SPEAK FRENCH FLUENTLY

HOW TO SPEAK (REAL) FRENCH

French grammar is easy to learn! This Grammar Section is designed to help you grasp the essential rules as quickly and clearly as possible, so you can begin forming your own sentences from day one. Unlike other courses that overwhelm you with theory, our approach focuses on the most important rules that will allow you to speak French confidently and naturally—starting today.

In the lessons ahead, you’ll find everything you need to master French grammar, from basic sentence structure and verb conjugations to more advanced topics like noun gender, article usage, and prepositions. Each topic is explained with practical, easy-to-understand examples to help you not only learn the rules but also remember and apply them. We recommend learning the core 2000 French vocabulary words first—this will make the examples much easier to follow and internalize.

The grammar topics covered include the French alphabet, gender and number agreement, definite and indefinite articles, personal and possessive pronouns, conjunctions and prepositions. You’ll also dive into adverbs, adjectives, present, past and future tenses, as well as the imperative, modal verbs, negation, sentence structure, questions, and  relative clauses.

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French Pronunciation

Mastering French pronunciation is essential for speaking the language fluently and confidently. Unlike English, French has a more consistent set of pronunciation rules, yet the way letters are pronounced can vary greatly depending on their position within a word and the letters surrounding them. Moreover, French is a language rich in nasal vowels, silent letters, and subtle sound distinctions that can completely change the meaning of a word. In this guide, we will explore the fundamental aspects of French pronunciation, with clear examples and helpful tips for learners of all levels.

The French Alphabet and Its Sounds

The French alphabet has the same 26 letters as the English alphabet, but many of them are pronounced differently. Some letters, such as h, are silent in most cases, while others like e, u, and r have no direct equivalent in English.

For example, the letter e in le the is pronounced with a very short, almost whispered sound. Meanwhile, the letter r in rue street is produced in the back of the throat, unlike the English r which is made with the tongue.

The vowel u is especially tricky for English speakers. In lune moon, it requires rounding the lips tightly and keeping the tongue forward, a sound not found in English.

Nasal Vowels

One of the defining features of French pronunciation is the use of nasal vowels. These are vowel sounds produced by allowing air to pass through the nose. They usually occur when a vowel is followed by the letters n or m, unless those consonants are doubled or followed by another vowel.

Examples of nasal vowels include:

pain bread
nom name
vin wine
oncle uncle

Each of these words contains a vowel sound that resonates through the nose, a characteristic completely absent in English. It is important not to pronounce the final n or m in these words — doing so would break the nasal sound and alter the pronunciation.

Silent Letters

French is known for having many silent letters, especially at the ends of words. This is particularly true for e, s, t, and d, which are often not pronounced unless followed by a word that starts with a vowel (a phenomenon known as liaison).

For example:

petit small is pronounced as if it ends with the i sound only.
froid cold ends with a silent d.
les enfants the children – here, the s in les is pronounced because of the following vowel in enfants, turning it into a z sound: lez enfants.

Being aware of which letters are silent and when they are pronounced can greatly improve your listening comprehension and speaking clarity.

Liaison and Elision

French uses liaison to link words together in speech. When a word ending in a normally silent consonant is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or mute h, that consonant is pronounced to create a smoother transition.

For example:

vous avez you have is pronounced vou-z-avez.
les amis the friends becomes lez-amis.
mon enfant my child turns into mon-n-enfant.

This process makes French sound fluid and connected. Failing to use liaison in required situations can make your speech sound unnatural or even lead to misunderstandings.

Elision, on the other hand, involves dropping a vowel (usually e) and replacing it with an apostrophe when the next word begins with a vowel. This is very common in speech and writing.

Examples:

je aime becomes j’aime I love
le ami becomes l’ami the friend

Both liaison and elision are essential to natural French pronunciation and rhythm.

Stress and Intonation

In contrast to English, French has very regular stress patterns. Stress in French always falls on the last syllable of a rhythmic group, not necessarily the last syllable of a word.

For example:

In je vais à Paris I’m going to Paris, the stress falls on Paris, more specifically the last syllable -ris.

French intonation also tends to be flatter than English. While English uses rising and falling tones for emphasis and emotion, French typically uses a more level pitch with slight rises at the end of questions.

Compare:

Tu viens ? Are you coming? — rising intonation at the end.
Tu viens. You’re coming. — flat or slightly falling intonation.

Understanding these patterns helps learners sound more natural and improves listening comprehension.

Vowel Combinations and Diphthongs

French has many vowel combinations that produce specific sounds. Unlike in English, these combinations don’t usually form diphthongs (a glide from one vowel to another), but rather single, pure vowel sounds.

Some examples include:

ai in maison house, pronounced like the e in bed
au in chaud hot, pronounced like the o in go
ou in fou crazy, pronounced like the oo in food
oi in moi me, pronounced like wah
eu in peur fear, a unique sound not found in English

These combinations must be memorized individually, as English equivalents are rare or nonexistent. Listening and repetition are key to mastering them.

Consonants and Difficult Sounds

Most French consonants are pronounced similarly to their English counterparts, but a few require special attention.

The r sound, as mentioned, is guttural and made in the back of the throat, as in rue street or regard look.
The j in French is pronounced like the s in measure, as in je I or jardin garden.
The ch combination is soft, like the English sh, as in chien dog.
The gn in montagne mountain is like the Spanish ñ, similar to the ny sound in canyon.

Paying close attention to these distinct consonants will help you avoid common pronunciation pitfalls and better blend into native speech patterns.

Word Final Sounds and Linking

In spoken French, endings of words often change due to the flow of the sentence and the interaction between words. This is especially relevant in poetry, song lyrics, and formal speech, where final consonants may be reintroduced for stylistic or rhythmic purposes.

For example:

grand homme great man – here, the d in grand is pronounced: grand-d-homme
ils ont they have – the s in ils becomes a z sound before the vowel in ont: il-z-ont

Even though learners are taught that final consonants are silent, this rule is often bent in context.

Regional Accents and Variations

Just as in English, regional accents exist in French and can influence pronunciation. For instance, the southern French accent often pronounces final e sounds more clearly, as in femme woman, which might be pronounced more like fem-ay in the south.

In Belgium and Switzerland, some vowel sounds are more open, and certain words are stressed differently. For example, Belgians may pronounce septante seventy with more emphasis on the first syllable.

It’s helpful to focus on standard Parisian French when learning, as it’s the most widely understood and taught variety.

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Gender of Nouns in French

In French, every noun has a gender: it is either masculine or feminine. This concept often puzzles learners, especially those whose native languages do not assign gender to inanimate objects. Yet, in French, gender is a core grammatical feature that affects not only the noun itself but also its accompanying articles, adjectives, pronouns, and past participles. Mastering gender is essential for speaking and writing correctly, and while there are patterns, there are also many exceptions. This page explores the rules, tendencies, and implications of gender in French grammar.

What Does Gender Affect?

A noun’s gender determines which definite and indefinite articles are used:

le livre the book (masculine)
la maison the house (feminine)
un garçon a boy (masculine)
une fille a girl (feminine)

It also affects possessive adjectives:

son frère his/her brother (masculine noun)
sa sœur his/her sister (feminine noun)

And it determines how adjectives agree with nouns:

un petit chien a small dog (masculine)
une petite voiture a small car (feminine)

In the passé composé, certain past participles must agree in gender with the noun:

Elle est allée au marché She went to the market
Il est allé au marché He went to the market

Gender also determines which form of the relative pronoun is used:

lequel, laquelle, auquel, à laquelle, etc.

General Patterns for Masculine Nouns

Though there is no guaranteed way to know a noun’s gender without memorization, certain endings are typically associated with masculine nouns.

Masculine endings include:

-age as in le fromage cheese
-ment as in le monument monument
-eau as in le château castle
-isme as in le tourisme tourism
-oir as in le miroir mirror

Words referring to male beings are also masculine:

le père the father
le roi the king
le garçon the boy

Note, however, that not all nouns with these endings follow the rule. For example, la plage the beach ends in -age but is feminine.

General Patterns for Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns often end in:

-tion as in la nation nation
-sion as in la décision decision
-té as in la liberté freedom
-ure as in la voiture car
-ette as in la baguette baguette

Words referring to female beings are feminine:

la mère the mother
la reine the queen
la femme the woman

Again, there are exceptions. The word le comité the committee ends in -té but is masculine.

Nouns with Both Genders (Depending on Meaning)

Some nouns change meaning depending on gender. These are especially important to remember because the shift in gender marks a shift in the concept or identity.

le livre the book vs. la livre the pound (unit of weight or currency)
le poste the job/post vs. la poste the post office
le manche the handle vs. la manche the sleeve or the English Channel

There are also nouns that are gender-neutral in form, but gender is indicated by the article:

le journaliste male journalist
la journaliste female journalist

In spoken French, the context usually makes the meaning clear. In written French, especially when the form is the same, it’s important to pay attention to the accompanying words.

Gender and Plural Forms

Gender remains a factor in the plural form, especially when forming adjectives and using articles:

les hommes intelligents the intelligent men (masculine plural)
les femmes intelligentes the intelligent women (feminine plural)

If a group is mixed, even with just one masculine noun, French grammar dictates the masculine plural form:

Paul et Marie sont contents Paul and Marie are happy

This has been the subject of discussion and reform efforts in recent years, but it remains the rule in standard French grammar.

Gender and Adjective Agreement

French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. This means you often have to modify the ending of the adjective to reflect the noun’s gender.

un étudiant sérieux a serious (male) student
une étudiante sérieuse a serious (female) student

un gâteau délicieux a delicious cake
une tarte délicieuse a delicious tart

This rule applies not only to descriptive adjectives but also to past participles used adjectivally or in compound tenses with être.

Gender in Compound Nouns

Compound nouns — those formed with more than one word — usually take the gender of the main noun in the compound.

un chou-fleur a cauliflower (masculine because chou is masculine)
une station-service a gas station (feminine because station is feminine)

However, some compound nouns do not follow this logic and must be memorized as they are.

Gender of Foreign Words

When a foreign word is adopted into French, it is usually made masculine by default, especially if it ends in a consonant or does not resemble a common French feminine ending.

le week-end the weekend
le sushi the sushi
le yoga yoga

That said, some loanwords take the feminine form based on sound or semantic resemblance to an existing feminine word:

la pizza pizza
la salsa salsa

Understanding Plurals in French Grammar

Forming the plural in French is a fundamental part of grammar that affects nouns, articles, adjectives, and sometimes verbs. While it may seem straightforward at first—just add an -s—there are several important rules, exceptions, and variations learners need to master. Grasping the intricacies of French plural forms is essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences and for making your communication sound natural and precise.

French plurals are not only about spelling but also about agreement, which plays a crucial role in ensuring that all parts of a sentence align properly. This page provides a detailed overview of how plurals function in French, including regular patterns, irregularities, article usage, adjective agreement, pronunciation notes, and common pitfalls.

Regular Plural Formation

The most common way to form a plural noun in French is by adding -s to the end of the singular noun. This rule applies to the majority of nouns, regardless of gender.

un livre a book becomes des livres books
une table a table becomes des tables tables

The -s added to create the plural is almost always silent in pronunciation. This means that livre and livres sound the same when spoken. In French, it is usually the article or surrounding words that signal plurality, not the pronunciation of the noun itself.

Plural Articles

In French, the articles change to reflect the plural form of the noun. The definite article le or la becomes les, and the indefinite article un or une becomes des.

le chat the cat → les chats the cats
une chaise a chair → des chaises chairs

It is important to note that les and des are used for both masculine and feminine plurals. The distinction in gender disappears in the plural article form.

Nouns Ending in -s, -x, or -z

Nouns that already end in -s, -x, or -z do not change in the plural form. They remain exactly the same in spelling, though the article will still change to mark the plural.

un fils a son → des fils sons
un choix a choice → des choix choices
un nez a nose → des nez noses

Despite no visible change in the noun, the plural is clear from the article and the sentence context.

Nouns Ending in -eau, -au, or -eu

Nouns that end in -eau, -au, or -eu usually take an -x instead of -s in the plural.

un château a castle → des châteaux castles
un tuyau a pipe → des tuyaux pipes
un jeu a game → des jeux games

However, a few exceptions to this rule exist. For example:

un pneu a tire → des pneus tires (takes -s, not -x)

These must be learned individually as you encounter them.

Nouns Ending in -al and -ail

Nouns ending in -al usually change to -aux in the plural.

un journal a newspaper → des journaux newspapers
un animal an animal → des animaux animals

Yet again, there are exceptions where nouns ending in -al take a regular -s in the plural:

un festival a festival → des festivals festivals

Nouns ending in -ail typically form the plural by adding -s, but some become -aux:

un travail a job → des travaux jobs (irregular)
un détail a detail → des détails details (regular)

Due to these inconsistencies, it’s best to learn the plural of irregular -al and -ail nouns as fixed expressions.

Plural of Compound Nouns

Pluralization becomes more complex with compound nouns—words made up of two or more parts. How the plural is formed depends on the parts of speech involved and their function.

un porte-monnaie a wallet → des porte-monnaie wallets (invariable)
un chef-d'œuvre a masterpiece → des chefs-d'œuvre masterpieces (only the noun pluralizes)

There is no universal rule, and usage can vary, so these forms are often best learned through exposure and practice.

Adjective Agreement in the Plural

Adjectives in French must agree in number and gender with the noun they describe. When a noun becomes plural, its adjectives typically take an -s as well.

un chien noir a black dog → des chiens noirs black dogs
une robe élégante an elegant dress → des robes élégantes elegant dresses

Just like with nouns, the final -s in plural adjectives is silent, and the plural is only audible when liaison occurs.

Some adjectives that already end in -s or -x remain unchanged in the plural:

un homme gros a fat man → des hommes gros fat men

Adjective agreement is crucial for clarity and grammatical correctness. A mismatched adjective can result in confusion or mark a speaker as non-native.

Plural Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns

Possessive adjectives change in the plural regardless of the owner's gender:

mon livre my book → mes livres my books
sa voiture her car → ses voitures her cars

Similarly, plural pronouns must match the plurality of the nouns they replace:

Ils sont contents They are happy (masculine or mixed group)
Elles sont contentes They are happy (all-female group)

French requires that both pronouns and adjectives match the plurality of the noun they refer to, which is a key aspect of proper sentence construction.

Plural and Liaison

One of the most noticeable features of French plural pronunciation is liaison—the linking of a usually silent consonant to a following vowel sound. In plural contexts, this often occurs with s or x at the end of articles and adjectives.

les enfants the children is pronounced lez-enfants
nos amis our friends is pronounced no-z-amis

This linking helps clarify plurality in speech, especially since the plural -s is otherwise silent. Correct use of liaison is a mark of fluency and is crucial for understanding spoken French.

Invariable Nouns

Some nouns in French are invariable, meaning they do not change in the plural form. This applies especially to:

• Words borrowed from other languages

• Colors derived from nouns

• Nouns used in certain fixed expressions

Examples:

des après-midi afternoons
des tapis rugs (already ends in -s)
des orange vif bright orange (when orange is treated as a color derived from the fruit)

Invariable words must be memorized as exceptions, but they tend to be limited and high-frequency.

Common Pitfalls

There are several traps learners should be aware of when working with French plurals:

• Silent plurals: Rely on articles and adjective agreement for clarity.

• Irregular patterns: Memorize nouns like travail → travaux as they appear.

• Liaison neglect: Not using liaison where expected can result in unnatural speech.

• Assuming English logic: Do not expect French plurals to follow English phonetics or rules.

Plural in French

Articles in French

Articles are an essential part of French grammar, used to introduce and define nouns. Unlike English, which primarily distinguishes between definite (the) and indefinite (a, an), French articles are more complex because they must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the nouns they modify. Additionally, French includes a third type of article called the partitive article, used to express unspecified quantities.

Learning how to correctly use French articles is critical to mastering the language. Articles accompany nearly every noun in French and provide information about specificity, ownership, and quantity. This page offers a detailed explanation of the three main types of articles in French—definite, indefinite, and partitive—and how they are used in context.

Definite Articles

Definite articles are used when referring to a specific or identified person, place, or thing. In English, the equivalent is the. In French, the definite article varies depending on the gender and number of the noun.

le is used before singular masculine nouns:
le livre the book
le garçon the boy

la is used before singular feminine nouns:
la table the table
la femme the woman

l’ is used before any singular noun, masculine or feminine, that begins with a vowel or silent h:
l’homme the man
l’école the school

les is used before all plural nouns, regardless of gender:
les livres the books
les filles the girls

Definite articles are also used when speaking generally about categories, something not always intuitive for English speakers:

J’aime le chocolat I love chocolate
Les chats sont indépendants Cats are independent

In English, we would omit the article in such cases, but in French, the definite article is necessary.

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles are used when referring to non-specific people or things. In English, these are a, an, and some. French has different forms for singular and plural, and they also vary by gender.

un is used before singular masculine nouns:
un stylo a pen
un homme a man

une is used before singular feminine nouns:
une chaise a chair
une amie a (female) friend

des is used before plural nouns of either gender:
des enfants some children
des maisons some houses

It’s important to note that des does not translate directly to “some” in every case. It simply marks that the noun is plural and indefinite.

J’ai acheté des pommes I bought apples
Il a des idées intéressantes He has interesting ideas

In informal English, we often drop “some,” but French requires the use of des.

Partitive Articles

The partitive article expresses an unspecified quantity of something that cannot be counted individually, often substances or abstract things. This concept does not exist directly in English but is roughly equivalent to saying some or any.

The partitive articles are formed by combining de with the definite articles:

du for masculine singular nouns:
du pain some bread
du fromage some cheese

de la for feminine singular nouns:
de la confiture some jam
de la chance some luck

de l’ for singular nouns (masculine or feminine) beginning with a vowel or mute h:
de l’eau some water
de l’huile some oil

des is used for plural countable nouns but can also act as the plural form of the partitive article:
des légumes some vegetables
des idées some ideas

The partitive article is particularly common with food, drinks, weather, and abstract nouns:

Je bois du café I’m drinking coffee
Elle a de la patience She has patience
Il veut de l’aide He wants help

French requires the partitive article in many situations where English would omit the article altogether.

Articles After Negation

One of the most confusing aspects of French article usage is how it changes after negation. In most cases, indefinite and partitive articles become de (or d’ before a vowel) after a negative verb.

J’ai un chien I have a dog → Je n’ai pas de chien I don’t have a dog
Elle boit du thé She drinks tea → Elle ne boit pas de thé She doesn’t drink tea
Il mange des fruits He eats fruit → Il ne mange pas de fruits He doesn’t eat fruit

However, the definite article stays the same even after negation:

J’aime le chocolat I love chocolate → Je n’aime pas le chocolat I don’t like chocolate

This distinction is important for expressing preference versus possession or consumption. When you say you don’t like or hate something in general, the article remains definite.

Articles with Prepositions

Articles often combine with prepositions in French to form contractions, especially with à (to, at) and de (of, from).

With à:

à + le = au
à + les = aux
à + la and à + l’ stay the same

Examples:

Je vais au marché I’m going to the market
Ils parlent aux enfants They’re speaking to the children

With de:

de + le = du
de + les = des
de + la and de + l’ stay the same

Examples:

Le livre du professeur The teacher’s book
Le bruit des voitures The sound of the cars

Using the correct contraction is not optional—it is a required part of formal and informal French.

Articles with Proper Nouns

Generally, proper nouns like names of people don’t take articles. You wouldn’t say le Jean to mean Jean. However, articles are often used with countries, regions, languages, and some institutions.

La France France
Le Japon Japan
Le français French (language)
La Sorbonne The Sorbonne University

Articles are omitted when using en or de for feminine countries:

Je vais en Italie I’m going to Italy
Elle revient d’Allemagne She’s coming back from Germany

But they remain with masculine countries and regions:

Il va au Canada He’s going to Canada
Nous venons du Brésil We come from Brazil

Omitting Articles in Set Expressions

French sometimes omits articles in set phrases, particularly with professions, religions, and nationalities after the verb être.

Il est médecin He is a doctor
Elle est catholique She is Catholic
Je suis français I am French

However, if the noun is modified with an adjective or phrase, the article is used:

C’est un bon médecin He’s a good doctor
Elle est une catholique pratiquante She is a practicing Catholic

This distinction is stylistic and grammatical, and mastering it helps make your speech more idiomatic.

Pronouns are among the most fundamental building blocks of French grammar. They replace nouns to avoid repetition and help sentences flow more naturally. In French, pronouns are more complex than in English due to the presence of gender, number, and various grammatical roles that determine which form of the pronoun to use. Each type of pronoun has its own rules, position in the sentence, and specific agreement requirements.

This page will explore the main categories of French pronouns: subject pronouns, object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, disjunctive pronouns, possessive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, relative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns, with examples and detailed explanations of how they are used in real contexts.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used to indicate who is performing the action in a sentence. They are equivalent to English pronouns like I, you, he, she, we, and they.

je I
tu you (singular informal)
il he / it (masculine)
elle she / it (feminine)
on one / we / people in general
nous we
vous you (singular formal or plural)
ils they (masculine or mixed group)
elles they (feminine group only)

Examples:

Je parle français I speak French
Elle travaille à Paris She works in Paris
Ils aiment le cinéma They like the cinema

The pronoun must agree in number and gender with the noun it replaces.

Direct Object Pronouns

Direct object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action of the verb directly, without a preposition. In French, these pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.

me / m’ me
te / t’ you (singular)
le / l’ him / it (masculine)
la / l’ her / it (feminine)
nous us
vous you (plural or formal)
les them

These pronouns are placed before the verb.

Je le vois I see him / it
Nous les avons invités We invited them
Tu m’aimes ? Do you love me?

When the verb is in the passé composé with avoir, the past participle agrees in gender and number with a preceding direct object:

Je les ai vues I saw them (feminine)

Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect object pronouns replace nouns that are preceded by the preposition à, usually referring to people (to whom the action is done).

me / m’ to me
te / t’ to you (singular)
lui to him / her
nous to us
vous to you (plural/formal)
leur to them

Examples:

Je lui parle I’m speaking to him / her
Ils nous donnent un cadeau They are giving us a gift
Elle leur écrit une lettre She writes them a letter

These pronouns also come before the verb in standard word order.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs, where the subject performs the action on itself. They correspond to English forms like myself, yourself, ourselves.

me / m’ myself
te / t’ yourself
se / s’ himself / herself / itself / themselves
nous ourselves
vous yourself / yourselves

These always accompany reflexive verbs, and the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb:

Je me lève tôt I get up early
Elle se maquille She puts on makeup
Nous nous souvenons de toi We remember you

In the passé composé, reflexive verbs always use être and the past participle often agrees with the subject:

Elles se sont levées They (females) got up

Disjunctive (Stressed) Pronouns

Disjunctive pronouns are used for emphasis, after prepositions, in comparisons, and in short answers. These are not used as subjects but appear alone or after other words.

moi me
toi you (singular)
lui him
elle her
nous us
vous you
eux them (masculine)
elles them (feminine)

Examples:

Moi, je préfère le café Me, I prefer coffee
C’est pour toi It’s for you
Il est plus grand qu’elle He is taller than her

Disjunctive pronouns also appear after c’est:

C’est moi It’s me
Ce sont eux It’s them

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace a noun and show ownership. Unlike possessive adjectives, these pronouns stand alone and must agree in gender and number with the object owned.

le mien / la mienne / les miens / les miennes mine
le tien / la tienne / les tiens / les tiennes yours (singular)
le sien / la sienne / les siens / les siennes his / hers / its
le nôtre / la nôtre / les nôtres ours
le vôtre / la vôtre / les vôtres yours (plural/formal)
le leur / la leur / les leurs theirs

Examples:

Ce livre est le mien This book is mine
Les clés sont les siennes The keys are hers
Voici les nôtres Here are ours

These must match the gender and number of the noun, not the owner.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns replace a noun previously mentioned and point to specific people or things, meaning this one, that one, these, or those.

celui this one / that one (masculine singular)
celle this one / that one (feminine singular)
ceux these / those (masculine plural)
celles these / those (feminine plural)

These are often followed by de, qui, que, or a relative clause.

Celui de Jean est bleu Jean’s is blue
Celle que j’ai choisie est plus jolie The one I chose is prettier
Ceux qui arrivent sont mes amis Those who are arriving are my friends

They help avoid repetition when the identity of the object or person is already clear.

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns link two clauses by replacing a repeated noun. They introduce relative clauses and provide additional information.

qui who / that (subject)
que whom / that (direct object)
dont whose / of which / about whom
où where / when
lequel / laquelle / lesquels / lesquelles which / whom (after prepositions)

Examples:

La femme qui parle est ma sœur The woman who is speaking is my sister
Le livre que j’ai lu est intéressant The book that I read is interesting
L’homme dont je parle est ici The man I’m talking about is here
La ville où je suis né The city where I was born

Relative pronouns are essential for building complex sentences and avoiding repetition.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people or things. They appear in direct and indirect questions.

qui who
que / qu’ what
quoi what (used after a preposition or in exclamations)
lequel / laquelle / lesquels / lesquelles which one / which ones

Examples:

Qui est là ? Who is there?
Qu’as-tu fait ? What did you do?
À quoi penses-tu ? What are you thinking about?
Lequel veux-tu ? Which one do you want?

Proper use of interrogative pronouns is crucial for forming both formal and informal questions.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to unspecified people or things. They include words like someone, everyone, nothing, and each.

Common ones include:

quelqu’un someone
quelque chose something
chacun / chacune each one
personne no one
rien nothing
tout / tous / toutes everything / all
aucun / aucune none / no one

Examples:

Quelqu’un a frappé à la porte Someone knocked on the door
Rien n’est facile Nothing is easy
Personne ne comprend No one understands

These pronouns often behave irregularly and can be confusing. Some, like personne and rien, take ne in negative constructions even though they themselves imply negation.

Pronouns in French

Prepositions are small but powerful words that serve to link elements in a sentence. In French, prepositions are essential for expressing location, time, cause, manner, possession, and direction. They are always followed by a noun, pronoun, or verb in the infinitive, and unlike English, French prepositions often do not translate literally. Understanding how to use prepositions properly is vital to building fluid and grammatically correct sentences.

French prepositions are not only used on their own, but also in combination with articles, pronouns, or relative clauses, and they often change form depending on the grammatical context. This page explores the main types of prepositions in French, how they function, and how to use them with precision and accuracy.

Prepositions of Place and Direction

These prepositions indicate where something is or the direction in which something moves. They often answer questions like Where? or Where to?

à means at, to, or in, depending on the context:
Je vais à Paris I’m going to Paris
Elle est à la maison She is at home

chez refers to someone’s home, workplace, or place of business:
Nous dînons chez Paul We’re having dinner at Paul’s house
Il travaille chez Renault He works at Renault

dans means inside and is used for physical enclosures:
Le livre est dans le sac The book is in the bag

sur means on or on top of:
La tasse est sur la table The cup is on the table

sous means under:
Le chat est sous le lit The cat is under the bed

en can mean in, to, or into, especially with countries or transport:
Il vit en Espagne He lives in Spain
Elle va en voiture She’s going by car

vers means toward:
Il marche vers la porte He is walking toward the door

devant means in front of, while derrière means behind:
La voiture est devant la maison The car is in front of the house
Le chien est derrière le canapé The dog is behind the sofa

près de means near, and loin de means far from:
La gare est près de l’hôtel The station is near the hotel
Il habite loin de la ville He lives far from the city

French prepositions of place often require contractions with definite articles, especially with à and de.

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time are used to express when, how long, or for how long something happens. These prepositions are often not translated directly into English and must be learned in context.

depuis is used for actions that started in the past and continue into the present:
Je vis ici depuis 2010 I’ve been living here since 2010
Elle travaille depuis deux heures She has been working for two hours

pendant is used for actions that lasted a specific amount of time and are now finished:
Il a dormi pendant huit heures He slept for eight hours

pour is used for planned durations, especially in the future:
Elle est partie pour une semaine She left for a week

en is used to indicate the amount of time required to complete something:
Il a lu le livre en deux jours He read the book in two days

à is used for specific times:
Le film commence à 20 heures The movie starts at 8 PM

vers is used to express approximate times:
On arrivera vers midi We’ll arrive around noon

jusqu’à means until:
Je travaille jusqu’à 18 heures I work until 6 PM

Time prepositions are especially sensitive to tense and aspect in French, and their meaning can change depending on whether the verb is in the present, past, or future.

Prepositions of Cause, Reason, and Purpose

These prepositions introduce the reason behind an action or a cause for something.

à cause de is used for negative causes:
Il est en retard à cause du trafic He is late because of traffic

grâce à expresses positive causes:
Nous avons gagné grâce à toi We won thanks to you

pour indicates purpose or intent:
C’est un cadeau pour toi It’s a gift for you
Il travaille pour réussir He works to succeed

par is often used to indicate means, cause, or agent:
Il a été blessé par un voleur He was injured by a thief
Elle a voyagé par avion She traveled by plane

These subtle differences are important, especially in formal writing or nuanced conversation.

Prepositions of Manner and Means

These prepositions explain how something is done or with what tool or method.

avec means with:
Elle coupe le pain avec un couteau She cuts the bread with a knife

sans means without:
Il est parti sans dire au revoir He left without saying goodbye

par can indicate method or mode:
Nous avons parlé par téléphone We spoke by phone

en is used for transportation or means:
Ils sont venus en train They came by train

Prepositions of manner can be very idiomatic in French, and some expressions require specific prepositions even if they seem unusual to English speakers.

Prepositions After Certain Verbs

Many French verbs are followed by specific prepositions before their objects. These are often not logical or directly translatable, so they must be memorized individually.

penser à means to think about:
Je pense à toi I’m thinking about you

s’occuper de means to take care of:
Elle s’occupe des enfants She takes care of the children

parler de means to talk about:
Il parle de son travail He talks about his job

avoir besoin de means to need:
J’ai besoin d’aide I need help

croire en means to believe in:
Elle croit en l’amour She believes in love

Prepositions can change the meaning of a verb:

penser de is used to ask for an opinion:
Que penses-tu de ce film ? What do you think of this film?

Mastering verb-preposition combinations is one of the more challenging areas of French grammar and requires frequent exposure.

Prepositions in Set Expressions

French is full of fixed expressions where prepositions play a crucial role, even though they may not seem necessary from an English perspective.

être en train de means to be in the process of:
Je suis en train de manger I’m eating (right now)

à propos de means about / regarding:
À propos de ton projet… Regarding your project…

au lieu de means instead of:
Il est allé au cinéma au lieu de travailler He went to the cinema instead of working

en face de means facing / across from:
La boulangerie est en face de l’école The bakery is across from the school

These expressions are idiomatic and must be learned as complete phrases.

Contractions with Prepositions

French often contracts prepositions with definite articles, especially à and de.

à + le becomes au:
Il va au marché He goes to the market

à + les becomes aux:
Elle parle aux enfants She talks to the children

de + le becomes du:
Le livre du professeur The teacher’s book

de + les becomes des:
La couleur des murs The color of the walls

These contractions are not optional and are required by standard grammar rules. Prepositions with la or l’ do not contract.

Prepositions in French

Conjunctions are essential tools in both written and spoken French. They act as connectors between words, phrases, and clauses, helping to organize thoughts, clarify relationships, and create smooth transitions. Whether you're constructing compound sentences, linking ideas, or expressing contrast, cause, time, or condition, French conjunctions are the grammar glue that holds everything together.

French conjunctions are divided into two broad categories: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. Each has its own function, rules, and syntactical structure. Learning how and when to use these connectors will help learners create more sophisticated and natural sentences. This page provides a comprehensive overview of French conjunctions, complete with usage explanations and contextual examples.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect words or groups of equal grammatical importance, such as two nouns, two verbs, two adjectives, or two independent clauses. These conjunctions are simple, usually one-word connectors, and are followed by a phrase or clause that maintains the same grammatical structure as the one before it.

et – and

This is the most basic coordinating conjunction, used to add or link two similar ideas.

Il aime le café et le thé He likes coffee and tea
Nous allons au musée et au parc We’re going to the museum and the park

mais – but

Used to introduce contrast or opposition between two elements.

Elle est gentille mais timide She is kind but shy
Je voulais venir, mais j’étais malade I wanted to come, but I was sick

ou – or

Used to present options or alternatives.

Tu veux du vin ou de l’eau ? Do you want wine or water?
On peut partir maintenant ou attendre demain We can leave now or wait until tomorrow

donc – so / therefore

Used to indicate a consequence or result.

Il pleut, donc je prends un parapluie It’s raining, so I’m taking an umbrella
Elle a étudié, donc elle a réussi She studied, therefore she succeeded

car – for / because

A slightly more formal or literary synonym for parce que, explaining a reason.

Je pars, car je suis fatigué I’m leaving, for I’m tired
Ils sont heureux, car ils ont gagné They’re happy because they won

These coordinating conjunctions do not affect word order and can often be placed directly between the two connected elements.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses—clauses that cannot stand alone and rely on a main clause to form a complete sentence. They express a wide range of logical relationships: time, cause, purpose, condition, concession, result, and comparison.

Conjunctions of Cause

These explain why something happens.

parce que – because
Il est parti parce qu’il était fatigué He left because he was tired

puisque – since / as
Puisque tu es là, aide-moi Since you’re here, help me

comme – as / since (used at the beginning of the sentence)
Comme il pleuvait, nous sommes restés As it was raining, we stayed inside

Conjunctions of Time

These indicate when something happens.

quand – when
Je te téléphonerai quand j’arriverai I’ll call you when I arrive

lorsque – when (more formal or literary than quand)
Lorsque le train est arrivé, il faisait nuit When the train arrived, it was dark

dès que – as soon as
Je sortirai dès que la pluie cessera I’ll go out as soon as the rain stops

avant que – before (followed by the subjunctive)
Pars avant qu’il ne vienne Leave before he comes

après que – after (followed by the indicative)
Je suis parti après qu’il a parlé I left after he spoke

Conjunctions of Condition

These express what must happen for something else to be true or to occur.

si – if
Si tu veux, on peut partir maintenant If you want, we can leave now

à condition que – provided that (followed by the subjunctive)
Tu peux sortir à condition que tu rentres avant minuit You can go out provided that you return before midnight

à moins que – unless (followed by the subjunctive)
Je n’y vais pas, à moins qu’il ne m’invite I’m not going unless he invites me

Conjunctions of Purpose

These express why or for what reason something is done.

pour que – so that (followed by the subjunctive)
Je parle lentement pour que tu comprennes I speak slowly so that you understand

afin que – in order that (formal, followed by the subjunctive)
Il travaille dur afin qu’il réussisse He works hard so that he succeeds

Conjunctions of Concession

These introduce an opposing idea or an idea that complicates the main one.

bien que – although / even though (followed by the subjunctive)
Bien qu’il soit jeune, il est très sage Although he is young, he is very wise

quoique – even though (also followed by the subjunctive)
Quoique fatiguée, elle a continué Even though tired, she kept going

même si – even if / even though
Je le ferai même si tu refuses I’ll do it even if you refuse

Conjunctions of Result

These express the effect or consequence of an action.

si bien que – so much so that
Il a plu toute la nuit, si bien que les routes sont inondées It rained all night, so much so that the roads are flooded

de sorte que – so that (followed by indicative or subjunctive, depending on intention)
Elle explique clairement, de sorte que tout le monde comprend She explains clearly so that everyone understands

Conjunctions and the Subjunctive

Many subordinating conjunctions are followed by verbs in the subjunctive mood, especially when they express:

• doubt

• uncertainty

• necessity

• emotion

• desire

Examples:

Il faut que tu viennes It’s necessary that you come
Je veux que tu sois heureux I want you to be happy
Bien qu’il ait peur, il continue Even though he’s afraid, he keeps going

Knowing which conjunctions require the subjunctive is a key aspect of mastering advanced French grammar.

Conjunctions in Colloquial and Formal Language

Some conjunctions are more formal or literary, while others are common in everyday speech. For instance:

car and lorsque are formal, often found in written French.
parce que, quand, and si are used frequently in spoken French.

The conjunction et puis (meaning and then) is very common in casual storytelling:

Et puis, il est parti sans dire un mot And then, he left without saying a word

In contrast, cependant (meaning however) is more appropriate in written or formal contexts.

Complex Conjunctions and Expressions

French includes many multi-word conjunctions, which behave like single grammatical units.

tant que – as long as
Je resterai tant que tu voudras I’ll stay as long as you want

autant que – as much as
Autant que je sache, il est parti As far as I know, he’s gone

de peur que – for fear that (followed by the subjunctive)
Elle chuchote de peur que quelqu’un n’écoute She whispers for fear someone might listen

These expressions must be learned as fixed phrases and often introduce specific verb moods.

Conjunctions in French

Adjectives in French play a central role in description. They provide additional information about nouns—describing qualities such as color, size, shape, personality, nationality, or quantity. Unlike in English, where adjectives generally do not change form, French adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the nouns they modify. This agreement system adds complexity to French grammar but also contributes to the richness and clarity of the language.

Understanding how adjectives work, where they are placed, how they change in different contexts, and which adjectives break the usual rules is crucial to mastering French expression. This page explores French adjective grammar in depth, including agreement, position, irregular forms, and special cases.

Adjective Agreement: Gender and Number

In French, adjectives must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they describe. This means that the form of the adjective often changes depending on what it is modifying.

Masculine to Feminine

To form the feminine of most adjectives, add -e to the masculine form. If the masculine adjective already ends in -e, it often stays the same.

un homme intelligent an intelligent man
une femme intelligente an intelligent woman

un livre rouge a red book
une robe rouge a red dress

If the masculine adjective ends in a consonant, a new syllable is often added in the feminine form, which can affect pronunciation:

un garçon actif an active boy
une fille active an active girl

Singular to Plural

To form the plural, add -s to the singular form. If the singular form already ends in -s or -x, it usually stays the same.

un homme heureux a happy man
des hommes heureux happy men
une femme heureuse a happy woman
des femmes heureuses happy women

This four-way system—masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine singular, feminine plural—is at the heart of adjective agreement in French.

Position of Adjectives

Unlike in English, where adjectives almost always precede the noun, in French most adjectives follow the noun. However, a specific group of adjectives comes before the noun. Knowing which adjectives fall into which category is essential.

Adjectives That Follow the Noun

This is the standard position for most adjectives in French.

un livre intéressant an interesting book
une ville moderne a modern city

These adjectives often refer to shape, color, nationality, religion, and technical characteristics.

un bâtiment rouge a red building
une femme espagnole a Spanish woman

Adjectives That Precede the Noun

A small, high-frequency group of adjectives comes before the noun. These often describe beauty, age, number, goodness, or size—commonly remembered by the acronym BANGS.

un beau jardin a beautiful garden
une vieille maison an old house
un petit garçon a small boy
deux grandes fenêtres two large windows

These adjectives change their meaning or nuance depending on whether they are placed before or after the noun—a point we will explore further.

Irregular Adjective Forms

Some adjectives do not follow the regular rules when changing gender and number. These must be memorized individually.

beau becomes belle in the feminine
nouveau becomes nouvelle
vieux becomes vieille

Examples:

un vieux film an old film
une vieille chanson an old song

When placed before a masculine noun beginning with a vowel or silent h, some adjectives have a special masculine singular form:

un bel homme a handsome man
un nouvel appartement a new apartment
un vieil ami an old friend

These forms are used to maintain euphony, making the sentence easier to pronounce and more fluid.

Adjective Meaning and Placement

Some adjectives change meaning depending on their position relative to the noun.

un homme pauvre a poor man (no money)
un pauvre homme a poor man (pitiful)

une femme grande a tall woman
une grande femme a great woman

un ancien professeur a former teacher
un professeur ancien an old (aged) teacher

In general, placing an adjective before the noun tends to give it a more figurative, emotional, or subjective meaning, while placing it after the noun tends to express a literal, descriptive, or objective quality.

Adjectives of Nationality, Religion, and Region

These adjectives always follow the noun and must agree in gender and number. They are always lowercased in writing, unlike in English.

un plat italien an Italian dish
une étudiante canadienne a Canadian student (female)
des touristes suisses Swiss tourists

Adjectives of nationality ending in a consonant usually take -e in the feminine:

allemand → allemande
russe → russe (unchanged, since it ends in -e)

Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words, often joined by a hyphen. In many cases, only the last element agrees, or sometimes none of the elements change.

des cheveux châtain clair light chestnut hair (invariable)
des costumes bleu foncé dark blue suits (invariable)

However:

des robes rouge foncé dark red dresses
des chemises vert pâle pale green shirts

Compound adjectives are often color combinations, and most are invariable, meaning they do not change for gender or number.

Adjectives as Nouns

In French, adjectives can also be used as nouns, often preceded by a definite article, to refer to people characterized by that quality.

le riche the rich man
la pauvre the poor woman
les jeunes the young people
les malades the sick people

The noun usage of adjectives must always reflect the correct gender and number, and often these expressions refer to groups or categories of people.

Comparative and Superlative Forms

Adjectives in French also form comparative and superlative structures.

To say more than, use plus… que:

Marie est plus intelligente que Paul Marie is more intelligent than Paul

To say less than, use moins… que:

Ce livre est moins intéressant que l’autre This book is less interesting than the other

To say as… as, use aussi… que:

Il est aussi grand que son frère He is as tall as his brother

For the superlative, use le/la/les plus or le/la/les moins before the adjective, making sure it agrees in gender and number with the noun:

C’est la fille la plus gentille de la classe She’s the nicest girl in the class
Voici les films les moins ennuyeux Here are the least boring films

When the adjective comes before the noun, the superlative structure is placed around it:

C’est le plus grand musée de France It’s the biggest museum in France

Common Mistakes with French Adjectives

Many learners make predictable errors when using adjectives in French. These include:

• Forgetting agreement: using a masculine form with a feminine noun

• Misplacing the adjective: putting an adjective before a noun when it should follow

• Incorrect plural forms: omitting the -s for plural nouns or adding it unnecessarily to invariable adjectives

• Using the wrong comparative structure: confusing plus, aussi, or moins

These errors can be corrected with regular practice and careful attention to context.

Adjectives in French

The present tense in French—called le présent de l’indicatif—is one of the most commonly used verb tenses in the language. It expresses actions that are happening right now, habitual actions, general truths, or near-future events. While it is broadly equivalent to the English present simple and present continuous, French uses just one present tense form where English may use several.

Mastering the present tense is essential for daily communication. It is the foundation upon which more advanced tenses are built, and it is used in nearly every sentence a learner constructs. This page explains the rules for conjugating verbs in the present tense, the differences among verb groups, irregular patterns, reflexive usage, and practical examples.

When to Use the Present Tense

In French, the present tense can express several time frames and functions:

– An action happening right now:
Je mange I am eating

– A habitual or repeated action:
Il va à l’école tous les jours He goes to school every day

– A general or timeless truth:
L’eau bout à 100 degrés Water boils at 100 degrees

– A scheduled or near-future event:
Nous partons demain We’re leaving tomorrow

Understanding these uses allows you to apply the present tense more flexibly and naturally in different contexts.

Regular Verb Conjugation: The Three Verb Groups

French verbs are divided into three groups based on the ending of their infinitive form:

– First group: verbs ending in -er
– Second group: verbs ending in -ir (with -issons in the nous form)
– Third group: all other verbs, including -re, -oir, and irregular -ir verbs

First Group: -er Verbs

These are the most regular and abundant verbs in French.

Example: parler to speak
Je parle I speak / I am speaking
Tu parles You speak
Il parle He speaks
Nous parlons We speak
Vous parlez You speak (plural/formal)
Ils parlent They speak

The endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent are used consistently for all regular -er verbs.

Second Group: -ir Verbs (Regular)

These follow a specific pattern and are also fairly regular.

Example: finir to finish
Je finis I finish
Tu finis You finish
Il finit He finishes
Nous finissons We finish
Vous finissez You finish
Ils finissent They finish

The presence of -iss- in the plural forms is a hallmark of second-group verbs.

Third Group: Irregular Verbs

This group includes many high-frequency verbs with unpredictable conjugations. Some patterns exist, but many forms must be memorized.

Examples:
prendre to take → Je prends I take
mettre to put → Je mets I put
venir to come → Je viens I come
voir to see → Je vois I see
dire to say → Je dis I say

The third group also includes the most irregular but frequently used verbs: être, avoir, aller, and faire.

Irregular and Essential Verbs

These irregular verbs do not follow typical patterns, but they are essential for forming expressions, commands, and compound tenses.

Être – to be

Je suis I am
Tu es You are
Il est He is
Nous sommes We are
Vous êtes You are
Ils sont They are

Used in identity, states, location, and passive constructions.

Je suis fatigué I am tired
Ils sont à la maison They are at home

Avoir – to have

J’ai I have
Tu as You have
Il a He has
Nous avons We have
Vous avez You have
Ils ont They have

Used for possession, age, and as an auxiliary in compound tenses.

J’ai vingt ans I am twenty years old
Nous avons un chien We have a dog

Aller – to go

Je vais I go / I am going
Tu vas You go
Il va He goes
Nous allons We go
Vous allez You go
Ils vont They go

Also used to form the near future:
Je vais manger I’m going to eat

Faire – to do / to make

Je fais I do
Tu fais You do
Il fait He does
Nous faisons We do
Vous faites You do
Ils font They do

Used in many idiomatic expressions:
Il fait froid It’s cold
Je fais du sport I do sports

These verbs are essential in everyday French and must be learned thoroughly, as they are foundational to many constructions.

Reflexive Verbs in the Present Tense

Reflexive verbs indicate that the subject performs an action on itself. In French, they are always preceded by a reflexive pronoun.

Example: se lever to get up
Je me lève I get up
Tu te lèves You get up
Il se lève He gets up
Nous nous levons We get up
Vous vous levez You get up
Ils se lèvent They get up

The reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) matches the subject and always comes before the verb.

Elle se réveille tôt She wakes up early
Nous nous couchons tard We go to bed late

Negative Sentences in the Present Tense

To make a sentence negative in the present tense, place ne before the verb and pas after it.

Je parle I speak → Je ne parle pas I do not speak
Il mange He eats → Il ne mange pas He does not eat

If the verb begins with a vowel, ne becomes n’:

Elle aime la musique She likes music
Elle n’aime pas la musique She does not like music

When using reflexive verbs, the negative surrounds both the reflexive pronoun and the verb:

Je me lave I wash myself
Je ne me lave pas I don’t wash myself

Questions in the Present Tense

There are three main ways to ask questions in the present tense.

Intonation

Simply raise your voice at the end of a statement:

Tu viens ? Are you coming?
Il travaille demain ? Is he working tomorrow?

Est-ce que

Place est-ce que at the beginning of the sentence:

Est-ce que tu viens ? Are you coming?
Est-ce qu’elle aime le chocolat ? Does she like chocolate?

Inversion

Invert the subject and verb, usually in written or formal French:

Viens-tu ? Are you coming?
Travaille-t-il demain ? Is he working tomorrow?

If the verb ends in a vowel and the subject begins with one, insert -t-:

Aime-t-elle ce film ? Does she like this film?

Adverbs with the Present Tense

The present tense is often used with adverbs of frequency, time, or manner.

toujours always
souvent often
parfois sometimes
rarement rarely
maintenant now
déjà already
encore still

Examples:

Je travaille toujours le matin I always work in the morning
Elle voyage souvent en été She often travels in summer

Adverbs usually come after the conjugated verb.

Verbs with Spelling Changes

Some verbs require spelling adjustments in the present tense to maintain pronunciation.

Examples:

– manger becomes nous mangeons (to preserve the soft g sound)
– commencer becomes nous commençons (to preserve the soft c)
– acheter becomes j’achète (accent added to preserve stress)
– préférer becomes je préfère (accent changes)

These minor spelling shifts are common and should be memorized along with the verb.

Present Tense in French

Understanding the Past Tense in French Grammar

The past tense in French—known as le passé—is a vital part of the language used to talk about actions that have already happened. Unlike English, which often relies on context and auxiliary verbs to indicate past actions, French uses multiple past tense forms, each with distinct rules and uses. The most commonly used past tenses are the passé composé, imparfait, plus-que-parfait, and passé simple. Each tense has its own structure, purpose, and subtleties.

Understanding these past tenses allows learners to describe past events accurately, recount stories, and distinguish between background information and completed actions. This page focuses primarily on passé composé and imparfait, as they are the most frequently used in spoken and written French. We will also introduce the plus-que-parfait and passé simple for completeness.

Passé Composé: The Compound Past Tense

The passé composé is the most common way to express actions that are completed in the past. It corresponds to both the simple past (I ate) and the present perfect (I have eaten) in English. It is used to describe actions that occurred at a specific time, with a definite beginning and end.

The passé composé is formed with two parts:

1. The auxiliary verb: either avoir or être, conjugated in the present tense

2. The past participle of the main verb

Example with avoir:

J’ai mangé I ate / I have eaten
Tu as fini You finished
Nous avons parlé We spoke

Most verbs use avoir as the auxiliary.

Some verbs use être, mostly verbs of movement and reflexive verbs.

Example with être:

Il est allé au cinéma He went to the cinema
Elle est partie tôt She left early
Nous sommes arrivés We arrived

When using être, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject:

Elle est tombée She fell
Ils sont sortis They went out

With reflexive verbs, the auxiliary is always être, and agreement usually occurs with the subject:

Je me suis levé I got up
Elle s’est réveillée She woke up

The passé composé is used for:

– Completed actions:
Il a terminé son travail He finished his work

– A series of past events:
J’ai pris mon café, j’ai lu le journal, puis je suis parti I had my coffee, read the newspaper, then I left

– Actions with a clear start and end:
Nous avons vécu à Paris pendant deux ans We lived in Paris for two years

Imparfait: The Imperfect Tense

The imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions, descriptions, and background information. It has no direct equivalent in English, but it often translates to the past continuous (was doing) or used to (used to do).

To form the imparfait, take the nous form of the verb in the present tense, remove the -ons, and add the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

Examples:

Je parlais I was speaking / I used to speak
Tu finissais You were finishing
Il mangeait He was eating
Nous jouions We were playing

The imparfait is used for:

– Habitual actions in the past:
Quand j’étais enfant, je lisais tous les jours When I was a child, I used to read every day

– Descriptions (weather, emotions, physical state):
Il faisait beau et chaud It was nice and warm
Elle était contente She was happy

– Ongoing or interrupted actions:
Je regardais la télé quand il a téléphoné I was watching TV when he called

Unlike passé composé, the imparfait has no auxiliary verb and no past participle. It is a simple tense, conjugated directly.

Choosing Between Passé Composé and Imparfait

The choice between passé composé and imparfait depends on the nature of the action.

Use passé composé for:

– Specific, completed actions
– A timeline of events
– Sudden or interrupting actions

Use imparfait for:

– Ongoing background actions
– Repeated or habitual actions
– Descriptions and mental states

Example:

Il faisait froid et il neigeait It was cold and snowing → description (imparfait)
Soudain, la porte s’est ouverte Suddenly, the door opened → sudden event (passé composé)

These tenses often appear together, especially in storytelling:

Je marchais dans la rue quand j’ai vu mon ami
I was walking down the street when I saw my friend

Plus-que-parfait: The Pluperfect Tense

The plus-que-parfait expresses an action that had already happened before another past event. It’s the equivalent of had done in English.

It is formed with:

1. The imparfait of avoir or être

2. The past participle of the main verb

Examples:

J’avais fini I had finished
Elle était partie She had left
Nous avions déjà mangé We had already eaten

Used to establish a sequence in the past:

Il avait étudié avant de passer l’examen He had studied before taking the exam
Quand je suis arrivé, elle était déjà partie When I arrived, she had already left

Agreement rules for être apply here as well:
Elles étaient arrivées en avance They (fem.) had arrived early

Passé Simple: The Literary Past Tense

The passé simple is used in formal literature, historical writing, and classic storytelling. It is a written tense and almost never used in everyday speech.

Example:

Il entra dans la pièce et regarda autour de lui
He entered the room and looked around

It is equivalent to passé composé in meaning but has its own set of endings.

Because of its limited use, learners are usually introduced to the passé simple only when reading novels or historical texts. However, recognition is important for comprehension.

Common Expressions and Time Markers

Certain adverbs and time expressions naturally signal the use of past tenses.

With passé composé:

– hier yesterday
– ce matin this morning
– la semaine dernière last week
– soudain suddenly
– tout à coup all of a sudden
– une fois once
– à ce moment-là at that moment

With imparfait:

– autrefois formerly
– souvent often
– toujours always
– chaque jour every day
– tous les soirs every evening
– le lundi on Mondays

These time markers can help learners choose the appropriate tense when telling a story or recounting events.

Negative and Reflexive Constructions in the Past

In compound tenses like passé composé and plus-que-parfait, the negation surrounds the auxiliary verb.

Je n’ai pas vu le film I didn’t see the movie
Nous n’étions pas partis We had not left

For reflexive verbs, use être as the auxiliary and place the reflexive pronoun before the verb:

Elle s’est levée tard She got up late
Ils ne se sont pas souvenus They didn’t remember

If a direct object follows the reflexive verb, agreement may not occur:

Elle s’est lavé les mains She washed her hands (no agreement)

Past Tense in French

The future tense in French, known as le futur simple, is used to describe actions that will happen later or after the present moment. It allows speakers to talk about plans, predictions, promises, and inevitable events. Mastering the future tense is essential for discussing everything from your intentions for tomorrow to your dreams for the next decade.

Unlike English, which uses auxiliary constructions like will or going to, French has both a simple future tense (le futur simple) and a near future tense (le futur proche). Each serves a different purpose, and learning to distinguish between them gives your French speech and writing clarity and temporal precision.

This page explores the formation, usage, irregularities, and differences between French future tenses, with many examples to show how they function in real contexts.

Futur Simple: The Simple Future Tense

The futur simple is the equivalent of the English will or shall. It is used to express:

– Future facts and certainties
– Planned or scheduled actions
– Predictions and general truths
– Promises, assumptions, or consequences

Formation of Futur Simple

To form the futur simple, take the infinitive form of regular verbs and add the appropriate endings. For -re verbs, the final -e is dropped before adding the ending.

The endings are the same for all verb groups and are derived from the present tense of avoir: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

Examples with parler (to speak):

Je parlerai I will speak
Tu parleras You will speak
Il parlera He will speak
Nous parlerons We will speak
Vous parlerez You will speak
Ils parleront They will speak

Examples with finir (to finish):

Je finirai mon travail I will finish my work
Elle finira à cinq heures She will finish at five o’clock

Examples with vendre (to sell):

Nous vendrons la voiture We will sell the car

Uses of Futur Simple

– Future plans:
Demain, je visiterai le musée Tomorrow, I will visit the museum

– Predictions:
Il fera chaud cet été It will be hot this summer

– Promises or commitments:
Je t’aimerai toujours I will always love you

– Conditional result clauses:
Si tu étudies, tu réussiras If you study, you will succeed

– Formal or written future:
The futur simple is commonly used in writing, news, literature, and official language.

Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense

Many common French verbs have irregular future stems. These irregular forms are consistent in that they use the same future endings as regular verbs, but the root (stem) changes.

Here are some frequently used irregular verbs:

– être → ser-
Je serai professeur I will be a teacher

– avoir → aur-
Tu auras de la chance You will have luck

– aller → ir-
Nous irons à Paris We will go to Paris

– faire → fer-
Elle fera un gâteau She will make a cake

– voir → verr-
Je verrai mes amis demain I will see my friends tomorrow

– savoir → saur-
Ils sauront la vérité They will know the truth

– devoir → devr-
Vous devrez étudier You will have to study

– pouvoir → pourr-
Je pourrai venir ce soir I will be able to come tonight

– venir → viendr-
Tu viendras avec moi ? Will you come with me?

– tenir → tiendr-
Nous tiendrons notre promesse We will keep our promise

– vouloir → voudr-
Je voudrai du café I will want some coffee

These irregular roots must be memorized, as they are used not only in the future tense but also in the conditional mood.

Futur Proche: The Near Future Tense

French also uses a near future tense to express actions that are about to happen, similar to going to in English. It is called le futur proche, and it is widely used in spoken French.

Formation of Futur Proche

To form futur proche, use the present tense of aller followed by the infinitive of the main verb.

Je vais partir I’m going to leave
Tu vas manger You’re going to eat
Il va travailler He’s going to work
Nous allons voyager We’re going to travel
Vous allez réussir You’re going to succeed
Ils vont chanter They’re going to sing

Uses of Futur Proche

– Immediate plans:
Je vais faire les courses maintenant I’m going to do the shopping now

– Certain or scheduled actions:
Le train va partir à huit heures The train is going to leave at 8 o’clock

– Predictable developments:
Il va pleuvoir It’s going to rain

The futur proche is very common in spoken French, where it often replaces the futur simple for events that are close in time or feel more certain.

Differences Between Futur Simple and Futur Proche

While both tenses refer to the future, the futur proche suggests immediacy or certainty, while the futur simple is used for more distant, formal, or less definite events.

Je vais appeler Marie ce soir
I’m going to call Marie tonight (planned, likely)

J’appellerai Marie un jour
I will call Marie someday (less specific)

Both are grammatically correct but carry different tones and degrees of certainty.

Negative and Interrogative Forms

Negation in Futur Simple

Negatives surround the conjugated verb:

Je ne partirai pas demain I will not leave tomorrow

Nous ne ferons rien We will do nothing

In compound tenses like futur proche, the negative surrounds the conjugated form of aller:

Je ne vais pas venir I’m not going to come

Asking Questions in the Future Tense

Questions in the future can be formed with intonation, est-ce que, or inversion:

Tu viendras ? Will you come?
Est-ce que tu viendras ? Will you come?
Viendras-tu ? Will you come?

For futur proche:

Tu vas sortir ? Are you going to go out?
Est-ce que tu vas sortir ? Are you going to go out?

Time Expressions with the Future Tense

French uses various time indicators that naturally call for the future tense:

– demain tomorrow
– ce soir this evening
– bientôt soon
– la semaine prochaine next week
– l’année prochaine next year
– tout à l’heure in a little while
– un jour someday
– quand when (followed by future in both clauses)
– dès que as soon as
– aussitôt que as soon as

Example:

Quand elle arrivera, nous partirons When she arrives, we will leave

Even though English uses the present tense in the subordinate clause (when she arrives), French requires the future in both.

Future Tense in French

The imperative (l’impératif) in French is the verb form used to give commands, instructions, advice, warnings, or requests. It’s a direct and essential way to address someone and tell them to do (or not do) something. Unlike most verb forms, the imperative is unique because it does not usually include the subject pronoun. It relies entirely on verb conjugation and tone to convey meaning.

The imperative exists in three grammatical persons: tu (you, informal singular), nous (we, including oneself), and vous (you, formal singular or plural). This allows speakers to give orders to individuals, groups, or collectively include themselves in a suggestion.

This page explores the structure, usage, exceptions, negative forms, reflexive forms, and irregular conjugations of the French imperative, along with practical examples to help learners become confident in giving commands in French.

When to Use the Imperative

The imperative is used for:

– Giving orders:
Ferme la porte ! Close the door!

– Giving instructions or directions:
Tournez à gauche Turn left

– Offering suggestions:
Allons-y ! Let’s go!

– Making requests or recommendations:
Prenez votre temps Take your time

– Issuing warnings:
Fais attention ! Be careful!

The tone of voice, context, and politeness level all contribute to whether the imperative feels harsh, neutral, or kind.

Forming the Affirmative Imperative

The imperative is formed using three verb forms—tu, nous, and vous—without subject pronouns.

First Group Verbs (-er)

Regular -er verbs drop the -s in the tu form in the imperative, which is different from the present tense.

Parler (to speak):
Parle ! Speak!
Parlons ! Let’s speak!
Parlez ! Speak! (plural/formal)

Regarder (to watch):
Regarde ce film Watch this movie
Regardons ensemble Let’s watch together

Second and Third Group Verbs

Verbs that end in -ir, -re, or are irregular keep the s in the tu form.

Finir (to finish):
Finis tes devoirs ! Finish your homework!

Attendre (to wait):
Attends-moi ici Wait for me here

Faire (to do):
Fais ton lit Make your bed

Prendre (to take):
Prenez une pause Take a break

Irregular Imperative Forms

Some verbs have irregular imperative conjugations, especially être, avoir, savoir, and vouloir.

Être (to be):
Sois sage ! Be good!
Soyons calmes Let’s be calm
Soyez prêts ! Be ready!

Avoir (to have):
Aie confiance Have confidence
Ayons de l’espoir Let’s have hope
Ayez de la patience Have patience

Savoir (to know):
Sache la vérité Know the truth
Sachons garder notre calme Let’s keep calm

Vouloir is used mostly in very polite, formal requests and only in the vous form:
Veuillez entrer Please come in
Veuillez patienter Please wait

These irregular forms are often memorized as set expressions.

Negative Imperative

To make a negative command, place ne before the verb and pas, jamais, or rien after it. The subject pronoun remains omitted, and the structure mirrors standard negation.

Regular Verbs

Ne parle pas ! Don’t speak!
Ne finissons jamais trop tard ! Let’s never finish too late!
Ne répondez pas ! Don’t answer!

For tu forms of -er verbs, continue to drop the -s even in the negative:

Ne mange pas ça ! Don’t eat that!

Irregular Verbs in the Negative

Ne sois pas triste Don’t be sad
N’ayons pas peur Let’s not be afraid
Ne faites pas ça Don’t do that

Negation is common with instructions, prohibitions, or warnings.

Reflexive Verbs in the Imperative

When using reflexive verbs (verbs with se), the reflexive pronoun changes and its position depends on whether the imperative is affirmative or negative.

Affirmative Reflexive Imperative

In the affirmative, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb, joined by a hyphen. The reflexive pronoun changes to match the subject:

– Tu → toi
– Nous → nous
– Vous → vous

Examples:

Lève-toi ! Get up!
Dépêchons-nous ! Let’s hurry!
Habillez-vous ! Get dressed!

Note: In the tu form, reflexive te becomes toi.

Negative Reflexive Imperative

In the negative, the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb, and no hyphen is used. Use the normal me/te/se/nous/vous forms.

Examples:

Ne te couche pas tard ! Don’t go to bed late!
Ne nous disputons pas Let’s not argue
Ne vous inquiétez pas Don’t worry

This alternation is important to maintain clarity and accuracy in spoken and written commands.

Politeness and the Imperative

Although the imperative can sound forceful, tone and context determine its level of politeness. You can soften a command with polite words like s’il te plaît or s’il vous plaît.

Attends ici, s’il te plaît Wait here, please
Prenez un siège, s’il vous plaît Take a seat, please

The imperative is also commonly used in signs, manuals, and recipes:

N’entrez pas Do not enter
Ajoutez deux œufs Add two eggs
Mélangez bien Mix well

Common Mistakes to Avoid

– Forgetting to drop the -s in the tu form of regular -er verbs in the affirmative
Correct: Parle !
Incorrect: Parles !

– Using subject pronouns (never use tu, nous, or vous with the imperative)
Correct: Fais ton travail !
Incorrect: Tu fais ton travail !

– Misplacing the reflexive pronoun in negative reflexive commands
Correct: Ne te lève pas
Incorrect: Ne lève-toi pas

– Using the infinitive instead of the imperative in written instructions
Infinitives may sometimes be used instead of imperatives in very formal or instructional language (e.g. Ne pas toucher), but this is stylistic and not interchangeable in spoken commands.

Imperative in French

The passive voice (la voix passive) in French is a grammatical construction used to emphasize the receiver of an action rather than the doer. In other words, the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The passive voice is common in formal writing, news reporting, official documents, and scientific or academic texts. It allows speakers and writers to shift focus, omit the agent, or sound more objective and impersonal.

Just like in English, the passive in French is formed with a version of the verb to be (être) followed by the past participle of the main verb. But French adds complexity through agreement, tense consistency, and agent introduction. This page explores the structure, uses, agreements, variations, and limitations of the passive voice in French with detailed examples.

What Is the Passive Voice?

A sentence is in the passive voice when the action is done to the subject. The agent (the one performing the action) can be included using the preposition par (by), or omitted if it’s unknown or irrelevant.

Active Voice:

Le professeur corrige les devoirs
The teacher corrects the homework

Passive Voice:

Les devoirs sont corrigés par le professeur
The homework is corrected by the teacher

Here, les devoirs becomes the subject of the sentence, while le professeur becomes the agent introduced by par.

Forming the Passive Voice

The passive voice in French is formed using:

1. The appropriate tense of être (to be)

2. The past participle of the main verb

3. Agreement of the past participle with the new subject

4. (Optional) the agent, introduced with par

Examples in the Present Tense:

Le livre est lu par l’étudiant
The book is read by the student

Les fenêtres sont ouvertes par le concierge
The windows are opened by the janitor

The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number:

– masculine singular: Le gâteau est mangé The cake is eaten
– feminine singular: La tarte est mangée The pie is eaten
– masculine plural: Les gâteaux sont mangés The cakes are eaten
– feminine plural: Les tartes sont mangées The pies are eaten

Using the Passive in Different Tenses

The passive voice can be formed in any tense by conjugating être accordingly.

Passé Composé:

L’e-mail a été envoyé par Marie
The email was sent by Marie

Les documents ont été signés par le directeur
The documents were signed by the director

Imparfait:

La maison était peinte chaque été
The house was painted every summer

Futur Simple:

Le projet sera présenté demain
The project will be presented tomorrow

Plus-que-parfait:

La décision avait été prise sans discussion
The decision had been made without discussion

All tenses of the passive voice require être to be conjugated in the desired tense and the past participle to agree with the subject.

Introducing the Agent

If you wish to mention who performed the action, the agent is introduced by par (by).

Le tableau a été vendu par le musée
The painting was sold by the museum

In some cases, especially when expressing emotion, source, or cause, de is used instead of par:

Elle est aimée de tous
She is loved by all

Ce poème est admiré de ses lecteurs
This poem is admired by its readers

The use of de rather than par is often reserved for verbs of emotion, feeling, or perception, and this usage is more literary.

Agreement of the Past Participle

In the passive voice, the past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. This is one of the key grammatical differences from the active voice.

Examples:

Le bébé est nourri
The baby is fed

La porte est fermée
The door is closed

Les enfants sont habillés
The children are dressed

Les fleurs sont cueillies
The flowers are picked

This rule applies regardless of the tense or presence of an agent.

When to Use the Passive Voice

The passive voice is appropriate when:

– The agent is unknown:
La lettre a été volée The letter was stolen

– The agent is unimportant or obvious:
Les billets sont vérifiés à l’entrée Tickets are checked at the entrance

– You want to emphasize the action or the object:
Le contrat a été signé The contract was signed

– The tone needs to be formal, objective, or impersonal:
Used in administrative, legal, and scientific writing:
Les résultats seront publiés la semaine prochaine The results will be published next week

Avoiding the Passive: Alternatives in Spoken French

Although grammatically correct, the passive voice is less common in spoken French than in English. Native speakers often prefer to rephrase sentences in the active voice or use reflexive constructions.

Active Rephrasing:

Instead of:
Le livre est écrit par Victor Hugo
Say:
Victor Hugo écrit le livre

Using the Reflexive Construction:

In French, many verbs can be turned into an impersonal or passive-like expression using se + verb.

Cela se dit souvent
That is often said

Les billets se vendent rapidement
Tickets sell quickly / are sold quickly

La porte se ferme automatiquement
The door closes automatically / is closed automatically

This pronominal construction is very common and often replaces the passive in everyday speech, especially when the agent is unknown or irrelevant.

Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

The passive voice can be combined with modal verbs such as devoir, pouvoir, or vouloir.

Le document doit être signé
The document must be signed

La salle peut être réservée
The room can be reserved

In such cases, the modal verb is conjugated and followed by être in the infinitive, then the past participle.

Limitations of the Passive Voice

Not all French verbs can be used in the passive voice. Only transitive verbs—those that take a direct object—can be transformed into passive constructions.

For example:

– Elle mange une pomme → Une pomme est mangée par elle
A valid transformation because "manger" takes a direct object.

But:

– Il marche dans le parc cannot become Le parc est marché par lui
This is incorrect because marcher does not take a direct object.

Also, impersonal constructions, idiomatic phrases, or verbs like avoir and être are rarely used in the passive.

Passive in French

Adverbs (les adverbes) are a vital part of French grammar. They are invariable words that modify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even entire sentences. Adverbs help express how, when, where, to what extent, or under what conditions an action takes place. They bring precision, rhythm, and color to speech and writing by answering questions like how?, where?, when?, and how often?

In French, adverbs are generally not conjugated or declined—they do not change to reflect gender or number. Their placement in a sentence, however, can vary depending on what they modify. This page explores how adverbs are formed, categorized, positioned, and used in real-life French communication, along with examples to illustrate their function.

What Do Adverbs Modify?

Adverbs can modify:

– Verbs:
Elle parle doucement
She speaks softly

– Adjectives:
C’est très important
It’s very important

– Other adverbs:
Il conduit trop vite
He drives too fast

– Whole sentences:
Heureusement, il n’a pas plu
Fortunately, it didn’t rain

Understanding the scope of adverbial modification is key to using them effectively.

Forming Adverbs from Adjectives

A large number of French adverbs are derived from adjectives by adding -ment, which is equivalent to -ly in English.

To form regular adverbs:

1. Take the feminine singular form of the adjective

2. Add -ment

Examples:

heureux → heureusement
happy → happily
doux → doucement
soft → softly
rapide → rapidement
quick → quickly

If the adjective ends in a vowel in the masculine form, add -ment directly to it:

vrai → vraiment
true → truly
absolu → absolument
absolute → absolutely

If the adjective ends in -ent or -ant, the endings become -emment and -amment respectively:

évident → évidemment
evident → evidently
constant → constamment
constant → constantly

Note that -emment and -amment are pronounced the same: -ɑ̃mɑ̃.

Categories of Adverbs

Adverbs are categorized based on what kind of information they provide.

Adverbs of Manner (comment ?)

These adverbs describe how something is done.

Il court rapidement
He runs quickly

Elle chante merveilleusement
She sings wonderfully

Ils répondent poliment
They answer politely

Adverbs of Time (quand ?)

These indicate when something happens.

Je suis arrivé tôt
I arrived early

Ils sont partis hier
They left yesterday

Nous le verrons bientôt
We will see him soon

Adverbs of Frequency (à quelle fréquence ?)

These express how often an action occurs.

Je voyage souvent
I travel often

Elle ne sort jamais
She never goes out

Il téléphone toujours à sa mère
He always calls his mother

Adverbs of Place (où ?)

These indicate where the action happens.

Va dehors
Go outside

Ils habitent ici
They live here

Le chat est là-bas
The cat is over there

Adverbs of Quantity or Degree (combien ?)

These adverbs describe how much or to what extent.

Tu travailles trop
You work too much

Elle est très gentille
She is very kind

Nous avons assez mangé
We ate enough

Adverbs of Affirmation, Negation, and Doubt

– oui, certainement, bien sûr – yes, certainly, of course
– non, ne… pas, ne… jamais – no, not, never
– peut-être, probablement – maybe, probably

Examples:

Oui, je comprends
Yes, I understand

Il ne viendra pas
He will not come

Peut-être qu’elle a raison
Maybe she’s right

Placement of Adverbs

The placement of adverbs in French depends on what is being modified and the type of adverb.

Adverbs Modifying a Verb

Most adverbs go after the conjugated verb in simple tenses.

Il parle lentement
He speaks slowly

Nous mangeons bien ici
We eat well here

With compound tenses like passé composé, short and common adverbs (like déjà, bien, mal, toujours, souvent) are placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle:

J’ai déjà vu ce film
I have already seen this movie

Elle a bien compris
She understood well

Longer or less common adverbs are generally placed after the past participle:

Il a parlé intelligemment
He spoke intelligently

Adverbs Modifying Adjectives or Other Adverbs

These adverbs usually precede the word they modify:

Elle est très intelligente
She is very intelligent

C’est une histoire vraiment triste
It’s a truly sad story

Il conduit trop rapidement
He drives too quickly

Sentence-Opening Adverbs

Certain adverbs that express an opinion or comment on the sentence as a whole are often placed at the beginning:

Heureusement, il n’a pas neigé
Fortunately, it didn’t snow

Malheureusement, elle ne viendra pas
Unfortunately, she won’t come

These adverbs are often followed by a comma in written French.

Negative Adverbs

Negative adverbs such as pas, jamais, rien, and plus are placed around the verb, just like in negation with ne.

Je ne mange pas de viande
I don’t eat meat

Il ne dit jamais la vérité
He never tells the truth

In compound tenses:

Elle n’a rien compris
She understood nothing

Nous n’avons jamais voyagé ensemble
We have never traveled together

Intensifiers and Modifiers

Adverbs are often modified by other adverbs to increase or decrease intensity:

Il travaille très dur
He works very hard

C’est trop cher
It’s too expensive

Tu parles assez clairement
You speak clearly enough

These combinations provide nuance and allow for more expressive language.

Invariable Nature of Adverbs

One of the simplest aspects of adverbs is that they are invariable: they do not change based on gender or number.

Une femme très belle
A very beautiful woman

Des hommes très beaux
Very handsome men

Here, très remains the same in both cases. Whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural, the adverb does not change.

Adverbs in Questions and Emphasis

Adverbs can also be used in questions:

Quand arrive-t-il ?
When does he arrive?

Où vas-tu ?
Where are you going?

Pourquoi pleures-tu ?
Why are you crying?

They can also add emphasis to an assertion:

Il est vraiment incroyable !
He is really amazing!

Tu es tellement gentil
You are so kind

Common Mistakes with Adverbs

– Incorrect placement in compound tenses
Correct: J’ai toujours aimé la musique
Incorrect: J’ai aimé toujours la musique

– Using adjectives instead of adverbs
Correct: Elle parle doucement (softly)
Incorrect: Elle parle douce

– Forgetting to use ne... with negative adverbs
Correct: Il ne dit rien
Incorrect: Il dit rien

Adverbs in French

Modal verbs are verbs that express the mood, ability, necessity, possibility, permission, or intention of the subject in relation to an action. In English, typical modal verbs include can, must, may, should, and would. French does not have a specific grammatical category called modal verbs, but it does have several main verbs that function modally, followed by an infinitive verb to indicate the main action.

In French, these verbs are fully conjugated and used with infinitives to form expressions like I must go, she can sing, or we want to eat. This page focuses on the most common French modal-like verbs, including pouvoir, devoir, vouloir, savoir, falloir, and others. You'll learn how to use them to express ability, necessity, desire, advice, and more—along with clear examples.

What Are Modal Verbs in French?

While French doesn’t officially call them modaux, certain verbs function exactly like modal verbs because they:

1. Are followed by a verb in the infinitive

2. Modify the attitude of the subject toward the action

These include:

– pouvoir can, to be able to
– devoir must, to have to, should
– vouloir to want to
– savoir to know how to
– falloir to be necessary (only used impersonally)
– aimer to like to (in some modal-like uses)
– oser to dare to

Pouvoir – To Be Able To / Can / May

Pouvoir expresses ability, possibility, or permission. It is equivalent to can or may in English.

Je peux venir ce soir
I can come tonight

Tu peux m’aider ?
Can you help me?

Il ne peut pas sortir aujourd’hui
He cannot go out today

In the past, it can also mean managed to:

J’ai pu le faire
I was able to do it

When used with the conditional, it expresses polite or hypothetical ability:

Je pourrais vous accompagner
I could accompany you

Devoir – To Have To / Must / Should / Ought To

Devoir is used to express obligation, duty, necessity, and sometimes probability. It’s the equivalent of must, have to, or should.

Je dois étudier ce soir
I have to study tonight

Tu dois faire attention
You must be careful

Il ne doit pas mentir
He must not lie

In the conditional, it is used to give advice or indicate moral obligation:

Tu devrais te reposer
You should rest

Vous devriez écouter
You ought to listen

In some contexts, devoir in the past indicates a probable deduction:

Il a dû oublier
He must have forgotten

Vouloir – To Want (To)

Vouloir expresses desire, intention, polite requests, and commands. It is a direct equivalent of to want to.

Je veux apprendre le français
I want to learn French

Elle veut partir maintenant
She wants to leave now

Tu veux du café ?
Do you want some coffee?

In the conditional, it becomes more polite:

Je voudrais un verre d’eau
I would like a glass of water

Nous voudrions parler au directeur
We would like to speak to the manager

In the imperative form, it is used for formal commands:

Veuillez patienter
Please wait

Savoir – To Know How To

Savoir, when used with an infinitive, means to know how to do something, expressing ability or learned skill.

Je sais nager
I know how to swim

Elle sait parler espagnol
She knows how to speak Spanish

Nous ne savons pas conduire
We don’t know how to drive

This use is distinct from connaître, which means to be familiar with someone or something.

Je connais ce livre
I know (am familiar with) this book

But:
Je sais lire ce livre
I know how to read this book

Falloir – To Be Necessary / Must

Falloir is an impersonal verb—it is only used in the third person singular form: il faut. It expresses necessity, obligation, or strong suggestion. It translates as must, have to, or need to.

Il faut partir maintenant
We must leave now

Il ne faut pas faire ça
You must not do that

Il faut étudier pour réussir
You have to study to succeed

In the past:
Il a fallu attendre longtemps
We had to wait a long time

In the conditional:
Il faudrait plus de temps
More time would be needed

This structure is widely used in impersonal recommendations, especially in formal contexts.

Aimer – To Like (To)

Though not traditionally considered a modal verb, aimer often functions in a quasi-modal way when followed by an infinitive to express likes and preferences.

J’aime lire
I like to read

Elle aime danser le soir
She likes to dance in the evening

Nous aimons cuisiner ensemble
We like to cook together

In the conditional, it expresses polite or tentative desires:

J’aimerais visiter Paris un jour
I would like to visit Paris someday

Oser – To Dare (To)

Oser is used to express the courage or audacity to do something. It is often used in a modal-like structure with an infinitive.

Il n’ose pas parler en public
He doesn’t dare to speak in public

Elle ose dire la vérité
She dares to tell the truth

Oseras-tu le faire ?
Will you dare to do it?

Combining Modal Verbs with Infinitives

The key rule with all French modal verbs is that they are followed by the infinitive of the main verb.

Je peux venir
I can come

Tu dois partir
You must leave

Nous voulons essayer
We want to try

These constructions are grammatically simple but stylistically powerful, especially when you learn to conjugate the modal in different tenses and moods.

Modal Verbs in Different Tenses

French modal verbs can be conjugated in all tenses and moods, just like any other verb.

– Present:
Elle peut sortir ce soir She can go out tonight

– Passé Composé:
J’ai voulu tout expliquer I wanted to explain everything

– Imparfait:
Il devait souvent voyager He had to travel often

– Futur Simple:
Nous saurons quoi faire We will know what to do

– Conditional:
Tu pourrais m’aider ? Could you help me?

This flexibility makes modal verbs some of the most useful tools in fluent expression.

Modal Verbs in Negative and Interrogative Forms

Negative Form

Negation surrounds the conjugated modal verb:

Je ne veux pas partir
I don’t want to leave

Elle ne peut pas dormir
She cannot sleep

Nous ne devons pas oublier
We must not forget

In compound tenses:

Je n’ai pas pu finir
I couldn’t finish

Interrogative Form

Questions are formed by intonation, inversion, or using est-ce que.

Tu veux venir ?
Do you want to come?

Peux-tu m’aider ?
Can you help me?

Est-ce que je dois rester ?
Do I have to stay?

Modal Verbs in French

Negation in French

Negation in French grammar allows speakers to express the opposite of an idea, deny the occurrence of an action, or indicate absence, refusal, or impossibility. While English often relies on simply inserting not into a sentence, French requires a two-part negation structure, most commonly ne... pas, along with other negative structures like ne... jamais, ne... plus, ne... rien, and many others.

Negation is a fundamental part of everyday communication, whether you're saying I don’t know, she never comes, we have nothing, or they no longer live here. To form negation correctly, French speakers must understand how to place the negative particles around the verb, how word order changes in different tenses, and how to use different negative expressions to convey subtle differences in meaning.

This page covers all major aspects of French negation, including basic negation, common variations, compound tenses, subject-verb agreement, special constructions, and exceptions.

Basic Negation: Ne... Pas

The most common way to make a sentence negative in French is by using ne... pas, which translates to not. The two elements are placed around the conjugated verb.

Je parle français
I speak French
→ Je ne parle pas français
I do not speak French

Il travaille ici
He works here
→ Il ne travaille pas ici
He does not work here

In spoken French, especially informally, the ne is often dropped, but in writing and formal speech, both parts must be included.

Negation in Compound Tenses

In compound tenses like passé composé, ne... pas surrounds the auxiliary verb, not the past participle.

J’ai mangé
I ate
→ Je n’ai pas mangé
I did not eat

Nous avons terminé le travail
We finished the work
→ Nous n’avons pas terminé le travail
We did not finish the work

Other Common Negative Expressions

French has a rich set of negation expressions that go beyond not, each with its own nuance. They follow the same basic structure of placing ne before the verb and the second part after.

Ne... Jamais (Never)

Tu vas au cinéma ?
Do you go to the cinema?
→ Je ne vais jamais au cinéma
I never go to the cinema

Il n’a jamais voyagé en avion
He has never traveled by plane

Ne... Plus (No Longer / Not Anymore)

Elle habite ici
She lives here
→ Elle n’habite plus ici
She no longer lives here

Nous ne travaillons plus ensemble
We don’t work together anymore

Ne... Rien (Nothing / Not Anything)

Je vois quelque chose
I see something
→ Je ne vois rien
I see nothing / I don’t see anything

Il n’a rien dit
He said nothing

Ne... Personne (No One / Nobody)

Il voit quelqu’un
He sees someone
→ Il ne voit personne
He sees no one / He doesn’t see anyone

In compound tenses, personne comes after the past participle:

Je n’ai vu personne
I didn’t see anyone

Ne... Aucun(e) (Not Any / None)

This structure requires agreement with the noun in gender and number.

Nous avons reçu des lettres
We received some letters
→ Nous n’avons reçu aucune lettre
We didn’t receive any letter

Elle n’a fait aucune erreur
She didn’t make any mistake

Ne... Que (Only)

Though it looks like a negation, ne... que is actually a restrictive construction meaning only.

Je ne mange que des légumes
I only eat vegetables

Il n’a que deux euros
He only has two euros

Ne... Nulle Part (Nowhere)

Je ne vais nulle part
I’m not going anywhere / I’m going nowhere

On n’a trouvé la clé nulle part
We found the key nowhere

Word Order and Placement

Simple Tenses

In present and other simple tenses, the ne is placed before the verb, and the negative expression comes immediately after.

Tu comprends ?
Do you understand?
→ Tu ne comprends pas
You don’t understand

Compound Tenses

In compound tenses like passé composé, ne goes before the auxiliary, and the second part of the negation follows it.

J’ai vu
I saw
→ Je n’ai rien vu
I saw nothing

Elle a invité quelqu’un
She invited someone
→ Elle n’a invité personne
She didn’t invite anyone

With personne and nulle part, the second part always goes after the past participle.

Infinitives

When negation applies to an infinitive, both parts of the negation go before the infinitive.

Il préfère ne pas répondre
He prefers not to answer

Je choisis de ne rien dire
I choose to say nothing

Double and Multiple Negatives

French often allows more than one negative expression in the same sentence. They work together and do not cancel each other out, unlike in English.

Je ne vois rien et je n’entends personne
I see nothing and I hear no one

Il ne parle jamais à personne
He never speaks to anyone

Nous ne faisons plus jamais ça
We never do that anymore

Each element of the negation has its place in the sentence and must follow standard placement rules.

Omission of “Ne” in Spoken French

In everyday spoken French, especially informal speech, it is common to drop the “ne” and retain only the second part of the negation.

Je sais pas instead of Je ne sais pas
I don’t know

Il veut pas venir instead of Il ne veut pas venir
He doesn’t want to come

On fait rien instead of On ne fait rien
We’re doing nothing

This form is grammatically incorrect in writing but very widespread in conversation.

Agreement and Verb Modifications

The verb in a negative sentence does not change form, but agreement may be affected if aucun(e) or personne acts as the subject.

Personne n’est venu
No one came (agreement with personne)

Aucune solution n’a été trouvée
No solution was found (agreement with aucune solution)

Special Cases and Expressions

Some idiomatic expressions use negation creatively:

– Il n’y a pas de quoi – You're welcome / Don’t mention it
– Ce n’est pas grave – It’s not serious / No problem
– Pas mal – Not bad (often means quite good)
– Il ne manque plus que ça ! – That’s all we needed! (sarcastic)

These expressions often soften or intensify the tone of negation depending on context.

Conclusion

Mastering negation in French is essential for clear and nuanced communication. From the basic ne... pas to more complex structures like ne... jamais, ne... personne, and ne... que, negative constructions allow you to deny, restrict, or clarify actions and ideas.

Paying attention to placement, especially in compound tenses and with infinitives, is crucial for grammatical correctness. While French allows multiple negative expressions, it also adapts to spoken shortcuts, such as dropping ne in casual speech.

Whether you're denying facts, expressing restrictions, or responding politely, a confident use of negation adds richness and clarity to your French.

Word order in French follows a relatively strict set of rules, especially when compared to English. While both languages share a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure in simple declarative sentences, French syntax involves additional constraints for adjectives, pronouns, negation, questions, and adverbs. Mastering French word order is crucial for making your sentences sound natural, clear, and grammatically correct.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through standard word order in French, highlight the major differences with English, and explain where French allows flexibility and where it does not. Each rule is illustrated with practical examples to help learners internalize the structure and rhythm of well-formed French sentences.

Basic Word Order: Subject–Verb–Object

Like English, French uses a subject–verb–object (SVO) order in most simple declarative sentences.

Je mange une pomme
I am eating an apple

Tu regardes la télévision
You are watching television

Il lit un livre
He is reading a book

This base structure remains the foundation for more complex sentences, even when additional elements are added.

Adjectives and Their Position

Unlike English, where adjectives usually come before the noun, French adjectives generally appear after the noun they modify.

Une robe rouge
A red dress

Un livre intéressant
An interesting book

However, some common adjectives appear before the noun, especially those that express beauty, age, goodness, and size (often remembered with the acronym BAGS):

Un petit garçon
A small boy

Une belle maison
A beautiful house

Adjective position can also change the meaning of the sentence:

Un grand homme
A great man

Un homme grand
A tall man

Understanding these nuances is essential for both accurate grammar and meaningful expression.

Placement of Pronouns

In French, object pronouns are placed before the conjugated verb, unlike English where they come after.

Je le vois
I see him

Elle me parle
She is talking to me

In compound tenses, the pronoun still comes before the auxiliary verb:

Nous les avons invités
We invited them

If the sentence includes a verb + infinitive structure, the pronoun is placed before the infinitive:

Je vais le faire
I am going to do it

Ils veulent nous aider
They want to help us

Multiple pronouns follow a fixed order in French (me/te/se → le/la/les → lui/leur → y → en), and this order cannot be changed.

Je te le donne
I give it to you

Il me l’a expliqué
He explained it to me

Position of Negation

French negation is composed of two parts: ne and a second word like pas, jamais, rien, plus, etc. The negative elements wrap around the conjugated verb.

Je ne fume pas
I do not smoke

Il ne mange jamais de viande
He never eats meat

In compound tenses, negation surrounds the auxiliary verb, not the past participle:

Nous n’avons rien vu
We saw nothing

Tu n’as jamais entendu ça
You have never heard that

When a pronoun is involved, negation goes around both the pronoun and the verb:

Je ne le vois pas
I do not see him

Elle ne nous parle plus
She no longer talks to us

Placement of Adverbs

The position of adverbs depends on what they modify and the tense of the verb. For simple tenses, most adverbs come after the verb.

Il travaille bien
He works well

Elle parle doucement
She speaks softly

In compound tenses, short and common adverbs (like toujours, souvent, déjà, bien) are placed between the auxiliary and the past participle:

J’ai déjà mangé
I have already eaten

Ils ont bien travaillé
They worked well

Longer or less common adverbs tend to go after the past participle:

Nous avons parlé intelligemment
We spoke intelligently

If the adverb modifies the entire sentence or expresses an opinion, it may be placed at the beginning or end of the sentence:

Heureusement, il est arrivé à temps
Fortunately, he arrived on time

Il est arrivé à temps, heureusement
He arrived on time, fortunately

Word Order in Questions

There are several ways to form questions in French, and each has its own word order.

1. Intonation (Informal Spoken French)

Simply raise your voice at the end of a statement:

Tu viens ce soir ?
Are you coming tonight?

2. Est-ce que (Neutral/Formal)

Use est-ce que at the beginning of a sentence:

Est-ce que tu viens ce soir ?
Are you coming tonight?

3. Inversion (Formal/Written)

Invert the subject and verb:

Viens-tu ce soir ?
Are you coming tonight?

When the verb ends in a vowel and the subject begins with a vowel, -t- is inserted:

Aime-t-elle le chocolat ?
Does she like chocolate?

With pronouns, inversion is straightforward, but with nouns, the noun is repeated after the verb:

Marie vient-elle demain ?
Is Marie coming tomorrow?

Prepositional Phrases and Complements

In French, prepositional phrases typically follow the noun or verb they describe.

Je parle à mon frère
I am speaking to my brother

Elle pense à ses vacances
She is thinking about her holidays

When multiple complements are present, their order is generally:

1. Direct object

2. Indirect object

3. Prepositional phrase (place or time)

Il donne le livre à son ami demain
He gives the book to his friend tomorrow

Je fais mes devoirs à la maison le soir
I do my homework at home in the evening

Word Order in Relative Clauses

In relative clauses introduced by qui, que, dont, or où, the usual SVO order is maintained.

La femme qui parle est ma voisine
The woman who is speaking is my neighbor

Le film que j’ai vu était intéressant
The film that I saw was interesting

Voici le jour où il est parti
Here is the day when he left

Word Order in Imperative Sentences

In affirmative commands, object pronouns come after the verb, connected with a hyphen:

Donne-moi le livre
Give me the book

Parlez-lui
Speak to him

In negative commands, the structure is reversed, and pronouns return to their position before the verb:

Ne me parle pas
Do not talk to me

Ne leur donne rien
Don’t give them anything

Word Order Differences with English

Although the basic word order seems similar, French and English differ in many structural aspects:

– Adjectives often follow the noun in French
– Pronouns come before the verb, not after
– Negative structures wrap around the verb
– Inversion and est-ce que are common in questions
– French places more emphasis on fixed sequences, especially with multiple pronouns

Understanding these differences helps avoid literal translations and leads to more fluent and idiomatic French.

Word Order in French

Forming questions in French is essential for communication. Whether you're asking for information, clarification, or confirmation, French offers several ways to ask questions—each with specific rules for word order, intonation, and formality. Unlike English, where do or does is often added to form a question, French modifies the structure of the sentence itself, often using inversion, intonation, or interrogative expressions.

This guide explores all the grammatical methods of forming questions in French, from basic yes/no questions to more complex information questions. You will learn how to choose the right formality level, how to use interrogative words, how to construct questions with different verbs and tenses, and how to avoid common errors.

Yes/No Questions with Intonation

The simplest way to ask a yes/no question in French is by using intonation, especially in spoken and informal contexts. You keep the sentence structure the same as a declarative sentence and simply raise your voice at the end.

Tu viens ce soir ?
Are you coming tonight?

Il est prêt ?
Is he ready?

Vous partez demain ?
Are you leaving tomorrow?

This method is very common in everyday speech but should be avoided in formal writing.

Yes/No Questions with “Est-ce que”

Another standard way to form yes/no questions is to use est-ce que at the beginning of the sentence. This method is grammatically correct, neutral in tone, and suitable for both spoken and written French.

Est-ce que tu as faim ?
Are you hungry?

Est-ce que vous parlez anglais ?
Do you speak English?

Est-ce qu’il va venir ?
Is he going to come?

Note that when the subject starts with a vowel sound, que becomes qu’ to allow smooth pronunciation:

Est-ce qu’elle est là ?
Is she here?

Est-ce qu’on part maintenant ?
Are we leaving now?

Yes/No Questions with Inversion

Inversion is the most formal method of forming a yes/no question. It involves reversing the order of the subject pronoun and the verb, usually connected by a hyphen. This structure is used mainly in formal writing, literature, or news broadcasts.

Aimes-tu le chocolat ?
Do you like chocolate?

Viendra-t-il demain ?
Will he come tomorrow?

Sont-elles prêtes ?
Are they ready?

If the verb ends in a vowel and the subject pronoun begins with a vowel, the particle -t- is inserted for pronunciation:

A-t-il un frère ?
Does he have a brother?

Chante-t-elle bien ?
Does she sing well?

When the subject is a noun, it remains at the beginning, and the pronoun is repeated in the inversion:

Marie vient-elle ce soir ?
Is Marie coming tonight?

Le professeur a-t-il corrigé les devoirs ?
Has the teacher corrected the homework?

Information Questions with Interrogative Words

To ask open-ended questions, French uses interrogative words at the beginning of the sentence. These questions cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.

Qui (Who)

Used to ask about people as subjects or objects.

Qui est là ?
Who is there?

Tu vois qui ?
Whom do you see?

Qui parle ?
Who is speaking?

Que / Qu’est-ce que (What)

Used to ask about things or actions.

Que fais-tu ?
What are you doing?

Qu’est-ce que tu regardes ?
What are you watching?

Tu veux quoi ?
What do you want? (informal)

Où (Where)

Asks about location.

Où vas-tu ?
Where are you going?

Où est la gare ?
Where is the train station?

Quand (When)

Asks about time.

Quand arrives-tu ?
When are you arriving?

Tu pars quand ?
When are you leaving?

Pourquoi (Why)

Asks for reasons.

Pourquoi étudies-tu le français ?
Why are you studying French?

Pourquoi il pleure ?
Why is he crying?

Comment (How)

Asks about manner or condition.

Comment vas-tu ?
How are you?

Comment ça marche ?
How does it work?

Combien (How much / How many)

Used to inquire about quantity.

Combien ça coûte ?
How much does it cost?

Combien de livres avez-vous ?
How many books do you have?

Placement of Prepositions in Questions

When an interrogative expression involves a preposition, the preposition is typically placed before the question word in formal questions with inversion:

Avec qui parlez-vous ?
With whom are you speaking?

À quoi penses-tu ?
What are you thinking about?

De quoi s’agit-il ?
What is it about?

In informal French, the preposition often remains at the end:

Tu parles avec qui ?
Who are you talking to?

Tu penses à quoi ?
What are you thinking about?

Using “Quel” (Which / What)

The interrogative adjective quel agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies and is used to ask about choices.

Quel jour sommes-nous ?
What day is it?

Quelle heure est-il ?
What time is it?

Quels livres lis-tu ?
Which books are you reading?

Quelles langues parlez-vous ?
Which languages do you speak?

Questions in the Past and Future Tenses

Questions can be asked in any tense, and the structure of the question follows the same rules:

Est-ce que tu as vu ce film ?
Did you see this movie?

Quand est-il parti ?
When did he leave?

Où iras-tu demain ?
Where will you go tomorrow?

Pourquoi avez-vous choisi cette école ?
Why did you choose this school?

Even with compound tenses like passé composé, the rules of inversion, est-ce que, and intonation still apply.

Questions with Negative Structure

You can also ask negative questions in French using any of the standard question forms.

Tu ne viens pas ?
You’re not coming?

Est-ce que tu n’as pas faim ?
Aren’t you hungry?

Pourquoi ne répond-elle pas ?
Why isn’t she answering?

N’as-tu jamais voyagé à l’étranger ?
Have you never traveled abroad?

These questions often expect confirmation or surprise, just like in English.

Informal vs Formal Register in Questions

French clearly distinguishes levels of formality, especially in questions:

• Intonation: Very informal
  Tu viens ?
  You coming?

• Est-ce que: Neutral
  Est-ce que tu viens ?
  Are you coming?

• Inversion: Formal
  Viens-tu ?
  Are you coming?

When writing essays, letters, or academic texts, inversion is preferred. In casual speech or conversation, intonation or est-ce que are far more common.

Common Errors to Avoid

– Forgetting inversion requires a hyphen:
Aimes-tu, not Aimes tu

– Using qu’est-ce que with inversion (not allowed):
Que fais-tu ?, not Qu’est-ce que fais-tu ?

– Dropping est-ce que before a vowel and forgetting the contraction:
Est-ce qu’il, not Est-ce que il

– Mixing formal and informal structures in the same sentence

Consistency and clarity are key in choosing the appropriate question form.

Questions in French

Relative clauses are essential tools in French grammar for linking sentences and adding information about a noun without starting a new sentence. They are used to describe, define, or identify the subject or object of a sentence more precisely, and they often serve the same function in both French and English. A relative clause begins with a relative pronoun, such as qui, que, dont, où, lequel, or ce qui, among others.

Mastering relative clauses allows learners to create more complex, fluent, and precise sentences. Instead of repeating a subject or object, French lets you embed ideas with the help of relative pronouns. These pronouns refer back to a noun or an idea in the main clause and connect it to the subordinate clause.

This guide will cover the most important types of relative clauses in French, the rules for using each relative pronoun, and common pitfalls to avoid—all supported with clear, real-world examples.

What Are Relative Clauses?

A relative clause in French (la proposition relative) is a dependent clause that modifies a noun. It is introduced by a relative pronoun, which serves as the link between the two parts of the sentence.

Compare the English:
The man who is speaking is my teacher.
with the French:
L’homme qui parle est mon professeur
The man who is speaking is my teacher

Here, qui parle is the relative clause giving more information about l’homme.

Relative Pronoun: Qui

Qui functions as a subject in the relative clause. It refers to a person or thing and is used when the noun it replaces is the subject of the verb in the relative clause.

La femme qui chante est célèbre
The woman who is singing is famous

J’ai un chat qui aime dormir au soleil
I have a cat that likes to sleep in the sun

Note that qui is used whether the antecedent is a person or a thing, as long as it is the subject of the verb.

Relative Pronoun: Que

Que functions as a direct object in the relative clause. It also refers to people or things but is used when the noun it replaces is the object of the verb in the relative clause.

Le livre que tu lis est intéressant
The book that you are reading is interesting

C’est la fille que j’ai rencontrée hier
That is the girl I met yesterday

When the verb in the relative clause is in the passé composé, and que introduces a direct object, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the antecedent:

Les chansons que j’ai entendues étaient magnifiques
The songs that I heard were beautiful

Relative Pronoun: Dont

Dont replaces a prepositional phrase with de. It can mean whose, of whom, of which, about whom, or about which depending on context.

L’homme dont je parle est mon oncle
The man I’m talking about is my uncle

C’est une idée dont je suis fier
It’s an idea I’m proud of

Les enfants dont les parents sont absents resteront ici
The children whose parents are absent will stay here

Dont is also used when the verb or adjective in the relative clause is followed by de:

– parler de (to talk about)
– avoir besoin de (to need)
– être fier de (to be proud of)
– se souvenir de (to remember)

Relative Pronoun: Où

Où is used to replace expressions of time or place. It means where, when, or in which, depending on context.

La ville où je suis né est belle
The city where I was born is beautiful

L’année où j’ai commencé l’université était difficile
The year when I started university was hard

Le moment où elle est arrivée a tout changé
The moment she arrived changed everything

Relative Pronoun: Lequel and Its Forms

Lequel is used after prepositions (such as à, dans, avec, pour) when referring to things (not people). It means which one, whom, or which depending on context. It must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to.

Forms of lequel:

• lequel (masculine singular)

• laquelle (feminine singular)

• lesquels (masculine plural)

• lesquelles (feminine plural)

La chaise sur laquelle je me suis assis est cassée
The chair on which I sat is broken

Les idées avec lesquelles il travaille sont originales
The ideas with which he works are original

After à and de, the pronoun often contracts:

• à + lequel → auquel

• à + lesquels → auxquels

• de + lequel → duquel

• de + lesquels → desquels

L’homme auquel je pense est mon professeur
The man I’m thinking about is my teacher

La solution à laquelle ils ont pensé est brillante
The solution they thought of is brilliant

Les arbres sous lesquels nous étions étaient grands
The trees under which we were were tall

Indefinite Relative Pronouns: Ce qui / Ce que / Ce dont

Sometimes, the relative pronoun does not refer to a specific noun but to an idea or entire clause. In such cases, use ce qui, ce que, or ce dont.

Ce qui (subject)

Ce qui est important, c’est la santé
What is important is health

Je ne comprends pas ce qui se passe
I don’t understand what is happening

Ce que (object)

Ce que tu dis est vrai
What you are saying is true

Je ne sais pas ce que tu veux
I don’t know what you want

Ce dont (with de)

Ce dont j’ai besoin, c’est du repos
What I need is rest

Ce dont elle parle est très intéressant
What she is talking about is very interesting

Omission of the Relative Pronoun (Never in French)

In English, relative pronouns can often be omitted:

The book [that] I read was interesting.

But in French, the relative pronoun can never be omitted. It is always required, even in informal speech:

Le livre que j’ai lu était intéressant
The book that I read was interesting

Never say: Le livre j’ai lu...

Agreement of Past Participles with Que

One important rule to remember when using que as a direct object in compound tenses (like passé composé) is that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the noun que replaces.

La chanson que j’ai écrite est célèbre
The song that I wrote is famous

Les photos que nous avons prises sont floues
The pictures we took are blurry

Le film que tu as vu était ennuyeux
The movie you saw was boring

This agreement rule applies only when que is the direct object.

Common Errors to Avoid

– Using qui instead of que, or vice versa
– Forgetting agreement with que in compound tenses
– Omitting dont when the verb requires de
– Not contracting à + lequel or de + lequel properly
– Forgetting ce when referring to an unspecified idea

Incorrect: Je ne comprends pas qui se passe
Correct: Je ne comprends pas ce qui se passe

Incorrect: Le livre j’ai lu
Correct: Le livre que j’ai lu

Relative Clauses in French

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