Le présent de l'indicatif/présent simple
The indicative present is used to
describe what one is currently doing (présent d'énonciation): je travaille - I'm working (as we speak)
describe a fact (présent de vérité générale/historique): les chats sont des animaux - cats are animals
describe an ongoing fact that started in the past (présent duratif): il pleut depuis hier - It's been raining since yesterday
describe the scene (présent de description): le soleil est caché aujourd'hui - the sun is hiding today
describe a habit (présent d'habitude): je cours tous les dimanches - I run every sunday
describe what just happened (présent de passé proche): je viens d'arriver - I just got there
describe what is about to happen (présent de futur proche): je suis là dans une minute - I'll be there in a minute
give an order (présent d'injonction), alternative to the imperative present: tu rentres tout de suite ! - You get home immediately!
make a story feel real (présent de narration): il y a six ans déjà que mon ami s'en est allé avec son mouton. Si j'essaie ici de le décrire, c'est afin de ne pas l'oublier. - It has been six years since my friend left with his sheep. If I try to describe him here, it is so that I will not forget him. (Le Petit Prince)
express a possibility (présent d'hypothÚse): si tu es gentil, tu auras un cadeau - if you're kind, you'll get a present
First group (-er except Aller): je marche, tu marches, il/elle/on marche, nous marchons, vous marchez, ils/elles marchent
Second group (-ir with -iss- in the plural forms): je finis, tu finis, il/elle/on finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent
Third group (everything else): typically je cours, tu cours, il court, nous courons, vous courez, ils courent; long -oir verbs: je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent; -indre/-soudre verbs: -s, -s, -t, -ons, -ez, -ent; other -dre verbs: -ds, -ds, -d, -dons, -dez, -dent; -ttre: -ts, -ts, -t, -tons, -tez, -tent; -rir, -llir: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent
Auxiliaries: je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous ĂȘtes, ils sont + j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont
N.B. Many third-group verbs are irregular because they used to be two different verbs (ex: Ătre comes from both Essere - to be and Stare - to stand) that eventually became one and consequently have two bases and can have up to five stems. Always double-check for different, stems, extra letters, accents, etc.
The vowel -i- cannot be between two other vowels in the first and second person plural so it will turn into -y- (vous croyez, nous voyons)
In -cer and -ger verbs, the first person plural changes to allow for the correct pronunciation (nous lançons, nous mangeons); c > ç, go > geo.
In -aĂźtre verbs, only the third person singular keeps the accent (elle naĂźt).
The progressive present is an emphasized version of the enunciation present and is therefore used to describe an ongoing action that started recently and is actively being done as the narrator is speaking.
It is built by putting together the subject, the verb Ătre conjugated in the indicative present tense, the adverbial locution "en train de" (in the progress of), the infinitive form of the verb of action, and possibly an object.
Je suis en train de manger, j'ai bientĂŽt fini - I'm eating, I'm almost done
Est-ce que tu es en train de travailler? - are you working?
Nous sommes en train de faire nos devoirs - we are doing homework
The present conditional is used
to express a wish: j'aimerais retourner en Italie - I'd love to go back to Italy
a suggestion: tu devrais partir tĂŽt - you should leave early
a hypothesis: il pourrait rentrer demain - he could come home tomorrow
to casually share one's opinion: je n'aimerais pas qu'on me dise ça ! - I wouldn't like it if someone told me that (can be a way to aggravate a situation)
to ask something politely: je voudrais un café - I'd like a coffee
to refer to the future in the past: elle a dit qu'elle arriverait tard - she said she'd arrive late
Conjugating the present conditional is easy for the first two verbal groups: just add the terminations to the infinitive of the verb. If the verb ends in -e, remove it: prendre > je prendrais. Fun fact: you can build the imperfect tense by removing -er- for the first group and turning -ir- into -iss- for the second.
First group (-er except Aller):Â je marcherais, tu marcherais, il marcherait, nous marcherions, vous marcheriez, ils marcheraient
Second group (-ir with -iss- in the plural forms):Â je finirais, tu finirais, il finirait, nous finirions, vous finiriez, ils finiraient
Third group (everything else): typically: je courrais, tu courrais, il courrait, nous courrions, vous courriez, ils courraient; auxiliaries: je serais, tu serais, il serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils seraient + j'aurais, tu aurais, il aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils auraient
Main irregular verbs: auxiliaries + aller - j'irais, devoir - je devrais, pouvoir - je pourrais, recevoir - je recevrais, savoir - je saurais, tenir - je tiendrais, venir - je viendrais, voir - je verrais, vouloir - je voudrais
N.B. Make sure to not mix it up with the simple future tense, they're similar!
The present imperative mood can only be conjugated in the second person singular and the first and second person plural. It is used
to give an order: viens ici tout de suite - come here right now
a suggestion: appelle-le tout de suite, non ? - maybe call him now?
a plea: s'il te plaĂźt, pardonne-moi ! - please, forgive me
to ban someone from doing something: ne touche pas à ça ! - do not touch that
Warning: it often looks like the indicative present - without a subject. If so, in the second person singular, the verb will require a final -s only if the current final letter is a consonant. Certain verbs cannot be conjugated, like vouloir.
ĂȘtre: sois, soyons, soyez; avoir: aie, ayons, ayez
va, allons, allez; finis, finissons, finissez; marche, marchons, marchez
N.B. Pronouns can be added: a reflexive verb will come with a tonic pronoun and a dash in a positive sentence: Lave-toi !, and a direct object pronoun in a negative sentence: Ne te vexe pas !; when referring to a portion -en: Prends-en un peu ! (an -s will be added for the liaison to be possible), and to a place, -y: Vas-y !
is the neutral form you find in dictionaries: courir, marcher, prendre
is found after prepositions Ă, De, Pour and Sans: câest sans dire, viens Ă la maison pour dĂźner !, on part sans perdre de temps
is found after a conjugated verb: il voulait partir tĂŽt (the second verb can be the first element of the sentence: courir nous fatigue)
expresses an order, advice, prohibition: frapper avant dâentrer
expresses anger, surprise or a wish: m'excuser, moi ? plutĂŽt mourir !
expresses doubt in an interrogative sentence: que faire de ce garçon ?
The present participle works like an adverb and either expresses an action that happens at the same time as another action, that is possibly the consequence of that action, or describes the subject. It is built by removing the termination of the verb and replacing it by -ant.
Les employés possédant une voiture peuvent se garer dans la rue - the employees who own a car can park in the street
Ătant dĂ©jĂ en retard, je dĂ©cide de courir - being already late, I decide to run
N.B. To get the right pronunciation or avoid a mix-up with an adjective, it can be necessary to modify or add letters when building the present participle. For example: convaincre > convainquant (as convaincant is the adjective), diverger > divergeant ([Ê], as divergant would be a [g] sound).
Movie: La Piscine - Jacques Deray, 1969
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