How many tenses are there in French?

15 tenses across 4 moods (indicatif, subjonctif, conditionnel, impératif) if you count both simple and compound forms. In practice, only 8 are used in modern spoken/written French; the others include specialized compound forms and literary tenses.

Which French tenses do I really need?

Présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel présent, and subjonctif présent cover roughly 95% of everyday French. Add plus-que-parfait and futur proche (aller + infinitive) and you're set for any conversation.

What is the difference between passé composé and imparfait?

Passé composé is for completed, bounded actions in the past (j'ai mangé, I ate). Imparfait is for ongoing states, repeated actions, or background descriptions (je mangeais, I was eating / I used to eat). Most French past-tense sentences use both: imparfait for the scene, passé composé for what happened.

French verb conjugation

French tenses chart

Every French verb tense, what it's for, and when you'll actually use it. Each tense links to a one-page guide with formation rules and complete examples.

French has 15 tenses across 4 moods. Most learners panic at that number. Don't, only about 6 of them are used in daily life. The rest are literary (you'll read them, you won't speak them) or specialized.

Here's the full picture, grouped by mood, with the "you'll actually use this" tenses called out.

Indicatif (the "real" mood)

Facts and statements about the real world. The tenses you'll meet first and use most.

Présent · for: anything happening now, habits, near future

Used constantly. Also doubles as English's "I am ___ing", French has no separate progressive. Je parle = "I speak" / "I am speaking" / "I do speak." → Full page on présent

Passé composé · for: completed past actions

The everyday past tense. Compound: auxiliary (avoir or être) + past participle. J'ai parlé = "I spoke" / "I have spoken." → Full page on passé composé

Imparfait · for: ongoing past, habits, descriptions

The "background" past. Used for what was going on, what used to happen, what things were like. Je parlais = "I was speaking" / "I used to speak." → Full page on imparfait

Plus-que-parfait · for: past-before-past

When you need to say something happened before another past event. Auxiliary in imparfait + past participle. J'avais parlé = "I had spoken." → Full page on plus-que-parfait

Futur simple · for: future events

The "real" future. For predictions, plans, promises, conditional consequences. Je parlerai = "I will speak." → Full page on futur simple

Futur antérieur · for: future-perfect

"By the time X happens, Y will have happened." Auxiliary in futur + past participle. J'aurai parlé = "I will have spoken." → Full page on futur antérieur

Passé simple · literary past

You'll read it in novels and history books, you won't speak it. Replaced in conversation by passé composé. → Full page on passé simple

Passé antérieur · literary past-before-past

A completed action immediately before a passé simple event. Quand il eut parlé, il partit. → Full page on passé antérieur

Subjonctif (the "uncertain / emotional" mood)

Used after specific trigger phrases (il faut que, je veux que, bien que, avant que…) to mark doubt, emotion, necessity, or subjectivity.

Subjonctif présent · the everyday subjunctive

The one you'll use 95% of the time. Il faut que je parle = "I have to speak." → Full page on subjonctif présent

Subjonctif passé · past subjunctive

Auxiliary in subjonctif + past participle. Je suis content qu'il ait parlé. → Full page on subjonctif passé

Subjonctif imparfait · literary only

You'll see it in older literature and highly formal prose. Focus on recognition. → Full page on subjonctif imparfait

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait · literary compound tense

The rare past-before-past subjunctive. Recognize eût or fût plus a participle. → Full page on subjonctif plus-que-parfait

Conditionnel (the "would" mood)

Conditionnel présent · for: hypotheticals, polite requests

English's "would ___". Futur stem + imparfait endings. Je parlerais = "I would speak." → Full page on conditionnel présent

Conditionnel passé · for: hypotheticals about the past

"I would have ___". Auxiliary in conditionnel + past participle. J'aurais parlé = "I would have spoken." → Full page on conditionnel passé

Impératif (the "command" mood)

Impératif présent · for: commands, instructions, advice

Only three persons: tu, nous, vous. No pronoun: parle ! parlons ! parlez ! → Full page on impératif

Where to go next

Every supported tense now has a dedicated page with usage, formation, regular patterns, irregular patterns, and complete examples:

Présent Passé composé Imparfait Plus-que-parfait Futur simple Futur antérieur Conditionnel présent Conditionnel passé Subjonctif présent Subjonctif passé Impératif Passé simple Passé antérieur Subjonctif imparfait Subjonctif plus-que-parfait Past participles Verbs by CEFR level

Or jump to a verb's full conjugation table, every verb on this site shows all 11+ tenses we cover:

être avoir aller faire parler finir attendre All verbs

For any other infinitive, use the French verb conjugator. Teachers can turn one of these tenses into a printable assignment with the worksheet generator.