French Verb Tenses Explained in 16 Minutes

This is an edited transcript of the lesson, with the French models restored from the original video graphics and the English corrected for readability. It retains the explanations, learning advice, encouragement and humor. Bracketed checked notes are editorial accuracy corrections, not words spoken in the recording. The eight practice questions are editorial additions, separate from the transcript.

00:00 — Welcome and the plan

Welcome to the ultimate guide to French verb tenses. In the next twenty minutes, I’m going to explain the French verb tenses you need to know. French has several different moods, and we’ll cover more than ten tenses. That might sound like a lot, but don’t worry: not all of them are equally useful in everyday French. I’ll show you which ones really matter.

To help you review after the lesson, we created a free PDF with the different tenses. You can download it from the link in the video description. For each tense, we’ll see when French speakers use it, how to form it and one simple example to help you remember it.

Whether French grammar feels completely overwhelming or you’re an advanced learner looking for a quick refresher, this video is for you. Stay until the end: I’ll also tell you which tenses to prioritize if your goal is to speak French confidently.

Here’s our plan: the three verb groups and forms such as the infinitive and participles; then the indicatif, conditionnel, subjonctif and impératif, with their tenses, rules and examples; and finally a super-fast recap. Let’s get started.

01:36 — The three verb groups and non-conjugated forms

Before we look at the tenses, here’s a quick reminder. French verbs are traditionally divided into three groups. The first contains regular verbs ending in -er, such as parler, chanter, manger and danser. Aller is an irregular exception and belongs to the third group.

The second contains regular -ir verbs whose present participle ends in -issant: finir → finissant, choisir, grandir and réussir. The third contains the other verbs, including prendre, voir, partir and aller.

French also has non-conjugated forms: the infinitive, present participle, gérondif and past participle. These are outside the sixteen conjugated tenses in this lesson’s traditional grouping. You’ll see the past participle again and again because it helps us build the compound tenses. Let’s begin with the indicative.

02:38 — Indicatif: présent

We use the indicative to present actions and situations as facts or realities. The present is essential: you’ll use it constantly for actions happening now, habits and general truths. The endings depend on the verb group. With a regular -er verb such as parler, remove -er and add the present endings shown on screen.

Je parle; tu parles; il/elle/on parle; nous parlons; vous parlez; ils/elles parlent.

Je parle français tous les jours. — I speak French every day.

Now let me take a coffee break while Jonathan explains the passé composé.

03:31 — Indicatif: passé composé

The passé composé is also essential. It is the most common way to talk about completed past actions in everyday spoken French. Form it with avoir or être in the present, followed by the past participle.

J’ai parlé; tu as parlé; il/elle/on a parlé; nous avons parlé; vous avez parlé; ils/elles ont parlé.

Hier, j’ai parlé avec Thomas. — Yesterday, I spoke with Thomas.

Did you recognize the tense I just used?

04:11 — Indicatif: imparfait

The imparfait is essential too, especially when you tell stories. Use it for past habits, descriptions, background information and actions that were in progress. For most verbs, take the nous form in the present, remove -ons and add the imperfect endings. Être is the main exception, with the stem ét-.

Je parlais; tu parlais; il/elle/on parlait; nous parlions; vous parliez; ils/elles parlaient.

Quand j’étais jeune, je parlais souvent français. — When I was young, I often spoke French.

The key difference is this: the passé composé moves the story forward with completed events, while the imparfait describes the background or what was already happening. Now that you’re getting this easily—and because you’re more than perfect—we’re going to review le plus-que-parfait.

05:19 — Indicatif: plus-que-parfait

This tense is useful, but you won’t need it as often as the previous three. It describes an action that happened before another action in the past. Form it with avoir or être in the imparfait, followed by the past participle.

J’avais mangé; tu avais mangé; il/elle/on avait mangé; nous avions mangé; vous aviez mangé; ils/elles avaient mangé.

J’avais déjà mangé quand il est arrivé. — I had already eaten when he arrived.

Let’s do a quick checkpoint. If you understand the passé composé for completed events, the imparfait for the background and the plus-que-parfait for what happened earlier, you already have a strong system for talking about the past. Let’s keep going with the passé simple and passé antérieur.

06:15 — Indicatif: passé simple

For this speaking-focused learning plan, the passé simple is recognition only. It replaces the passé composé in literary narration.

Il parla. — He spoke.

You won’t need to produce it in everyday French.

06:35 — Indicatif: passé antérieur

The passé antérieur is also recognition only in this plan. It marks an action completed before another action in literary narration.

Quand il eut parlé, il partit. — When he had spoken, he left.

Before the final two indicative tenses, there’s one essential future structure you all need to know.

07:01 — An essential structure: futur proche

The futur proche is not counted as a separate tense in our list of sixteen because it uses the present of aller plus an infinitive. In spoken French you’ll hear it all the time for plans or events that feel close or have already been decided.

Je vais parler au directeur. — I’m going to speak to the director.

07:27 — Indicatif: futur simple

The futur simple is essential for future events, promises and predictions. For most verbs, use the infinitive as the stem and add the future endings. For verbs ending in -re, remove the final -e first: prendre → je prendrai. Some verbs have irregular future stems.

Je parlerai; tu parleras; il/elle/on parlera; nous parlerons; vous parlerez; ils/elles parleront.

Demain, je parlerai au directeur. — Tomorrow, I will speak to the director.

08:06 — Indicatif: futur antérieur

The futur antérieur is useful but less common. It describes a future action that will be completed before another future moment or action. Form it with avoir or être in the futur simple, followed by the past participle.

Quand tu arriveras, j’aurai déjà fini. — When you arrive, I will already have finished.

Great job! You can now talk about actions in the present, past and future, which means you can handle a huge part of everyday communication in French. Let’s take it a step further and learn how to talk about what would happen.

08:50 — Conditionnel: présent

The conditional has two tenses in this traditional grouping. We use it for hypotheses, wishes, polite requests, advice and unreal situations.

The conditionnel présent is essential. You’ll hear and use it all the time, especially when you want to sound more polite or describe what would happen. Use the same stem as the futur simple, but add the endings of the imparfait.

Je voudrais; tu voudrais; il/elle/on voudrait; nous voudrions; vous voudriez; ils/elles voudraient.

Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît. — I’d like a coffee, please.

09:43 — Conditionnel: passé

The conditionnel passé is useful for regrets and hypothetical situations that did not happen. Form it with avoir or être in the conditionnel présent, followed by the past participle.

J’aurais aimé; tu aurais aimé; il/elle/on aurait aimé; nous aurions aimé; vous auriez aimé; ils/elles auraient aimé.

J’aurais aimé venir à ta fête. — I would have liked to come to your party.

If that makes sense, you can already express facts, past events, future plans, hypotheses and regrets. Next comes the mood that makes many learners nervous. It’s easier when you focus on the two forms used in modern everyday French.

10:37 — Subjonctif: what it expresses

The subjunctive presents an action through a subjective reaction, such as a wish, emotion, doubt, judgement or necessity. It often appears after expressions followed by que, such as il faut que, je veux que or bien que.

11:01 — Subjonctif: présent

The subjonctif présent is what you really need. You’ll hear it regularly in modern French. With regular verbs such as parler, start from ils parlent, remove -ent and add the subjunctive endings shown on screen.

Que je parle; que tu parles; qu’il/qu’elle/qu’on parle; que nous parlions; que vous parliez; qu’ils/qu’elles parlent.

Il faut que tu parles avec lui. — You need to speak with him.

[The on-screen model is ils parlent, not the automatic caption’s il parle. This regular-verb example is not a complete rule for irregular or two-stem subjunctives.]

11:40 — Subjonctif: passé

The subjonctif passé is useful when the action in the subjunctive has already been completed. Form it with avoir or être in the subjonctif présent, followed by the past participle.

Je suis contente que vous ayez compris. — I’m glad you understood.

12:03 — Subjonctif: imparfait

For our speaking-focused plan, the subjonctif imparfait is recognition only. A literary form such as qu’il parlât is replaced by the subjonctif présent in modern everyday French.

12:20 — Subjonctif: plus-que-parfait

The subjonctif plus-que-parfait is also recognition only here. A literary form such as qu’il eût parlé is replaced by the subjonctif passé in everyday modern French. If you can recognize a subjunctive trigger and choose between the present and past subjunctive, you know the forms you need for everyday French.

We’re almost there: one final mood, and a very useful one for speaking—the imperative.

12:58 — Impératif: présent

The impératif présent is essential. You’ll hear it regularly. For most verbs, the imperative resembles the tu, nous or vous form of the present, without the subject pronoun.

Parlez plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. — Speak more slowly, please.

[Written-form note: regular -er verbs normally drop the final -s in the tu imperative: tu parles → parle! Aller gives va! The -s can return before en or y, as in parles-en and vas-y. Être, avoir, savoir and vouloir also have special imperative forms.]

13:17 — Impératif: passé

The impératif passé is rare, but it exists. It tells someone to make sure an action is completed before a particular moment or deadline. Form it with the imperative of avoir or être, followed by the past participle.

Ayez terminé avant midi. — Make sure you have finished by noon.

13:40 — A fast recap with parler

Let’s bring everything together with parler. The complete sixteen-tense table, including the literary forms, is available in the free PDF mentioned in the video. These are the forms to focus on for real communication:

Présent: je parle. — I speak / I’m speaking.

Passé composé: j’ai parlé. — I spoke / I have spoken.

Imparfait: je parlais. — I used to speak / I was speaking, depending on context.

Plus-que-parfait: j’avais parlé. — I had spoken.

Futur proche: je vais parler. — I’m going to speak.

Futur simple: je parlerai. — I will speak.

Futur antérieur: j’aurai parlé. — I will have spoken.

Conditionnel présent: je parlerais. — I would speak.

Conditionnel passé: j’aurais parlé. — I would have spoken.

Subjonctif présent: que je parle. — that I speak, in a context requiring the subjunctive.

Subjonctif passé: que j’aie parlé. — that I have spoken, in a context requiring the subjunctive.

Impératif présent: parle! — Speak!

Notice how the compound tenses follow the same basic pattern: a conjugated form of avoir or être plus a past participle. Once you recognize that structure, the whole system becomes much easier.

14:55 — Which tenses to prioritize

First master the présent, passé composé, imparfait and futur proche. These will carry a large part of your everyday conversations. Next add the futur simple, conditionnel présent and impératif présent. Then learn the subjonctif présent and the compound tenses as you need them.

For the passé simple, passé antérieur, subjonctif imparfait and subjonctif plus-que-parfait, recognition is enough unless you’re really studying literature.

15:34 — Keep practicing

That’s it! You’ve covered the tenses in this lesson in under twenty minutes. Remember, you don’t need to master every French tense at once. Start with the ones you’ll actually use in everyday conversation.

Two past tenses every intermediate learner needs to understand are the passé composé and imparfait. They can both describe the past, but they aren’t interchangeable. Choosing the wrong one can change the meaning of your sentence. Watch the next video for the difference, with clear rules and real-life examples.

Take care, keep practicing, et à bientôt dans une prochaine vidéo sur Talk in French!