons

we shall give back

vous rendrez

you will give back

ils (elles) rendront

they will give back

The Future Tense of Irregular Verbs

All verbs, both regular and irregular, use the endings given above to form the furture tense, but with the following important verbs these ending are added to irregular stems, insted of to the infinitive. You should become familiar with these irregular futures.

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How to Use the Future Tense

Study the following sentences illustrating the use of the future, which corresponds in general to English:

Qu‘est-ce que vous ferez demain?
What will you do tomorrow?

Nous reviendrons de bonne heure parce que nous irons au théâtre le soir.

We shall return early because we shall go to the theater in the evening.

Quand partirez-vous pour Nice?
When will you leave for Nice?

How to Avoid the Future Tense

It is often correct to use the present tense instead of the future tense, sometimes indicating the idea of future action by such words as “next week,” “tomorrow,” etc.

Qu’est-ce que vous faites demain?
What are you doing (will you do) tomorrow?

Je pars pour Nice lundi.
I leave (shall leave) for Nice on Monday.

In English we often say “I am going to go,” instead of “I shall go.” Similarly, in French, one may use the present tense of the verb aller (to go) plus the infinitive of the other verb.

Qu’est-ce que vous allez faire?
What are you going to do?

Je vais étudier, et après je vais me reposer un peu.
I am going to study, and afterwards I am going to rest a little.

The Conditional Tenses

How to Form the Conditional Tense

The conditional tense is expressed in English by the word “would” plus the infinitive (e.g. I would go, they would come). The past conditional is expressed by the words “would have” plus the past participle (e.g. She would have answered, we would have seen).

To form the conditional in French, we add the endings of the imperfect tense (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient) to the entire infinitive of first and second conjugation verbs, but to the infinitive minus the final -e of third conjugation verbs.

(manger—to eat)

je mangerais

I would eat

tu mangerais

you would eat

il (elle) mangerait

he (she) would eat

nous mangerions

we would eat

vous mangeriez

you would eat

ils (elles) mangeraient

they would eat

Irregalar Verbs

Verbs that have an irregular stem in the future (see p. 47) have the same stem for the conditional:

INFINITIVE

CONDITIONAL

aller (to go)

j‘irais (I would go)

avoir (to have)

j’aurais (I would have)

devoir (must, ought)

je devrais (I ought)

envoyer (to send)

j‘enverrais (I would send)

être (to be)

je serais (I would be)

faire (to do, make)

je ferais (I would make, would do)

pouvoir (to be able)

je pourrais (I would be able)

recevoir (to receive)

je recevrais (I would receive)

savoir (to know)

je saurais (I would know)

venir (to come)

je viendrais (I would come)

voir (to see)

je verrais (I would see)

vouloir (to want, wish)

je voudrais (I would want, would like)

How to Form the Past Conditional Tense

To form the past conditional, use the conditional of avoir (or être with the special être verbs, listed on page 39), plus the past participle. Remember that the past participle of verbs conjugated with être agrees in gender and number with the subject (see p. 40).

(acheter—to buy)

j‘aurais acheté

I would have bought

tu aurais acheté

you would have bought

il (elle) aurait acheté

he (she) would have bought

nous aurions acheté

we would have bought

vous auriez acheté

you would have bought

ils (elles) auraient acheté

they would have bought

(revenir—to return, come back)

je serais revenu (fem. revenue)

I would have returned

tu serais revenu (fem. revenue)

you would have returned

il serait revenu

he would have returned

elle serait revenue

she would have returned

nous serions revenus (fem. revenues)

we would have returned

vous seriez revenue (fem. sing.

revenue) (masc. pl. revenus)

(fem. pl. revenues)

you would have returned

ils seraient revenus

they would have returned

elles seraient revenues

they would have returned

How to Use the Conditional Tenses

Here are some sentences containing conditionals and past conditionals:

Je voudrais parler avec le gérant.
I would like to speak with the manager.

Si j‘avais assez d’argent, j’irais en Italie.
If I had enough money, I would go to Italy.

Je n’aurais jamais fait cela.
I would never have done that.

Nous serions arrivés à temps si elle n’était pas venue en retard.
We would have arrived on time if she had not come late.

In the second sentence, note that when we use the conditional (j‘irais) in the main clause, the imperfect (j’avais) is used in the si or “if” clause. In the last sentence, we use the past conditional (nous serions arrivés) in the main clause and the pluperfect (elle était venue) in the si (“if”) clause.

Reflexive Verbs

Comparison of Reflexive Verbs in English and French

In English we say: I get up, I wash, I shave, I dress. The action of each of these verbs refers back to the subject, and these phrases might also be expressed: I get myself up, I wash myself, I shave myself, I dress myself. In French these verbs are reflexive verbs and must be used with special reflexive pronouns:

me8 (myself, to or for myself)

te8 (yourself, to or for yourself)

se8 (himself, herself, itself, themselves, to or for himself, herself, itself, themselves)

nous (ourselves, to or for ourselves)

vous (yourself, yourselves, to or for yourself, yourselves)

In French, the phrases given in the first paragraph of this section would be: Je me lève, je me lave, je me rase, je m‘habille.

The infinitive of reflexive verbs is preceded by the reflexive pronoun se (or, if the verb begins with a vowel or silent h, by s‘): se lever (to get up), se laver (to wash), s’habiller (to dress), etc.

Conjugation of Reflexive Verbs

All reflexive verbs form their compound tenses using être as the auxiliary verb. The reflexive pronoun is placed immediately in front of the verb itself, except in affirmative commands, when it follows the verb to which it is attached by a hyphen.

The typical reflexive verb se dépêcher (to hurry) will serve to illustrate the conjugation of a reflexive verb in its most important tenses.

PRESENT TENSE

(se dépêcher—to hurry)

je me dépêche

I hurry

tu te dépêches

you hurry

il (elle) se dépêche

he (she) hurries

nous nous dépêchons

we hurry

vous vous dépêchez

you hurry

ils (elles) se dépêchent

they hurry

PASSÉ COMPOSÉ TENSE

je me suis dépêché (fem. dépêchée)

I hurried

tu t‘es dépêché (fem. dépêchée)

you hurried

il s’est dépêché

he hurried

elle s‘est dépêchée

she hurried

nous nous sommes dépêchés (fem. dépêchées)

we hurried

vous vous êtes dépêché (fem. sing. dépêchée)

(masc. pl. dépêchés) (fem. pl. dépêchées)

you hurried

ils se sont dépêchés

they hurried

elles se sont dépêchées

they hurried

FUTURE TENSE

je me dépêcherai

I shall hurry

tu te dépêcheras

you will hurry

il (elle) se dépêchera

he (she) will hurry

nous nous dépêcherons

we shall hurry

vous vous dépêcherez

you will hurry

ils (elles) se dépêcheront

they will hurry

COMMAND FORM

Dépêchez-vous!

Hurry!

Ne vous dépêchez pas!

Don’t hurry!

Dépêchons-nous!

Let’s hurry!

Ne nous dépêchons pas!

Let’s not hurry!

Important Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are far more popular in French than in English. Here is a list of the practically indispensable ones:

s’amuser (to have a good time)
s‘appeler (to be called, named)
s’asseoir (to sit down)
se coucher (to go to bed)
se dépêcher (to hurry)
s‘habiller (to get dressed)
se laver (to wash)
se lever (to get up)
se porter (to be, feel [health])
se raser (to shave)
se taire (to be quiet)
se trouver (to be located)

Most reflexive verbs may also be used without reflexive pronouns. For example, laver means “to wash (someone or something),” appeler means “to call (someone or something),” raser means “to shave (someone),” etc.

How to Use Reflexive Verbs

Study the following sentences, which further illustrate the use of reflexive verbs:

Le coiffeur ne m‘a pas bien rasé. (not refl.)
The barber did not shave me well.

Je me rase tous les jours. (refl.)
I shave every day.

Je vais appeler Henri. (not refl.)
I am going to call Henry.

Je m’appelle Georges. (refl.)
My name is George.

Asseyez-vous ici, s’il vous plaît. (refl.)
Sit down here, please.

Je me lave les mains et la figure avant de m’habiller.
(refl)
I wash my hands and face before dressing.

The Passive Voice

How to Form the Passive Voice

The passive in English (to be with a past participle) is usually similarly formed in French with the auxiliary verb être plus the past participle. This construction occurs most frequently in the passé composé (use passé composé of être plus past participle) and future (use future of être plus past participle).

Ces lettres ont été écrites9 par mon frère.
These letters were written by my brother.

Un grand édifice sera construit ici par le gouvernement.
A tall building will be constructed here by the government.

The English passive sometimes expresses an indefinite idea, such as: it is said that he is rich, meaning “people say,” “one says,” “they say.” In such cases, French does not use the passive construction, but rather the popular pronoun on (one) and the active form of the verb.

On dit qu’il est riche.

On parle anglais ici.

[One says that he is rich.]

[One speaks English here.]

It is said that he is rich.

English is spoken here.

Occasionally the English passive is translated by a reflexive in French:

Cela ne se fait pas.
[That does not do itself.]
That is not done.

The Present Participle

In French, the present participle is formed by adding -ant to the stem of the first person plural of the present tense: nous parlons, parlant; nous finissons, finissant; nous vendons, vendant.

In English we often use the present participle after a preposition, as in phrases like “before leaving,” “after eating,” “without thinking.” The only preposition in French which is followed by the present participle is en (on, upon, while, by):

en entrant (upon entering)
en voyageant (while traveling, by traveling)

All other prepositions are followed by the infinitive form of the verb:

avant de partir (before leaving)
pour travailler (in order to work)
sans parler (without speaking)

Prepositions and Infinitives

Some French verbs require the preposition à or de before a following infinitive, while others are followed by the infinitive directly without an intervening preposition. You will no doubt have noticed this while listening to your Listen & Learn course. Become familiar with the most popular verbs given below, and the preposition they require, if any, before an infinitive.

Verbs Which Require à before the Infinitive

Some of the most frequently used verbs which require the preposition d before an infinitive are:

apprendre (to learn) commencer (to begin)
aider (to help) inviter (to invite)
enseigner (to teach)

Here are some sentences using the above verbs:

Nous apprenons à lire et à écrire.
We are learning to read and write.

Il m’enseigne à nager.
He is teaching me to swim.

Il nous a invités à dîner chez lui.
He invited us to dine at his house.

Nous commençons à comprendre.
We are beginning to understand.

Je vous aiderai à le faire.
I shall help you do it.

Verbs Which Require de before the Infinitive

The following verbs are among the most common which require the preposition de before an infinitive:

cesser (to stop)

tâcher (to try)

décider (to decide)

se garder (to take care not to)

défendre (to forbid)

manquer (to fail)

demander (to ask)

oublier (to forget)

dire (to tell)

promettre (to promise)

empêcher (to prevent)

refuser (to refuse)

essayer (to try)

se souvenir (to remember)

Study the following models:

Est-ce qu’il a cessé de pleuvoir?
Has it stopped raining?

II est défendu de faire cela.
It is forbidden to do that.

Ne manquez pas d’y aller.
Don’t fail to go there.

Je me garderai de le lui dire.
I shall be careful not to tell it to him.

Il a promis qu’il tâcherait de venir.
He promised that he would try to come.

Verbs Followed Directly by the Infinitive

Many verbs in French are followed by the infinitive form of the verb and do not use either à or de. The most important are:

vouloir (to want, wish)

savoir (to know how to)

désirer (to want, desire)

pouvoir (to be able to, can)

aimer (to like)

il faut (it is necessary)

aimer mieux (to prefer)

compter (to intend)

préférer (to prefer)

oser (to dare)

aller (to be going to)

laisser (to let, allow)

devoir (must, ought)

envoyer (to send)

Examine the following examples:

Je compte revenir ici l’année prochaine.
I intend to come back here next year.

Nous ne voulons pas le faire.
We do not want to do it.

Laissez-moi parler.
Let me speak.

Envoyez chercher le médecin.
Send for the doctor.

Je n’oserais pas aller si loin si je ne savais. pas nager.
I wouldn’t dare (to) go so far if I did not know how to swim.

The Subjunctive

Though little used in English, the subjunctive is frequent and important in French. We are presenting briefly its formation and main uses, primarily for recognition when you see it or hear it rather than for active use.

The Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive for most verbs is formed by taking the third person plural (the ils and elles form) of the present indicative (pp. 30-33), dropping the -ent, and adding -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent:

INFINITIVE

3RD PERS. PL.

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

parler (to speak)

parlent

parle, parles, parle, parlions, parliez, parlent

finir (to finish)

finissent

finisse, finisses, finisse, finissions, finissiez, finissent

vendre (to sell)

vendent

vende, vendes, vende, vendions, vendiez, vendent

The following important verbs, although using the standard endings, do not follow the rule. When one is first beginning to speak French, it is probably best not to try to memorize these forms, but only to become familiar with them so that one recognizes them when one hears them.

aller (to go)

aille, ailles, aille, allions, alliez, aillent

faire (to do, make)

fasse, fasses, fasse, fassions, fassiez, fassent

pouvoir (to be able)

puisse, puisses, puisse, puissions, puissiez, puissent

prendre (to take)

prenne, prennes, prenne, prenions, preniez, prennent

recevoir (to receive)

reçoive, reçoives, reçoive, recevions, receviez, reçoivent

savoir (to know)

sache, saches, sache, sachions, sachiez, sachent

venir (to come)

vienne, viennes, vienne, venions, veniez, viennent

The Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive, for a completed action, is formed by using the present subjunctive of avoir or être (see p. 39 for être verbs) before the past participle of the main verb:10

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Uses of the Subjunctive

The main uses of the subjunctive are as follows:

1. After the verb “to want” (vouloir, désirer) when there is a change of subject in the subordinate clause:

Je veux que vous le fassiez.
[I want that you do it.]
I want you to do it.

But not when the subject is the same:

Je veux faire ceci.
I want to do this.

2. After expressions of emotion (regretter, to be sorry; être content, to be glad; être surpris, to be surprised; etc.):

Nous sommes surpris qu’elle ait dit cela.
We are surprised that she said that.

Je regrette qu’ils soient partis.
I am sorry that they left.

3. After the verb “to doubt” (douter) :

Je doute qu’il le sache.
I doubt that he knows it.

4. After certain impersonal expressions (il faut, it is necessary; il est possible, it is possible; etc.) :

II faut que vous y alliez ce soir.
[It is necessary that you go there this evening.]
You must go there this evening.

5. After certain conjunctions (bien que or quoique, although; pour que, so that; avant que, before; pourvu que, provided; etc.):

Dites-moi tout avant qu’il vienne.
Tell me everything before he comes.