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Learn French Tenses Online
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Learn More About the French Tenses
When communicating in the French language, it is important to use the right tense, as doing so helps to denote whether the events or actions being described are occurring in the past, present or future. However, there are multiple different tenses for each of these three basic time frames, so getting to grips with them can be a little tricky.
In total, there are actually around 20 different tenses and moods in French, but some of them are almost never used. So, to help you out, we have outlined the main French tenses below, complete with explanations of when you should use them, and examples of them being used.
French Tenses
Name | Past, Present, or Future | When to use this French tense | Examples of use |
Present / Le présent | Present | Le présent corresponds almost exactly with the present tense in English. It can be used to describe actions taking place in the present, as well as facts or conditions that presently exist. With that said, it can also be used to refer to an agreed-upon future action, as long as the future time is specified. |
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Present perfect / Le passé composé | Past and present | Similar to the present perfect tense in English, le passé composé is a tense used to describe past actions that have been completed. However, it can be considered both a past and present tense, because it emphasizes the result and allows time adjuncts referring to the present. |
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Recent past / Le passé récent | Past | As the name suggests, le passé récent is the tense you use when describing an action or event in the recent past. More specifically, it is to be used when discussing actions that have taken place shortly before the moment of speaking. |
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Past historic / Le passé simple | Past | Le passé simple primarily appears in writing, rather than in conversation. It is generally used to describe an action that took place in the past, has been completed and only happened once, although it can also be used when a new action interrupts an already occurring past action. |
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Imperfect / L’imparfait | Past | L’imparfait is the continuous past tense, which means it is used to place focus on the progression of a past event. It can also be used to describe past actions that used to occur regularly, or to describe states of mind. |
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Past perfect / Le plus-que-parfait | Past | Also known as the Pluperfect, le plus-que-parfait is used to describe events that took place before a certain point in the past. For instance, you might use it if you are telling a story set in the past, but want to refer to something that happened even earlier. |
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Future / Le futur simple | Future | Le futur simple can be considered the French language equivalent of the future tense in English. It is mostly used to express an intention for the future, but may also be used to make suppositions about the future as well. |
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Near future / Le futur composé | Future | Le futur composé is used when referring to something that is going to happen shortly. It can also be used to describe an intended or planned action for the near future, as long as there is already an intention to carry out that action. |
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Future anterior / Le futur antérieur | Future | Corresponding with the future perfect tense in English, le futur antérieur is used when talking about an action that you assume will be completed by the time of speaking, or when making an assumption about something you expect will have happened by a specified time in the future. |
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