French Verb Conjugation by an Anglophone - Être
Être - to be
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Past Participle: été Auxilliary verb: Avoir Le mode indicative L'indicatif is used when discussing facts or certainties. There are eight indicatif tenses: 1. Le Présent Le Présent is used to express current actions. For example: - Je suis - I am - Tu es - You are - Il est - He is - Elle est - She is - On est - We are (one is) - Nous sommes - We are - Vous êtes - You are - Ils sont - They are - Elles sont - They are 2. Le Passé composé Le Passé Composé is used to express actions which have finished in the past. For example: - J’ai été - I have been - Tu as été - You have been - Il a été - He has been - Elle a été - She has been - On a été - We have been (One has been) - Nous avons été - We have been - Vous êtes été - You have been - Ils ont été - They have been - Elles ont été - They have been
3. L'Imparfait L'imparfait expresses actions happening, repeated, or habits in the past. For example: - J’étais - I was - Tu étais - You were - Il était - He was - Elle était - She was - On étais - We were (one was) - Nous étions - We were - Vous étiez - You were - Ils étaient - They were - Elles étaient - They were
4. Le Plus-que-parfait The plus-que-parfait expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past: ''the past of the past." The English this is formed with ''had'' + past participle, in French this is done with avoir or être. For example: - J’avais été - I had been - Tu avais été - You had been - Il avait été - He had been - Elle avait été - She has been - On avait été - We have been (One has been) - Nous avions été - We have been - Vous aviez été - You have been - Ils avaient été - They have been - Elle avaient été - They have been
5. Le Futur simple Le Futur Simple express actions that will happen in the future. For example:
- Je serai - I will be - Tu seras - You will be - Il sera - He will be - Elle sera - She will be - On sera - We will be (One will be) - Nous serons - We will be - Vous serez - You will be - Ils seront - They will be - Elles seront - They will be
6. Le Futur antérieur Le futur antérieur expresses actions that will happen before other actions in the future: 'the past of the future'. In English, the future perfect is formed with ''will have'' + past participle of the verb, in French it is formed with avoir or être in le futur + past participle. For example: - J’aurai été - I would have been - Tu auras été - You would have been - Il aura été - He would have been - Elle aura été - She would have been - On aura été - We would have been (One would have been) - Nous aurons été - We would have been - Vous aurez été - You would have been - Ils auront été - They would have been - Elles auront été - They would have been Le mode Subjunctive Le Subjonctif, expresses sentiments, opinions, doubts, wishes, uncertainties and possibilities. It can be very confusing for English speakers because it is all but extinct in English. Not exhaustive, but there are a number of verbs that trigger the subjonctif:
- un souhait : a wish - une volonté : a want - une obligation : an obligation - un ordre : an order - une émotion : an emotion - une opinion à la forme négative : an opinion in the negative form - un doute : a doubt - une possibilité : a possibility - une nécessité : a necessity In French, two tenses of the subjonctif are still in common use:
1. Le Subjonctif Présent The present subjunctive is often used following << que >>. For example: Je souhait que tu sois - I wish you to be Tu souhait que je sois - You wish me to be Il souhait que je soit - He wishes me to be Elle souhait que je soit - She wishes me to be On souhait que tu soit - We wish you to be (One wants you to be) Nous souhait que tu soyons - We wish you to be Vous souhait que je soyez - You wish me to be Ils souhait que je soient - They wish me to be Elle souhait que je soient - They wish me to be
2. Le Subjonctif Passé Le Subjonctif Passé is used in the same circumstances as the present subjunctive but with a past participle. For example: - Je souhait que tu aie été - I wish that you were - Tu souhait que j’aies été - You wish that I was - Il souhait que j’ait été - He wishes that I was - Elle souhait que je ait été - She wishes that I was - On souhait que tu ait été - We wish that you were (One wishes that you were) - Nous souhait que tu ayons été - We wish that you were - Vous souhait que je ayez été - You wish that I was - Ils souhait que j’aient été - They wish that I was - Elles souhait que j’aient été - They wish that I was Le mode Conditional The conditional is used when talking about things that depend upon a condition. For example: Si j'étais riche, j'achèterais une maison. - If I were rich, I would buy a house. There are two commonly used conditional tenses:
1. Le Conditionnel Présent The conditional present tense expresses actions that would or might happen in the future. For example: - Je serais - I would be - Tu serais - You would be - Il serait - He would be - Elle serait - She would be - On serait - We would be (One would be) - Nous serions - We would be - Vous seriez - You would be - Ils seraient - They would be - Elle seraient - They would be
2. Le Conditionnel Passé The past conditional expresses actions that might have happened in the past. For example: - J’aurais été - I would have been - Tu aurais été - You would have been - Il aurait été - He would have been - Elle aurait été - She would have been - On aurait été - We would have been (One would have been) - Nous aurions été - We would have been - Vous auriez été - You would have been - Ils auraient été - They would have been - Elles auraient été - They would have been Le mode Imperative L'impératif expresses commands, orders, wishes, requests, or advice. For example: (tu) sois - You are (nous) soyons - We are (vous) soyez - You are
Direct and Indirect Speech Discours direct et indirect are different ways to express what someone else has said. For example: Direct speech is simple, you are quoting the words of another person. Paul dit : « J’ai une maison ». - Paul says, "I have a house." In indirect speech, the original speaker's words are reported using the subjunctive (introduced by que). Paul dit qu'il ait une maison. - Paul says that he has a house.
Indirect speech requires certain changes (in both English and French). There are three primary changes that may need to be made.
1 - Personal pronouns and possessives may need to be changed.
2 - Verb conjugations need to change to agree with the new subject.
DS - Thomas déclare : « Je veux voir mon père ». Thomas declares, "I want to see my father."
IS - Thomas déclare qu'il veut voir sa père. Thomas declares that he wants to see his father. 3 - If the main clause is in the past tense, the verb tense of the subordinate clause may also need to change:
DS - David a déclaré : « Je veux voir ma mère ». David declared, "I want to see my mother."
IS - David a déclaré qu'il voulait voir sa mère. David declared that he wanted to see his mother. For example:
- J'affirme que je sois français - I affirm that I am French Tu affirms que tu sois français - You affirm that you are French - Il affirme qu’il soit français - He affirms that he is French Elle affirme qu’elle soit français - She affirms that she is French - - On affirme que on soit français - We affirm that we are French (One affirms that they are French) Nous affirmons que nous soyons français - We affirm that we are French
- Vous affirmez que vous soyez français - You affirm that you are French
- Ils affirment qu’ils soient français - They affirm that they are French
- Elles affirment qu’elles soient français - They affirm that they are French