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French tense summary

You can look at 'nous / vous' as separately from the others as 'in the short box' to notice patterns and remember the endings of the verbs.
You can think of the '-er' verbs and the other verbs separately to notice the endings too.
Here are some regular patterns. Bear in mind that there are lots of exceptions, especially with very common verbs.

Present
Some regular verbs:

Parler	Finir	Rompre
je parle	je finis	je romps
tu parles	tu finis	tu romps
il / elle / on parle	il / elle / on finit	il / elle / on rompt (if the stem ends in a 'd', no ending)
nous parlons	nous finissons	nous rompons
vous parlez	vous finissez	vous rompez
ils / elles parlent	ils / elles finissent	ils / elles rompent

Imperfect (3 sounds: ai, ion, iez)
Take off the -ons from the nous form of the present tense and add:

je	-ais
tu	-ais
il / elle / on	-ait
nous	-ions
vous	-iez
ils / elles	-aient

Only one exception with être which is ét + endings.
The short pronouns have an 'ai' sound and nous / vous have an 'i' in the ending

Will - Future (3 sounds: rai, ra, rons)
Most verbs use the infinitive and add the present tense of avoir (but nous... ons and vous... ez)

Parler
je parlerai
tu parleras
il / elle / on parlera
nous parlerons
vous parlerez
ils / elles parleront

Would - Conditional (3 sounds, imperfect sounds with an 'r' in front: rai, rions, riez)
Most verbs use the infinitive and add the imperfect endings

Parler
je parlerais
tu parlerais
il / elle / on parlerait
nous parlerions
vous parleriez
ils / elles parleraient

The short pronouns have an 'rai' sound and nous / vous have an 'i'
The exceptions where you don't use the infinitive (the unchanged verb) are the same as the future tense's

Present subjunctive (sounds the consonant of the stem)
take the ils / elles form without -ent and add:

je	-e
tu	-es
il / elle / on	-e
nous	-ions
vous	-iez
ils / elles	-ent

There are a few verbs that you can't get the stem from the nous form though.
Note the nous / vous form is almost always the same as the imperfect form.
These verbs have odd exceptions: aller, avoir, être, faire, falloir, pouvoir, savoir, valoir, venir and vouloir

Compound tenses

Regular past participle endings:
-er → é
-ir → i
-re →u
Also those old "oir" verbs have a 'u' like voir→vu, pouvoir→pu, vouloir→voulu, croire→cru.

Use être with reflexive verbs and when a verb can't have an object (a few verbs can take either, with a difference in meaning).
Here's a reminder of the reflexive pronouns:

Subject	Reflexive
je	me/m'
tu	te/t'
il	se/s'
elle	se/s'
nous	nous
vous	vous
ils	se/s'
elles	se/s'

Bear in mind that some verbs will use other pronouns such as 'on' and 'y' after the reflexive pronoun

Have / has done etc. - Passé composé
Use the present of avoir / être and the past participle

Avoir	Être	Être without another object
j'ai ...	je suis ...	je me suis ...
tu as ...	tu es ...	tu t'es ...
il / elle / on a ...	il / elle on est ...	il / elle / on s'est ...
nous avons ...	nous sommes ...	nous nous sommes ...
vous avez ...	vous êtes ...	vous vous êtes ...
ils / elles ont ...	ils / elles sont ...	ils / elles se sont ...

Had done - Pluperfect
make avoir / être imperfect plus the past participle (j'avais... / on était...)

Avoir	Être	Être without another object
j'avais ...	j'étais ...	je m'étais ...
tu avais ...	tu étais ...	tu t'étais ...
il / elle / on avait ...	il / elle on était ...	il / elle on s'était ...
nous avions ...	nous étions ...	nous nous étions ...
vous aviez ...	vous étiez ...	vous vous étiez ...
ils / elles avaient ...	ils / elles étaient ...	ils / elles s'étaient ...

Will've - Future anterior
aur / ser + future endings

Avoir	Être	Être without another object
j'aurai ...	je serai ...	je me serai ...
tu auras ...	tu seras ...	tu te seras ...
il / elle / on aura ...	il / elle / on sera ...	il / elle / on se sera ...
nous aurons ...	nous serons ...	nous nous serons ...
vous aurez ...	vous serez ...	vous vous serez ...
ils / elles auront ...	ils / elles seront ...	ils / elles se seront ...

Would've - Past conditional
aur / ser + imperfect endings (like what you'd do to make the conditional)

Avoir	Être	Être without another object
j'aurais ...	je serais ...	je me serais ...
tu aurais ...	tu serais ...	tu te serais ...
il / elle / on aurait ...	il / elle on serait ...	il / elle on se serait ...
nous aurions ...	nous serions ...	nous nous serions ...
vous auriez ...	vous seriez ...	vous vous seriez ...
ils / elles auraient ...	ils / elles seraient ...	ils / elles se seraient ...

Past subjunctive

avoir - it's like saying 'ai' + the subjunctive endings
être - it's like saying 'soi' + the French characteristic endings, s for je and tu, t for il / elle etc. They are the same endings for a regular -re verb

Avoir	Être	Être without another object
j'aie ...	je sois ...	je me sois ...
tu aies ...	tu sois ...	tu te sois ...
il / elle / on ait ...	il / elle / on soit ...	il / elle on se soit ...
nous ayons ...	nous soyons ...	nous nous soyons ...
vous ayez ...	vous soyez ...	vous vous soyez ...
ils / elles aient ...	ils / elles soient ...	ils / elles se soient ...

Notes on the compound tenses

If you use être, the past participle often changes in gender and number, according to the subject (if it can change) and it can change with avoir if the direct object is in front of the verb. I have put a reference table below to show you when and when not to change the past participle.

Agreement with être
Examples of agreement:
je suis allé(e)
tu es parti(e)
il / elle / on est descendu(e)
nous sommes allé(e)s ('we' is plural)
vous êtes allé(e)(s)
ils / elles / sont allé(e)s ('they' is plural)

Examples:

Je me suis étonné = I am surprised (male)
Je me suis étonnée = I am surprised (female)
Elles se sont levées = They have got up (a number of females)
ils seront déjà sortis = they'll already have gone out

When the reflexive object (the 'se', 'me' part) is an indirect object (to or from someone / something), then you do not change it whether there is a direct object there or not:
Je me suis dit, « ne le faites pas » = I said to myself, "don't do it" (to myself is indirect in this sentence)
ils se sont écrit = they write to each (to each other is indirect)
Ils se sont brossé les dents = They have brushed their teeth (les dents is the true direct object)
Compare this with - Il se les est brossées = he washed them (implying his teeth). Here "les dents" is feminine and plural so brossées is agreeing with the 'les' part.
It just so happens that this verb is one of those that you can use avoir if you are doing something to something or être if you are doing something to yourself:
J'ai brossé le manteau = I have brushed off the coat
Je me suis brossé les cheveux = I have brushed my hair (done to oneself)
Another verb that acts like this is laver:
J'ai lavé la vaisselle = I have washed the dishes
Je me suis lavé les mains = I have washed my hands (done to oneself)

Another good example is casser = to break
J'ai cassé un verre = I've broke a glass
Il s'est cassé la jambre = he broke his leg ('la jambre' is the direct object and the reflexive 'se' shows who's leg he broke - putting 'ma jambre' would not be necessary as it is obvious who's leg he broke)
A direct object before the verb:
Quelle jambre s'est-il cassée? = which ankle has he broken? (the direct object is in front and cassée has to agree with jambre)

The past participle can be used as an adjective:
La porte est ouverte

Agreement with avoir
The past participle doesn't usually change with avoir unless the object is in front of the verb:
J'ai lu vos messages = I have read your messages (no change)
Vos messages, je les ai lus = Your messages, I have read them (the 'les' bit is the direct object so 'lu' agrees with whatever 'les' is referring to)
Voilà mes outils que vous avez cherchés = Here are the tools that you have been looking for (the object is in front of the verb and the 'que ....' part is acting like an adjective)
Mes amis ? Je les ai rencontrés à Paris = My friends? I met them in Paris
—Sortez la voiture du garage = Take the car out of the garage
—Je l'ai déjà sortie = I've already taken it out (the direct object l' is in front of 'ai' which if it didn't contract, would be 'la' because it is referring to 'la voiture')

Quelle boisson avez-vous choisie? = which drink did you choose? ('quelle boisson' is in front of the verb and choisie is referring to it)
Laquelle avaient-elles choisie ? = Which one had they chosen?

You don't change the past participle when you use an indirect object (to / from something or someone). As you can see from the following sentences, 'ce cadeau' is the direct object:
C'est à Martine que j'ai donné ce cadeau = It is to Martine that I have given this present ('ce cadeau' is the direct object of the verb)
It may be clearer if I said it this way:
Je lui ai donné ce cadeau = I have given this present to her
J'ai donné ce cadeau à Martine = I have given this present to Martine

...or with 'en' when it refers to something because 'en' is technically called an adverbial pronoun
Les tournevis? J'en ai besoin = the screwdrivers? I need them (or "I have need of them")

To summarize

Situation	Example	Do I change the past participle?
Using être without anything else (only some verbs use this)	ils sont allés	Yes - it agrees with the subject
Using être with reflexive verbs and the pronoun is a direct object	elle s'est lavée	Yes - it agrees with the subject
Using être with reflexive verbs and the direct object is in front	Quelle jambre s'est-il cassée? Il se les est brossées (les referred to 'les dents')	Yes - it agrees with the direct object
Using être with reflexive verbs with a direct object after the verb	Ils se sont brossé les dents	No
Using être with reflexive verbs and the pronoun is indirect (to / from me etc)	Je me suis dit, « ne le faites pas » Ils se sont écrit	No
Using avoir with the direct object after the verb	J'ai lu vos messages	No
Using avoir and the direct object in front of the verb	Vos messages, je les ai lus Voilà mes outils que vous avez cherchés —Sortez la voiture du garage —Je l'ai déjà sortie	Yes
The indirect object is in front of the verb and you use avoir	C'est à Martine que j'ai donné ce cadeau	No - this sentence still has a direct object after the verb
Using 'en' with avoir	Les tournevis? J'en ai besoin	No

With either être or avoir, there are similar things going on. When a direct object is in front, you make the past participle agree. When it is after the verb, no agreement.
Elle s'est lavée - the s' bit is acting like the direct object
Quelle jambre s'est-il cassée? - the direct object is before the verb
Vos messages, je les ai lus - the direct object is before the verb
Je l'ai déjà sortie - the l' bit is a direct object, referring to a feminine object mentioned previously

Here are some non-reflexive verbs that use être:
accourir (takes either avoir or être)
aller
arriver
descendre (but if you use an object, you use avoir and the meaning of the verb changes)
entrer (but if you use an object, you use avoir and the meaning of the verb changes)
monter (but if you use an object, you use avoir and the meaning of the verb changes)
mourir
naître
partir
passer (takes either avoir or être)
rentrer (but if you use an object, you use avoir and the meaning of the verb changes)
rester
retourner (but if you use an object, you use avoir and the meaning of the verb changes)
sortir (but if you use an object, you use avoir and the meaning of the verb changes)
tomber
venir

convenir uses avoir

Have you found an error or do you want to add more information to these pages?
You can contact me at the bottom of the home page.

[FRANÇAIS]

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