Japanese culture is known for its love of all things considered “cute,” so much…
Verb conjugation is an important part of learning to speak French. The 21 verb forms in French represent differences in tense and mood, and they’re the keys to unlocking effective communication. Knowing when and how to use each French tense plays an integral role in what you understand and how well you can express yourself.
Twenty-one French tenses for verbs is a lot, but memorizing all of them at once isn’t necessary. We’ll give you a concise explanation of the different French verb tenses in the passé (past), présent (present), and futur (future). We’ll also provide a framework for understanding the indicatif (indicative), subjonctif (subjunctive), conditionnel (conditional), and impératif (imperative) moods.
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Why are verb tenses important in French?
Verb tenses in French are important because each tells you a necessary detail about the action in the sentence.
Verb tense tells you when an action happens
Verb tense tells you the difference between an action that’s already completed and something that has yet to happen.
Je suis allée au supermarché, et j’ai acheté du beurre. (passé composé) = I went to the grocery store, and I bought some butter.
J’irai au supermarché, et j’achèterai du beurre. (futur simple) = I will go to the grocery store, and I will buy some butter.
Verb tense helps order events
Specific tenses can help you put events in order.
J’avais écrit six lettres quand ils m’ont répondu. (plus-que-parfait) = I had written six letters when they replied to me.
Verb tense provides a focus or background information
Even when both French tenses are in the past timeframe, such as the passé composé vs. l’imparfait, tense can change the focus on the event or on the background information.
Hier, j’ai étudié. Ma mère m’a téléphoné. (passé composé) = Yesterday, I studied. My mom called me.
Hier, j’étudiais quand ma mère m’a téléphoné. (imparfait followed by passé composé) = Yesterday I was studying when my mom called me.
In the first example, it sounds like two unrelated, completed events. In the second example, the use of the imperfect implies that the mother’s phone call interrupted the study time.
French verb tense chart
This at-a-glance overview will help you begin to understand why there are so many French tenses for verbs. We’ll give you deeper descriptions and examples of each tense later on.
Verb Tense
Use
le présent
what’s happening now
le passé composé
completed events in the past
l’imparfait
description or background information, habitual actions in the past
le passé simple
literary simple past tense
le futur simple
what will happen
le plus-que-parfait
what had happened
le passé antérieur
literary form of the plus-que-parfait
le futur antérieur
what will have happened
le subjonctif présent
unknown outcomes or suggestions
le subjonctif passé
doubt or judgment over what has happened
le subjonctif imparfait
literary subjunctive past tense
le subjonctif plus-que-parfait
literary subjunctive of the plus-que-parfait
le conditionnel présent
what would happen
le conditionnel passé i
what would have happened
le conditionnel passé ii
literary conditional past tense
l’impératif présent
command
l’impératif passé
command for something to be done by a specific time
l’infinitif présent
basic unconjugated verb form
l’infinitif passé
helping verb in the unconjugated form plus the past participle
le participe présent
impersonal form similar to “-ing” verbs in english
le participe passé
impersonal past participle; uses a helping verb to form other tenses
Indicative French tenses for verbs
In French, just like in English,l’indicatif (the indicative) is the most commonly used mood. This mood is used to discuss facts and to ask questions in the past, present, or future. No judgment, doubt, or imposition: These are just descriptions of reality.
Il est resté chez les voisins. = He stayed at the neighbors’ house.
Mes fils jouent au foot, donc ma famille est très occupée. = My sons play soccer, so my family is very busy.
Il pleut aujourd’hui, mais il va faire beau demain. = It’s raining today, but it’s going to be beautiful tomorrow.
Le présent (the present tense)
The French présent tense in the indicative form is used to talk about something happening in the current moment. It can also indicate what usually happens or what does happen. Present tense indicative verbs in French can be regular (and follow a pattern) or irregular (breaking the typical rules). Many common verbs in French are irregular! Just because a verb is irregular in French doesn’t necessarily mean it will be an irregular verb in English, and vice-versa.
Je danse avec mes amis = I dance with my friends. / I am dancing with my friends.
Nous mangeons du chocolat. = We eat chocolate. / We are eating chocolate.
French doesn’t have a separate present continuous verb form like in English, so “I dance” and “I am dancing” are represented by the same verb:je danse. If you want to emphasize the present moment, you can say that you are currently dancing using the phrase être en train de (to be in the action of/to be in the middle of doing something).
Jesuis en train de danser. = I am dancing (right now).
Le passé composé (the past perfect tense)
Thepassé composéis a compound tense made of an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and a past participle. Use it to express specific, completed events in the past. This form is used to narrate the main events of a story.
Ce matin j’ai mangé le petit-déjeuner, et après, j’ai regardé la télé.= This morning I ate breakfast, and afterward, I watched TV.
Hier, j’ai travaillé de 8h à 20h.= Yesterday, I worked from 8:00am to 8:00pm.
There are certain cases where the past participle must follow French gender rules and match the subject in number, such as when the auxiliary verb is être (to be), when the verb is reflexive, or when the direct object comes in front of the helping verb.
Mes sœurs sont arrivées à 21h.= My sisters arrived at 9pm.
Elles se sont réveillées très tôt. = They woke up very early.
J’ai trouvé la banane, et je l’ai mangée. = I found the banana, and I ate it.
¡Fiesta! ¡Fiesta! ¡Fiesta! If there’s one thing Colombians love it’s a party…or a festival…or…
Latin Americans love fiestas (festivals), which punctuate nearly every month of the year. And Peru is no exception! Peru is a unique gem situated along the Pacific coast. Its fusion of Indigenous cultures and languages along with Spanish traditions and Catholicism creates opportunities to celebrate unique people and events. Explore some of the most famous and most unique festivals in Peru.
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1. Festival de Marinera (Trujillo Marinera Festival)
When: January
Where: Trujillo
What to expect:Marinera is a type of courtship dance in Trujillo—with Andean, Spanish, Gypsy, and Islamic influences—so you’ll see lots of folks rendering their version of it to try to win the marinera contest. Despite the ancient influences, the marinera dance honors the Peruvian Navy’s participation in the War of the Pacific in the late eighteenth century.
In addition to watching folks compete to be named the best marinera dancers, get ready for a parade and two more contests: for the best caballo de paso (a special Peruvian horse) and the best passacalle music (music that originated in the streets of Spain).
Fun fact: Passacalle music is associated with endings. In Quechua, it’s called aywalla, which basically means “I’m out of here.”
2. La Fiesta Candelaria (Candlemas)
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When: February 2
Where: all over Peru—especially in Puno
What to expect: Known as Candlemas in English, Candelaria is a celebration honoring the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus that’s particularly significant in Peru with its blending of Catholic and Indigenous traditions. Not only is Mary honored but so is the indigenous earth goddess, Pachamama.
The Puno festival features thousands of dancers in traditional, heavily layered costumes with ornate masks and headpieces along with the singers and musicians who accompany them or play music separately.
Fun fact: Aside from the Catholic-inspired rituals, Indigenous purification ceremonies are performed. Many participants and attendees speak Quechua or Aymara, the official languages of Peru (along with Spanish).
3. Día Nacional del Pisco Sour (Pisco Sour Day)
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When: first Saturday of February
Where: all over Peru—especially Lima
What to expect: The Pisco Sour is Peru’s most famous cocktail and has been declared part of the nation’s Cultural Heritage. It often accompanies ceviche, a raw fish appetizer with seasonings and lime juice. The cocktail also includes lime juice, an egg white, and pisco—a liquor made from grapes.
On Pisco Sour Day, some folks do a Pisco Sour tour, stopping at traditional and modern bars to savor the drinks. We think the bars of the Museo de Pisco (Pisco Museums—there are three: in Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco) are a great place to start.
Fun fact: This drink has been attributed to an English immigrant in Lima in the early part of the twentieth century, but there’s some debate over its origin.
4. Carnaval de Cajamarca (Cajamarca Carnival)
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When: begins five days before Ash Wednesday (usually February, but dates may vary)
Where: Cajamarca
What to expect: The parades and presentations of locals in traditional Indigenous costumes feature wildly colorful giant puppets (powered by humans) and catchy folkloric music and dances like the upbeat cilulo.
The Ño Carnavalón (Carnival King)—a giant paper mache figure with a huge smile—kicks off the festivities before the painting begins. This is also the day folks throw water and paint at each other, all in good fun.
Fun fact: Carnaval ends with the feigned death of Ño Carnavalón, complete with coffin, mourners, and wake. The next day, on Ash Wednesday, the larger-than-life puppet is buried, but not without some searing comments directed at politicians before he goes underground.
5. Festival Internacional de la Vendimia (International Wine and Pisco Festival)
When: first week ofMarch (and other dates in other cities)
Where: Ica—although other cities may also participate
What to expect: In a celebration of gratitude for wine and pisco, this festival features musical artists of international renown in concert. There are also small tasting events at individual wine producers throughout the city and region of Ica.
There’ll be a Reina de la Vendimia (Queen of the Harvest) who presides over the festivities and contests for the best songs, dances, Afrodance, art, poetry, and even dogs.
Fun fact: TheIca region is one of the biggest producers of wine in Peru, and Peru is one of the largest producers of wine in Latin America. Though a liquor not a wine, pisco is also made from grapes.
6. Fiesta de las Cruces (Festival of the Crosses)
When: May 3 (and sometimes the day before)
Where: Cusco, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Junin, Ica, Puno, Pasco, and other locations
What to expect: Processions through the streets of flower-covered crosses with embroidered fabrics are the mainstay of this festival. These large, heavy crosses are usually transported on people’s shoulders.
You’ll also experience folkloric music and, in some cities and towns, the vigorous danza de tijeras (scissors dancers), with exquisite costumes, on-pointe moves, and a curiously Asian feel.
Fun fact: Brought by the Spaniards andprobably linked to pagan spring rites, the Fiesta de las Cruces is also associated with St. Helen. She’s famously from the Byzantine era, where she searched for and allegedly found the True Cross on which Jesus died. In Peru, this festival overlaps with the Indigenous one, which celebrates the earth mother Pachamama.