French conjugation

This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are imperfect av- /av/; present subjunctive ai- /ɛ/; future and conditional aur- /oʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive e- (not pronounced: eus, eusse are pronounced as bare inflections /y, ys/). Although the stem changes, the inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb.

In the present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

* Notice that the imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: avoir /avwaʁ/
• Present participle: ayant /ejɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en ayant /ɑ̃n‿ejɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: ayant(s) /ejɑ̃/, ayante(s) /ejɑ̃t/
• Past participle: eu(e)(s) /y/

Auxiliary verb: avoir

This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: imperfect ét- /et/; present subjunctive soi- /swa/; future and conditional ser- /səʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive in f- /f/. The inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb (that is, as an -re verb but with the vowel u /y/ in the f- forms). For example, subjunctive soyons, soyez is pronounced with the y sound (/swajɔ̃, swaje/) of other -re and -oir verbs.

In the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

* The imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

The non-finite forms use the stem êt- /ɛt/ (before a consonant)/ét- /et/ (before a vowel):

• Infinitive: être
• Present participle: étant
• Gerundive: en étant
• Verbal adjective: étant(e)(s)
• Past participle: été

Auxiliary verb: avoir

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: parler /paʁle/
• Present participle: parlant /paʁlɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en parlant /ɑ̃ paʁlɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: parlant(s) /paʁlɑ̃/, parlante(s) /paʁlɑ̃t/
• Past participle: parlé(e)(s) /paʁle/

Auxiliary verb: avoir (arriver, entrer, monter, passer, rester, rentrer, retourner, and tomber use être)

Exceptional contexts:

• When the first-person singular present tense form of the indicative or subjunctive is found in inversion, the writer must change the final e to either é (traditional usage) or è (rectified modern usage), in order to link the two words : « Parlè-je ? », /paʁlɛʒ/, "Am I speaking?" (This is a very rare construction, however.)
• When the second-person singular form of the imperative is followed by its object y or en, a final s is added: « Parles-en ! », [paʁlzɑ̃], "Talk about it!"

Exceptional verbs:

• The verb aller, though it ends in -er is completely irregular and belongs to the third group.
• In -cer verbs, the c becomes a ç before endings that start with a or o, to indicate that it is still pronounced /s/ (je déplace - nous déplaçons); similarly, in -ger verbs, the g becomes ge before such endings, to indicate that it is pronounced /ʒ/ (je mange - nous mangeons).
• In -oyer and -uyer verbs, the y becomes an i before endings that start with a silent e (nous envoyons - j'envoie); in -ayer verbs, the writer may or may not change the y to an i before such endings (je paye - je paie). Additionally, the future and conditional forms of envoyer start with enverr- rather than envoyer-; and similarly with renvoyer.
• In -é.er verbs, the é becomes an è before silent endings, and optionally in the future and conditional tenses.
• In -e.er verbs other than most -eler and -eter verbs, the e becomes an è before endings that start with a silent e (including the future and conditional endings). For example: peler (to peel) -> je pèle (present) / je pèlerai (futur) / je pèlerais (conditional).
• In most -eler and -eter verbs, the writer must either change the e to an è before endings that start with a silent e, or change the l or t to ll or tt. In the rest of these verbs, only one or the other form is allowed. For example: appeler (to call) -> j'appelle (present) / j'appellerai (futur) / j'appellerais (conditional).
• The verbal adjective of following verbs is irregular: adhérer - adhérent(e)(s); coïncider - coïncident(e)(s); confluer - confluent(e)(s); affluer - affluent(e)(s); converger - convergent(e)(s); déterger - détergent(e)(s); différer - différent(e)(s); exceller - excellent(e)(s); diverger - divergent(e)(s); négliger - négligent(e)(s); précéder - précédent(e)(s); violer - violent(e)(s); influer - influent(e)(s); communiquer - communicant(e)(s); suffoquer - suffocant(e)(s); provoquer - provocant(e)(s); naviguer - navigant(e)(s); déléguer - délégant(e)(s); fatiguer - fatigant(e)(s); intriguer - intrigant(e)(s).

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: choisir /ʃwaziʁ/
• Present participle: choisissant /ʃwazisɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en choisissant /ɑ̃ ʃwazisɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: choisissant(s) /ʃwazisɑ̃/, choisissante(s) /ʃwazisɑ̃t/
• Past participle: choisi(e)(s) /ʃwazi/

Auxiliary verb: avoir (partir uses être)

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: perdre /pɛʁdʁ/
• Present participle: perdissant /pɛʁdisɑ̃/
• Gerundive: en perdissant /ɑ̃ pɛʁdisɑ̃/
• Verbal adjective: perdissant(s) /pɛʁdisɑ̃/, perdissante(s) /pɛʁdisɑ̃t/
• Past participle: perd-u(e)(s) /pɛʁdy/

Auxiliary verb: avoir (a few 3rd group verbs use "etre")

Most irregular French verbs can be described with seven principal parts. In reality, few if any verbs have separate stems for all seven parts; instead, they tend to "inherit" the same stem as another part. Note that the endings for these verbs are basically the same as for regular -ir verbs; in fact, regular -ir verbs can be fit into this scheme by treating the -iss- variants as different principal parts.

The following table shows how the paradigm of an irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that a few verbs construct the present indicative (especially the singular) differently.

¹ The -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)
• Present participle: 1P-ant
• Gerundive: en 1P-ant
• Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s)
• Past participle: PP(e)(s)

The following table gives principal parts for a number of irregular verbs. There are a number of fair-sized groups of verbs that are conjugated alike; these are listed first. There are some additional irregularities in the present indicative, which are listed below. Nearly all irregularities affect the singular, and are purely issues of spelling. (Stems that are irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)

¹ Only in Quebec French

² The ending -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).

³ Alternation of "-ai-" and -oi- before consonant or unstressed e, "-ay-" and -oy- before other vowels is automatic in all verbs.

The following table shows an example paradigm of one of these verbs, recevoir "to receive".

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: recevoir
• Present participle: recevant
• Gerundive: en recevant
• Verbal adjective: recevant(e)(s)
• Past participle: reçu(e)(s)

Nine verbs also have an irregular subjunctive stem, used at least for the singular and third plural of the present subjunctive. These verbs can be said to have 11 principal parts, because the subjunctive stem may or may not be used for the first and second plural present subjunctive, the imperative and/or the present participle, in ways that vary from verb to verb.

The following table shows how the paradigm of an 11-principal-part irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that these verbs are generally the most irregular verbs in French, and many of them construct the present indicative (especially the singular) in an idiosyncratic fashion. The verb aller also constructs its past participle and simple past differently, according to the endings for -er verbs.

Non-finite forms:

• Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)
• Present participle: 1P-ant or SUBJ-ant
• Gerundive: en 1P-ant or en SUBJ-ant
• Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s) or SUBJ-ant(e)(s)
• Past participle: PP(e)(s)

The following table gives the principal parts for the 11-principal-part verbs. (Stems that are irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)

The verb aller means "to go" and is sufficiently irregular that it merits listing its conjugation in full. It is the only verb with the first group ending "er" to have an irregular conjugation. It belongs to none of the three sections of the third group, and is often categorized on its own. The verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: past all- /al/ (simple past, imperfect, past subjunctive); present subjunctive aill- /aj/; conditional and future ir- /iʁ/. The inflections of these tenses are completely regular, and pronounced as in any other -er verb. However, in the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

The non-finite forms are all based on all- /al/:

• Infinitive: aller
• Present participle: allant
• Gerundive: en allant
• Verbal adjective: allant(e)(s)
• Past participle: allé(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: être

¹ In Classical French and even in certain dialects (like in Cajun and some Quebec dialects) je vas is used.