French verbs
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for free Course informationsWe offer both private lessons and organized group courses
Sign up for free to get all available courses or contact one of our teachers yourself!
Laurine C.
20.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Julie U.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Cathy N.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Our offer
Lesson outline
HideWhat is a verb?
Verbs (French: les verbes) are 'doing' words which aim to describe what someone or something does, what someone or something is, or what happens to them, for example, be, sing, live.
Verbs can be divided into:
- finite verb forms (French: formes conjuguées)
- non-finite verb forms (French: formes non conjuguées)
- full verbs and auxiliary verbs
Have a question?
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
- Native & verified teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Learning materials included
Célia B.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
ANDRE D.
45.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Sara E. 
20.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Diana M. 
40.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Mirela T. 
17.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Anton R. 
12.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Kassandra G. 
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Anthony S.
14.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Alizée L.
20.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Mbolatiana R. 
15.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Finite verb forms
Finite verb forms in general have a subject, which means that they can be the main verb in a sentence. Moreover, these verb forms can indicate a tense, person and number.
Basically we can differ between:
- simple tenses which consists of one word and is formed from the stem and the ending.
- compound tenses which are being formed by the auxiliary verbs avoir or être and the participe perfect.
Non-finite verb forms
Non-finite verb forms do not have a subject, tense or number. Basically, non-finite verb forms are the infinitive (faire), the gerund (en faisant) or the participle (faisant/fait).
Verbal tenses in French
Verbs are actions words or nouns that indicate what the action is and when it is happening in the present, future or past. But they can also express possibilities, obligations like the modal verbs
The French grammar has 4 verbal moods and each mood has a present tense, a past tense and a future tense
On this page you will find an overview of the different verb tenses in different sections with their respective exercises.
Moods | Present | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
Présent simple
| Imparfait Passé simple Passé composé Plus-que-parfait Passé intérieur
| Future simple Futur intérieur | |
Présent du conditionnel
| Passé du conditionnel |
| |
Imperatif présent | Impératif passé |
| |
Subjonctif présent | Subjonctif passé Subjonctif plus-que-parfait Subjonctif imparfait |
|
Use of verbal tenses in French
1. Present
- Present of the indicative: simple tense that is used to express a fact or an action that takes place when we express ourselves
- Present of the conditional: simple tense that can be used to mitigate a request
- Present of the imperative: simple tense that is used to express an order or an prohibition
- Present of the subjunctive: simple tense that is used to express an uncertain, unrealized action as we express ourselves
2. Past
- Imperfect of the indicative: simple tense that is used to express a fact or action that has already taken place at the moment we speak but can still unfold
- Literary past tense: simple tense that is used to express a completed action from the past, most often a brief action
- Past completed: compound tense that is used to express an action or fact that has already taken place at the moment we speak.
- Pluperfect of the indicative: compound tense that allows to express the anteriority of an action compared to a past action
- Past anterior: this compound tense is used most often with the literary past tense to express the anteriority of an action.
- Past of the conditional: compound tense that is used to express a regret or reproach smth to smne
- Past of the imperative: compound tense that is very little used but it allows to express the anteriority of an ordered action compared to an action which is not yet realized
- Past of the subjunctive: compound tense that is used to express an uncertain action, supposedly realized at the moment when we express ourselves.
- Imperfect of the subjunctive: simple tense that is used to express an uncertain action, unrealized at the moment when the speaker spoke. It is generally used in litterary
- Pluperfect of the subjunctive: compound tense that is used to express an uncertain action, supposedly performed at the moment when the speaker spoke. It is generally used in litterary
3. Future
- Future simple: simple tense that is used to express a fact or an action that will take place later, it has not yet taken place at the moment we express ourselves
- Future perfect: compound tense that is used to express a fact or an action that will be completed at that moment.
In addition, you can access from this page to: reflexive verbs, auxiliaries, the modals, passive or active voice, reported speech.
Examples
| Past | Present | Futur |
|---|---|---|---|
Simple | Elle vivait à London (she was living in London) | Elle travaille dans une usine (She works in a factory) | Elle viendra plus tard. (She will come later) |
Compound | Elle avait vécu à Londres. (She had lived in London.) | Elle m’a attendu au restaurant. (She has waited for me in the restaurant) | Elle sera venue plus tard. (She will have come later) |
Irregulars and regular verbs in French
Like in English, there are two types of verbs, irregular and regular. They differ by their way of conjugating.
Moreover generally, regular are French verbs ending in -er, -ir and belong to the 1st and 2nd group and irregular verbs are ending in -oir, -re, -ir and belong to the 3rd group.
Irregular verbs have a specific form for the present, past and participle
- voir – vu – vit
- partir – partit – partat
- mettre – mis – mette
Regular verbs have only one form and to make the past or participle
- finir – finis – finis
- travailler – travaillé – travaille
- acheter – acheté – achète
Auxiliaries in French
To begin, you should take a look at the auxiliary verbs that you will use multiple times to form the different verb compound tenses
here you will get an overview of the present, past a future of the auxiliaries avoir and être
Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
J’ai (present simple) J’aurais (conditional present) Aies (present imperative) Que j’aie (subjunctive present) | J’avais (imperfect) Je fus (literary past tense) Que j’eusse (subjunctive imperfect | J’aurai (future simple) | |
Je suis (present simple) Je serais (conditional present) Sois (present imperative) Que je sois (subjunctive present) | J’étais (imperfect) Que je fusse (subjunctive imperfect) | Je serai (future simple) |
Conjugation of compound tenses
To form the compound tenses, you use the conjugation of the auxiliaries that you we saw below in the table.
- Past completed: present simple of avoir or être + past participle
- Pluperfect of the indicative: imperfect of avoir or être + past participle
- Past anterior: literary past tense of avoir or être + past participle
- Past imperative: present imperative of avoir or être + past participle
- Past subjunctive: present subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle
- Conditional past: conditional present of avoir or être + past participle
- Pluperfect of the subjunctive: subjunctive imperfect of avoir or être + past participle
- Future perfect: future simple of avoir or être + past participle
Modal verbs in French
Modal verbs (French: les verbes modaux) are also auxiliary verbs, but unlike the previous ones, they are complementary verbs that accompany other verbs. They express ability, possibility, obligation or other condition.
- Devoir
- Vouloir
- Savoir
- Aimer
- Falloir
- Pouvoir
Infinitive verbs and gerund in French
In French, we can also differentiate between infinitives and gerunds. They also in present and in past for the verbs:
- The present is simple
- The past is compound with the verb avoir or être
What our students say
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Hello,
My name is Tiska. I am a French Teacher with experiences with adults and teenagers in Public Education (USA) and Language Schools. I am holding a Master Degree in FLE (Teaching French as a Foreign Language).
Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
Group opening:
Monday and/or Wednesday from 17:30 to 18:30 (French time).
Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
- level A2 (low intermediate)
- 2 hours a week
- ask for schedule
Don’t know your level? Ask for a free level test.
I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
Really like to speak about all the subjects with the student especially those the student like so it gives the motivation to speak in the foreign language.
The free first lesson is organize to know your tastes, your level and your needs so we can plan the next lessons about the objectives you fixed.
S. .
Tiska is giving a great support to my 8 years daughter in this challenging period! We scheduled regularly lessons to improve her French language skill and to review grammars rules in a funny enjoyfull way. Super professional and very kind teacher!
Tiska G.
Doctor of Letters and Professor of French Language and Literature
A. P.
Virginie is the best French teacher I ever came across. She has been a great help in preparing for DELF B1. Her clear method of explaining helps me understand and retain the grammar rules. She is very patient and her calm personality removes my anxiety and puts my mind at ease. I highly recommend her and thank her for the wonderful learning experience.
Virginie D.
Hi there, thank you for stopping by! My name is Cristina, I'm a CELTA qualified English teacher and I have a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages; I speak English fluently and I can communicate in Italian, Portuguese, French and Spanish. Being a language learner myself and thanks to my educational background I have a deep understanding of language structure and I can easily put myself in my students’ shoes and understand the areas they might struggle with.
I’ve been giving private lessons for one year, to both teenagers and adults of all levels. My lessons are very student-centered, which means that my first priority is to get to know you in order to tailor the lessons around your needs and interests. I create a friendly and trustful environment, I plan my lessons to be engaging and communicative and I encourage my students to take active part in the discovery of the target language. I use a wide variety of coursebooks, online tools and authentic materials that I adapt to online teaching through powerpoint presentations and file sharing. I believe that practicing all language skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing) as well as grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation is key to fluency and I make it a point of helping my students to develop all of them.
Over the last few years I've had several experiences in international companies, which allowed me to become familiar with tourism and business-related language, so I can help you strengthen your communication skills in these areas, as well as in everyday conversational English to communicate with co-workers, clients and friends.
If you have any questions drop me a message or book a trial lesson so that we can get to know each other!
I look forward to meeting to you :)
A. L.
Cristina is a professional and motivated teacher who recently passed her Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and has already gained experience in teaching English. During her classes, she provides slides with exercises gathered from different books and uses a variety of teaching methods such as controlled practices or free speaking exercises. Throughout the whole lesson, she encourages her students to actively speak English.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Cristina R.
**Other time slots can be made available upon request. Don't hesitate to get in touch**
Native speaker from Paris with about 15 years of teaching experience. I’m well-travelled, and I’ve lived and worked in different parts of the world (Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and a little bit in Asia).
I have a postgraduate degree (France) in Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies and I’m currently a freelance translator. I’ve previously worked at universities in France and abroad (South Africa/Australia) and have a solid experience in teaching (French Language, Literature, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, etc.), designing courses, evaluating and guiding students, preparing students for exams/job interviews/professional presentations, managing a Language and Literature department at the university, presenting papers at academic conferences worldwide, publishing, translating and journalism. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach people with different profiles and from various backgrounds: international professionals, university students, beginner translators and teachers, high school students, retirees, travellers, francophiles, children (help with homework), etc.
Being an open-minded, flexible and patient teacher, I enjoy helping others to discover their potential and to explore it. Adapting myself to my students' needs, pace and objectives is essential for me, and designing the best way to work with each student is very stimulating and rewarding.
After the initial introductory lesson, I will design customised lesson plans that will evolve as you progress. We can also, at any time during the programme, change our working method if you wish to do so. I remain very flexible in that regard.
The learning materials will be varied, and we will choose together the themes and aspects of French language to be covered, in line with your objectives. In any case, I am very attentive in general, so please don't hesitate to make any suggestions.
Regardless of your level and objectives, I'm sure that we can find the best way possible to share and enjoy this French language adventure together.
A. B.
It is a great experience to be a student of Priscilla. She is a very caring teacher, her lessons are engaging and she is a good communicator, very patient and encouraging.
Priscilla R.
Hello,
I am a multilingual teacher with experience in teaching French to German, Japanese, English, Bulgarian and Italian-speaking students, etc. (levels A1 to C1).
I have been teaching French for 8 years in Luxemburg and now in Bulgaria for 4 years, to teenagers, housewives, businessmen, employees, doctors, etc. I can also help you with DELF and DALF preparation. I give lessons via Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in several countries.
My teaching method for each class : a grammar point together with listening, a lot of speaking with conversation questions or games. While you speak, I write all the new words you need to express yourself, illustrated by pictures or translated in your language.
I do my best to make you feel comfortable to speak and for you to have a pleasant time. According to me, using humour will help you learn more easily.
Whether you need to learn French for business, integration in a French-speaking country or studying, I will be happy to help you. Do not hesitate to contact me for a free trial lesson.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Katia
Great teacher who makes learning language fun. Also good at making you comfortable to speak the language already in the very beginning.
Katia H.
1 - If you are looking for a well-structured French program to take you from a beginner level to advanced level to be able to travel to France, i have developed with success my own program which includes 70 worksheets from basic to advance level.
2 - If you are thinking taking any DELF exam, I can help you as I have experience in this field (3 years with Ensemble en Francais - online school).
3 - If you are a VCE French student, I definitively will be able to boost your skills to do well at the exam due to my experience as VCE French teacher and also as a VCE assessor.
4 - Finally I have also an extensive experience in teaching French at the primary and middle school level
R. W.
Francois is teaching our daughter in French at the moment. She is a total beginner and they started from scratch. Both work for one hour daily and agree on homework which is being checked in the next lesson. The lesson via Skype is working well with the exchange of material Skype as well. We can definitely see progress.
Francois D.
Hello,
My name is Tiska. I am a French Teacher with experiences with adults and teenagers in Public Education (USA) and Language Schools. I am holding a Master Degree in FLE (Teaching French as a Foreign Language).
Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
Group opening:
Monday and/or Wednesday from 17:30 to 18:30 (French time).
Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
- level A2 (low intermediate)
- 2 hours a week
- ask for schedule
Don’t know your level? Ask for a free level test.
I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
Really like to speak about all the subjects with the student especially those the student like so it gives the motivation to speak in the foreign language.
The free first lesson is organize to know your tastes, your level and your needs so we can plan the next lessons about the objectives you fixed.
A. .
I am very happy with Tiska's lessons, they are well-structured and interesting. She gives some homework, so I can continue my practice after the lesson. I strongly recommend her as a teacher.
Tiska G.
Hello everyone, and welcome to my classroom. I hope you are all doing well. My name is Kimberley, and I live in South Africa. I have an honors degree in Environmental health. My hobbies include hiking, cooking, singing, participating in outdoor activities as well as 0reading books. I enjoy engaging in conversations with people whether old or young and have excellent interpersonal skills. In my classroom, I can help you with pronunciation of words, grammar and reading comprehension. My classes are never dull as I make it as interesting and practical as it can be. Lastly the motto of this classroom is practice makes perfect. I hope to see you in my lessons very soon.
G. P.
Kimberley is a friendly and professional teacher with excellent English books and an impeccable teaching method. She is perfect for those just starting out in the English language and highly recommended for school and college students.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Kimberley C.
Hello,
I am a multilingual teacher with experience in teaching French to German, Japanese, English, Bulgarian and Italian-speaking students, etc. (levels A1 to C1).
I have been teaching French for 8 years in Luxemburg and now in Bulgaria for 4 years, to teenagers, housewives, businessmen, employees, doctors, etc. I can also help you with DELF and DALF preparation. I give lessons via Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in several countries.
My teaching method for each class : a grammar point together with listening, a lot of speaking with conversation questions or games. While you speak, I write all the new words you need to express yourself, illustrated by pictures or translated in your language.
I do my best to make you feel comfortable to speak and for you to have a pleasant time. According to me, using humour will help you learn more easily.
Whether you need to learn French for business, integration in a French-speaking country or studying, I will be happy to help you. Do not hesitate to contact me for a free trial lesson.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Katia
J. V.
I was so pleased with my lesson with Katia. She speaks a clear French that is easy to follow and handles the technology brilliantly. She is a good listener and instantly types up vocabulary words, generating a list so I could reinforce and see what I had learned. I was really impressed. I highly recommend her for learning French.
Katia H.
Italian teacher for foreigners
G. P.
Beatrice is specialized in teaching Italian for all levels. She has language certificates from DITALS for Italian and CELTA for English. Other than her knowledge of the Italian language, she can also speak English, and Spanish. Her multilingual skills allow her to offer the students a chance for better communication during her classes. Beatrice’s teaching method depends on what fits your level. In her, you will find a well-prepared, expert, and friendly teacher. She relies on several books for teaching the Italian languagen, like: Dieci, Nuovo Contatto, Domani, Progetto Italiano, and Nuovo Magari. With Beatrice, you'll learn faster than you can imagine!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Beatrice B.
I am a professional English tutor with online teaching experience. In my class, you won’t need to memorise long lists of vocabulary. Instead, we will discuss interesting topics and practice language that you want to learn. With my artistic background, I can create creative and fun lessons suited to the student's learning goals. I like using colorful PowerPoint slides, flashcards and videos to demonstrate my learning points.
I am a friendly, patient person, because I know that learning a new language can sometimes be very scary. My classroom is a safe, comfortable space that encourages mistakes, because this is the best way to learn. I am creative and use music/dancing where possible to re-energize my students. This makes learning the subjects you don't enjoy, fun, as we may sing songs that target grammar structures or vocabulary.
E. A.
Savannah is a wonderful and lovely teacher; thanks to her I was able to pass an important exam. She can understand your needs and suggest you how to improve your skills She is an understanding person and is able to make each lesson interesting and pleasant , focusing on useful subjets I think she is perfect for both adult and young students. In addition, having South Africa and Europe the same time zone, it makes convenient and easy to schedule lessons!
Savannah T.
Thank you so much Elena. It was such a pleasure to teach you. You always had so much to say so our lessons were always fun. I am so proud of your accomplishments. Well done!
I want to help people to improve the level of their chosen language.
I couldn't imagine a better teacher than Nancy! Together with Nancy you find the right method for you to improve your French in a fun and personal way. I would recommend her to everyone!
Nancy C.
I am French living in Lisbon in Portugal. I have lived in different countries such as England, the United States and India. It gave me some experience of learning a foreign language and teaching it.
I am passionate about different cultures and try to share my love for French culture with you in a lively way.
I adapt to the needs of the students, whether to improve their oral, written, prepare for an exam or a job interview. I prioritize the conversation to allow the student to "unblock" and have fun speaking the language. I write down the vocabulary and grammar that the student lacks to express himself.
Learning a foreign language is, in my view, above all through cultural curiosity. We want to learn a language because we want to live in the country, travel there or get to know it better. We feel attracted. It is its Culture that motivates us in our learning: music, film, text, literature, way of being and cultural differences forming "another world". This means that learning is not just about learning a list of words and grammar lessons, as is taught too often in school. Practice again and again through conversation, books, music, movies and above all the pleasure of speaking and listening.
I adapt the student's personal work according to their available time and their objective (conversation, deadline for an exam, scheduled trip, etc.).
I am at your disposal for any further information.
See you soon,
A. P.
Florence is such a joy to work with! A true expert and professional at teaching French, regardless of your level. Florence takes tremendous care in planning your personalized lesson, incredibly thoughtful and patient with her students. She also has such a warm, supportive and encouraging manner with a great sense of humor. She will have you speaking, reading and writing in perfect French much sooner than you think with her approach and highly efficient techniques; methods only a highly experienced instructor can provide. I am lucky to have found her to help me sit for academic French exams and you will feel the same way when working with her. Thank you Florence!!!
Florence F.