Interactive journey
Master the French Verb Tenses
Five moods, more than twenty tenses. We break them into clear chapters — from everyday indicative to the literary forms — with timelines, tables and drills so it finally clicks.
Chapter 1 · Facts & reality
The Indicative
The indicative is the everyday mood — it states facts and describes what really happens, happened, or will happen. These are the tenses you will use most, so they are the foundation for everything that follows.
Where each tense sits in time
Présent
Most commonWhat is happening now, or general truths.
Verb stem + present endings (-e/-es/-e… for -er verbs).
Je parle français.
I speak French.
Passé composé
Most commonA completed action in the past.
Present of avoir or être + past participle.
J'ai parlé au roi.
I spoke to the king.
Imparfait
CommonOngoing, habitual or background actions in the past.
Nous-stem + imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait…).
Je parlais chaque jour.
I used to speak every day.
Plus-que-parfait
CommonAn action that happened before another past action.
Imperfect of avoir or être + past participle.
J'avais déjà parlé.
I had already spoken.
Futur simple
CommonWhat will happen.
Infinitive + future endings (-ai, -as, -a…).
Je louerai une maison.
I will rent a house.
Futur antérieur
CommonWhat will have happened before a future point.
Future of avoir or être + past participle.
J’aurai parlé avant midi.
I will have spoken before noon.
Passé simple
LiteraryA completed past action — but only in writing.
Verb stem + passé simple endings.
Il parla longuement.
He spoke at length.
Chapter 2 · Emotion & uncertainty
The Subjunctive
The subjunctive expresses emotions and things that are possible but not certain. It only appears in sentences with two clauses, and is always introduced by qui or que — “that (someone) (does something).” You really only need the present and past; the other two are literary.
Présent du subjonctif
CommonPossibility, wish or emotion in the present.
Que + verb stem + subjunctive endings (-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent).
Il faut que je goûte le dîner du roi.
It’s necessary that I taste the king’s dinner.
Passé du subjonctif
CommonA completed action viewed with emotion or doubt.
Que + subjunctive present of avoir/être + past participle.
Je suis heureux que tu aies mentionné cela.
I’m glad that you brought this up.
Imparfait du subjonctif
LiterarySame idea as the present subjunctive, in older writing.
Que + passé-simple (il) stem + unique imperfect subjunctive endings.
Il était urgent qu’il changeât ses pneus.
It was urgent that he change his tires.
Plus-que-parfait du subjonctif
LiteraryA completed past action with doubt, in literary style.
Que + imperfect subjunctive of avoir/être + past participle.
Il ne pensait pas que vous eussiez lu sa lettre.
He did not think that you had read his letter.
Good news
Chapter 3 · The “would” mood
The Conditional
The conditional is all about “would” — what someone would do, or would have done. The présent and passé (I) are genuinely useful; the second passé (II) is literary only.
Conditionnel présent
CommonWhat someone would do (but hasn’t).
Infinitive + conditional endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).
Je louerais une maison.
I would rent a house.
Conditionnel passé (I)
CommonWhat someone would have done, but didn’t.
Conditional present of avoir/être + past participle.
Tu serais sorti.
You would have gone out.
Conditionnel passé (II)
LiterarySame meaning as passé (I), reserved for literature.
Imperfect subjunctive of avoir/être + past participle.
Nous eussions parlé.
We would have talked.
Chapter 4 · Commands
The Imperative
Imperatives are commands — “speak,” “sit,” “propose to me tonight.” They only exist for tu, nous and vous, because a command has to be aimed at someone directly.
Impératif présent
CommonA direct command in the present. (The tu form drops its -s.)
Present-tense conjugation for tu / nous / vous.
Parle ! Allons ! Demandez en mariage !
Speak! Let’s go! Propose!
Impératif passé
RareA command to have done something first — almost never used.
Subjunctive present of avoir/être + past participle.
Aie lavé les mains avant mon retour.
Have washed your hands before I get back.
Chapter 5 · Forms that never change
The Impersonal
Impersonal forms — infinitives and participles — do not change with the subject. They are the neutral building blocks that appear inside many other tenses.
Infinitif présent
Most commonA verb’s most neutral form: “to (verb).”
The dictionary form itself.
laver, manger, tenir, avoir
to wash, to eat, to hold, to have
Participe passé
Most commonThe past form used across many compound tenses — like adding “-ed.”
-er → é, -ir → i, -re → u (plus many irregulars).
parlé, fini, entendu
spoken, finished, heard
Chapter 6 · Reference tables
Conjugations & drills
The endings and irregulars worth committing to memory — plus flashcards to test yourself. avoir and être are irregular in almost every mood, so start there.
Present subjunctive endings
| Subject | -er / -re verbs | -ir verbs |
|---|---|---|
| je | -e | -isse |
| tu | -es | -isses |
| il / elle | -e | -isse |
| nous | -ions | -issions |
| vous | -iez | -issiez |
| ils / elles | -ent | -issent |
Subjunctive of avoir & être (the essentials)
| Subject | avoir | être |
|---|---|---|
| que je | aie | sois |
| que tu | aies | sois |
| qu’il / elle | ait | soit |
| que nous | ayons | soyons |
| que vous | ayez | soyez |
| qu’ils / elles | aient | soient |
Conditionnel présent — louer (to rent)
| Subject | Conditionnel présent | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| je | louerais | I would rent |
| tu | louerais | you would rent |
| il / elle | louerait | he/she would rent |
| nous | louerions | we would rent |
| vous | loueriez | you (all) would rent |
| ils / elles | loueraient | they would rent |
Regular past participles
| Infinitive ending | New ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -er | -é | parler → parlé |
| -ir | -i | finir → fini |
| -re | -u | entendre → entendu |
Watch the irregulars
Flashcard drills
Chapter 7 · Knowledge check
Test your tenses
Six questions across all five moods. Get 80% and you have earned your stripes.
Which mood is used for emotions and things that are possible but not certain?
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