WriteIn French is designed to help you master French verb conjugation. Practice French writing with AI-powered feedback that catches verb tense errors, agreement mistakes, and helps you use the correct conjugations in context.
Start Free TrialFrench verb conjugation is the system of changing a verb's form to indicate the person (je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles), tense (present, past, future), and mood (indicative, subjunctive, conditional, imperative). Mastering French conjugation is essential for speaking and writing French correctly.
French verbs change more extensively than English verbs, with distinct forms for each person and numerous tenses. While this may seem daunting, French verbs follow logical patterns that, once learned, make conjugation predictable for regular verbs.
French verbs are divided into three groups based on their infinitive endings:
The first two groups are regular and follow predictable patterns. The third group contains irregular verbs that often don't follow standard patterns and must be learned individually.
The present tense in French is used for:
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | parle | I speak |
| tu | parles | you speak (informal) |
| il/elle/on | parle | he/she/one speaks |
| nous | parlons | we speak |
| vous | parlez | you speak (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | parlent | they speak |
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | I finish |
| tu | finis | you finish |
| il/elle/on | finit | he/she/one finishes |
| nous | finissons | we finish |
| vous | finissez | you finish |
| ils/elles | finissent | they finish |
Use WriteIn French to practice using present tense verbs in context. Our AI identifies incorrect conjugations and helps you learn the patterns naturally through writing practice.
Start Practicing Nowje suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont
j'ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont
je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont
je fais, tu fais, il/elle fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils/elles font
je peux, tu peux, il/elle peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils/elles peuvent
je veux, tu veux, il/elle veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils/elles veulent
French has two main past tenses used in everyday speech, and choosing between them is one of the most challenging aspects for English speakers.
The passé composé is used for:
Formation: auxiliary verb (avoir or être) + past participle
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai parlé | I spoke/have spoken |
| tu | as parlé | you spoke/have spoken |
| il/elle | a parlé | he/she spoke/has spoken |
| nous | avons parlé | we spoke/have spoken |
| vous | avez parlé | you spoke/have spoken |
| ils/elles | ont parlé | they spoke/have spoken |
These verbs use être instead of avoir in passé composé:
With être, the past participle agrees with the subject: "Elle est allée" (she went)
The imparfait is used for:
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | parlais | I was speaking/used to speak |
| tu | parlais | you were speaking/used to speak |
| il/elle | parlait | he/she was speaking/used to speak |
| nous | parlions | we were speaking/used to speak |
| vous | parliez | you were speaking/used to speak |
| ils/elles | parlaient | they were speaking/used to speak |
Passé Composé: "Hier, j'ai mangé une pizza" (Yesterday I ate a pizza - completed action)
Imparfait: "Quand j'étais petit, je mangeais des pizzas tous les vendredis" (When I was little, I used to eat pizzas every Friday - habitual)
Together: "Je mangeais une pizza quand le téléphone a sonné" (I was eating pizza when the phone rang - imparfait for background, passé composé for interruption)
The future tense in French is used to express actions that will happen. For regular verbs, add endings to the infinitive.
| Person | Endings | Example |
|---|---|---|
| je | -ai | parlerai, finirai |
| tu | -as | parleras, finiras |
| il/elle | -a | parlera, finira |
| nous | -ons | parlerons, finirons |
| vous | -ez | parlerez, finirez |
| ils/elles | -ont | parleront, finiront |
Uses:
The conditional expresses what would happen. Formed like future, but with imparfait endings.
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | parlerais | I would speak |
| tu | parlerais | you would speak |
| il/elle | parlerait | he/she would speak |
| nous | parlerions | we would speak |
| vous | parleriez | you would speak |
| ils/elles | parleraient | they would speak |
Uses:
Some verbs have irregular stems (same for both future and conditional):
The subjunctive is one of the most challenging aspects of French for English speakers. It expresses doubt, desire, uncertainty, emotion, or subjective opinions rather than facts.
For regular verbs: Use the ils/elles form of present tense, drop -ent, add subjunctive endings
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| que je | parle |
| que tu | parles |
| qu'il/elle | parle |
| que nous | parlions |
| que vous | parliez |
| qu'ils/elles | parlent |
que je sois, que tu sois, qu'il soit, que nous soyons, que vous soyez, qu'ils soient
que j'aie, que tu aies, qu'il ait, que nous ayons, que vous ayez, qu'ils aient
que j'aille, que tu ailles, qu'il aille, que nous allions, que vous alliez, qu'ils aillent
que je fasse, que tu fasses, qu'il fasse, que nous fassions, que vous fassiez, qu'ils fassent
que je puisse, que tu puisses, qu'il puisse, que nous puissions, que vous puissiez, qu'ils puissent
que je sache, que tu saches, qu'il sache, que nous sachions, que vous sachiez, qu'ils sachent
The subjunctive is difficult to master, but essential for advanced French. WriteIn French helps you practice using subjunctive correctly in your writing, with instant feedback when you use indicative instead of subjunctive (or vice versa).
Start Practicing NowWrong: "Hier, je mangeais une pizza" (if you mean a completed action) ❌
Right: "Hier, j'ai mangé une pizza" ✓
Wrong: "Quand j'étais petit, j'ai mangé des bonbons tous les jours" ❌
Right: "Quand j'étais petit, je mangeais des bonbons tous les jours" ✓
Wrong: "Je suis allé avec avoir" (J'ai allé) ❌
Right: "Je suis allé" ✓ (aller uses être)
Wrong: "Elle a arrivée" ❌
Right: "Elle est arrivée" ✓ (with agreement)
Wrong: "Elle est allé" ❌
Right: "Elle est allée" ✓ (feminine agreement)
Wrong: "Les filles sont parti" ❌
Right: "Les filles sont parties" ✓ (feminine plural)
Wrong: "Il faut que je pars" ❌
Right: "Il faut que je parte" ✓
Wrong: "Je veux que tu viens" ❌
Right: "Je veux que tu viennes" ✓
Wrong: "Je faisais" in passé composé ❌
Right: "J'ai fait" ✓ (past participle is fait, not faisé)
Wrong: "Je voirai" ❌
Right: "Je verrai" ✓ (irregular future stem)
WriteIn French identifies verb conjugation errors in your writing and explains the correct forms. Practice writing in French and get instant feedback on verb tenses, agreement, and subjunctive usage.
Start Practicing NowThe main French verb tenses are: Present (présent), Passé Composé, Imparfait, Simple Past (passé simple - literary), Future (futur), Conditional (conditionnel), and Subjunctive (subjonctif). For everyday use, master present, passé composé, imparfait, future, and conditional first.
Passé composé is used for completed actions in the past with a definite beginning and end ("J'ai mangé" - I ate). Imparfait describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past ("Je mangeais" - I was eating/used to eat). Imparfait sets the scene; passé composé advances the story.
Each French verb can have 50+ different conjugated forms when you count all persons, tenses, and moods. However, regular verbs follow patterns, so you don't need to memorize each form individually. Focus on learning patterns for regular verbs and memorizing the most common irregular verbs.
For most English speakers, the subjunctive mood is the most challenging because English rarely uses it. Distinguishing between passé composé and imparfait is also difficult. Regular practice in context helps these concepts become natural.
No! Learn the patterns for regular verbs in each group, then memorize the 20-30 most common irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, vouloir, etc.). With practice, conjugation becomes automatic. Focus on using verbs in context rather than memorizing charts.
Memorize Dr & Mrs Vandertramp: Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Rentrer, Tomber, Retourner, Arriver, Mourir, Partir. All reflexive verbs (se laver, se lever, etc.) also use être. With être, the past participle agrees with the subject.
Use subjunctive after: 1) Expressions of necessity (il faut que), 2) Doubt/uncertainty (je doute que), 3) Emotions (je suis content que), 4) Wishes (je veux que), 5) Certain conjunctions (bien que, pour que, avant que). If it's a fact, use indicative; if it's subjective, use subjunctive.
Basic conjugation patterns can be learned in 3-6 months with consistent practice. Full mastery, including subjunctive and all compound tenses, typically takes 1-2 years of regular study. The key is using verbs in context through writing and speaking, not just memorizing charts.
"J'ai mangé" (passé composé) means "I ate" or "I have eaten" - a completed action. "Je mangeais" (imparfait) means "I was eating" or "I used to eat" - an ongoing or habitual action. Context determines which to use: "J'ai mangé à midi" (I ate at noon - completed) vs "Je mangeais quand..." (I was eating when... - ongoing).
Yes! Focus on: 1) The most common 50 verbs first, 2) Learning patterns rather than individual verbs, 3) Using mnemonic devices like "Dr & Mrs Vandertramp," 4) Practice with authentic materials (songs, movies, books), 5) Write in French regularly with feedback to reinforce correct patterns.
The best way to learn conjugation is through consistent writing practice with immediate feedback.
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