The first two groups follow a regular conjugation, whereas the third group follows an irregular one. The third group is considered a closed-class conjugation form, meaning that most new verbs introduced to the French language are of the first group (
téléviser,
atomiser,
radiographier, verbs in
-er), with the remaining ones being of the second group (verbs in
-ir). The verb
aller is the only verb ending in
-er belonging to the third group. Some verbs of the third group are totally irregulars:
dire,
faire,
pouvoir,
savoir,
valoir,
vouloir.
Below you will find the endings of the third group verbs for each tense.
Endings
Present indicative
There are two types of endings in present indicative :
First type of endings for the verbs:
assaillir,
couvrir,
cueillir,
défaillir,
offrir,
ouvrir,
souffrir,
tressaillir and other similars verbs :
-e,
-es,
-e,
-ons,
-ez,
-ent
Second type of endings for the others verbs:
-s -ds ou
-x,
-s -ds ou
-x,
-t ou
-d,
-ons,
-ez,
-ent
Simple past indicative
There are four types of endings in simple past indicative :
-a, in
-i, in
-u or in
-in :
Endings in
-a only for the verb aller:
-ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent :
J'allai, tu allas, il alla, nous allâmes, vous allâtes, ils allèrent.
Endings in
-i for the
-ir verbs and
-re verbs :
-is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
Je descendis, tu descendis, il descendit, nous descendîmes, vous descendîtes, ils descendirent.
Endings in
-u for the verbs:
courir,
boire,
émouvoir,
lire,
moudre,
pouvoir,
taire,
vivre... :
-us, -us, -ut, -ûmes, -ûtes, -urent.
Je courus, tu courus, il courut, nous courûmes, vous courûtes, ils coururent.
Endings in
-in for the verbs
tenir,
venir and other similars verbs :
-ins, -ins, -int, -înmes, -întes, -inrent :
Je tins, tu tins, il tint, nous tînmes, vous tîntes, ils tinrent.
Simple future indicative
In simple future, endings are always
-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
Je partirai, tu partiras, il partira, nous partirons, vous partirez, ils partiront
Only the stem changes for a few verbs :
For the
-re verbs, the final
-e is removed:
Je descendrai ; je prendrai ; je répandrai ; je boirai
For the verbs:
acquérir,
courir,
mourir,
pouvoir,
voir, and similars verbs, another
r is added to the stem :
J'acquerrai ; je courrai ; je mourrai ; je pourrai ; je verrai
Le future stem of verb
cueillir and similars verbs is
cueiller- :
Tu cueilleras, nous accueillerons, ils recueilleraient
Totally irregulars verbs :
Aller => j'irai, Avoir => j'aurai, Etre => je serai
Present conditional
In present conditional the endings are the following :
-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Je partirais, tu partirais, il partirait, nous partirions, vous partiriez, ils partiraient
Le stem is the same as simple futur:
je boirai / je boirais ; tu pourras / tu pourrais ; il cueillera / il cueillerait ; nous irons /nous irions
Present subjunctive
The stem in present subjunctive is usually derived from that of the third person plural in present indicative except for the verbs
aller,
avoir,
être,
faire,
falloir,
pouvoir,
savoir,
traire,
valoir,
vouloir :
Verb
suivre, in present indicative :
je suis, tu suis, il suit, nous suivons, vous suivez, ils suivent.
Verb
suivre, in present subjunctive:
(que) je suive, tu suives, il suive, nous suivions, vous suiviez, ils suivent.
Verb
vouloir, in present indicative :
je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent.
Verb
vouloir, in present subjunctive:
(que) je veuille, tu veuilles, il veuille, nous voulions, vous vouliez, ils veuillent.
When the stem of the first and second person plural in present indicative is not the same as the four other persons, the stem of the first and second person plural in present indicative is used for the first and second person plural in present subjunctive :
Verbe
devoir, in present indicative :
je dois, tu dois, il doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent.
Verbe
devoir, in present subjunctive:
(que) je doive, tu doives, il doive, nous devions, vous deviez, ils doivent.
Endings are the followings except for
être and
avoir :
-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
que je sorte, que tu sortes, qu'il sorte, que nous sortions, que vous sortiez, qu'ils sortent
Imperfect subjonctive
The stem in imperfect subjunctive is derived from that of the secund person singular in simple past indicative (except for the secund person singular where the
s is replace by the accent
^ on the preceding vowel). There are four type of endings in imperfect subjonctive:
-se, -ses, -^t, -sions, -siez, -sent :
Endings in
-a (only for the verb aller):
(Il fallait) que j'allasse, que tu allasses, qu'il allât, que nous allassions, que vous allassiez, qu'ils allassent
Endings in
-i:
(Il fallait) que je prisse, que tu prisses, qu'il prît, que nous prissions, que vous prissiez, qu'ils prissent
Endings in
-u:
(Il fallait) que je pusse, que tu pusses, qu'il pût, que nous pussions, que vous pussiez, qu'ils pussent
Endings in
-in:
(Il fallait) que je vinsse, que tu vinsses, qu'il vînt, que nous vinssions, que vous vinssiez, qu'ils vinssent
Imperative
The conjugation in present subjunctive is usually derived from that of the conjugation in present indicative.:
Bois, buvons, buvez
Exceptions:
avoir , être, savoir, vouloir, assaillir, couvrir, cueillir, défaillir, offrir, ouvrir, souffrir, tressaillir and derived verbs.
Aie, ayons, ayez
Sois, soyons, soyez
Sache, sachons, sachez
Veuille, veuillons, veuillez
Cueille, ouvre, va, aie, sache, veuille
Past participle
Past participle in
-é for verbs:
aller, être, naître, naitre :
Allé, été, né
Past participle in
-i for verbs:
rire, suivre, luire, suffire, nuire and for verbs in
-ir (except for the verbs
courir, couvrir, férir, mourir, offrir, ouvrir, quérir, souffrir, tenir, venir, vêtir and similar verbs) :
Parti, souri, sorti, suivi, suffi, lui, nui, ri
Past participle in
-u for verbs in
-oir (except
asseoir and similar verbs) for verbs in
-ir (
courir, férir, tenir, venir, vêtir and similar verbs) and for verbs in
-re (except
absoudre, clore, dissoudre, éclore, inclure, mettre, prendre and similar verbs) :
Pu, voulu, vu, bu, descendu, tordu, couru, tenu, venu, vêtu
Past participle in
-s (
-is,
-os ou
-us) for verbs:
absoudre, acquérir, asseoir ou assoir, circoncire, clore, conquérir, dissoudre, enquérir, inclure, mettre, occire, prendre and similar verbs.
Acquis, conquis, enquis, requis, circoncis, mis, occis, pris, sis, clos, absous, dissous, inclus
Past participle in
-t (
-ait, -int, -it, -ort, -ert):
- for verbs in -ir (couvrir, offrir, mourir, ouvrir, souffrir): Couvert, offert, mort, ouvert, souffert
- for verbs in -indre and in -uire (except for luire and nuire): Craint, joint, peint, bruit, cuit
- for verbs in -re (confire, dire, écrire, frire, faire, traire): Confit, dit, écrit, frit, fait, trait
Compound tenses
Conjugations for the different French verb tenses can be divided into two categories: simple and compound. Simple tenses have only one part (
je suis) whereas compound tenses have two: an auxiliary verb and the past participle (
j'ai été). The auxiliary verb is always either
avoir or
être.
There are 8 compound tenses based on the conjugation of the auxiliaries in the 8 simple tenses added to the past participle:
- auxiliary in present indicative + past participle of main verb = present perfect indicative (passé composé de l'indicatif)
- auxiliary in imperfect indicative + past participle of main verb = pluperfect indicative (plus-que-parfait de l'indicatif)
- auxiliary in simple past indicative + past participle of main verb = past perfect indicative (passé antérieur de l'indicatif)
- auxiliary in simple future indicative + past participle of main verb = future perfect indicative (futur antérieur de l'indicatif)
- auxiliary in present subjunctive + past participle of main verb = past subjunctive (passé du subjonctif)
- auxiliary in imperfect subjunctive + past participle of main verb = pluperfect subjunctive (plus-que-parfait du subjonctif)
- auxiliary in present conditional + past participle of main verb = past conditional (conditionnel passé)
- auxiliary in present imperative + past participle of main verb = past imperative (impératif passé)