PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
काल (Tenses)
See the full map of French tenses and know which one to use for past, present, and future.
French verbs feature 11 tenses across four primary moods: indicative, subjunctive, conditional, and imperative. For TEF and TCF Canada candidates, mastering Présent, Passé Composé, Imparfait, Futur Simple, Conditionnel Présent, and Subjonctif Présent guarantees full syntactic coverage.
Covers 100% of verb structure expectations for TEF & TCF Canada Expression Écrite and Orale.
Simple tenses में केवल एक शब्द (conjugated verb) होता है। ये French संचार की नींव हैं। यह देखने के लिए कि विभिन्न समूहों में ये पैटर्न कैसे बदलते हैं, PrepMyFrench verb conjugator देखें।
Compound tenses में एक auxiliary verb (avoir या être) और एक past participle का उपयोग किया जाता है। ये समय और पूर्णता में अधिक सूक्ष्मता प्रदान करते हैं। हमारे advanced grammar guides को एक्सप्लोर करके इनमें महारत हासिल करें।
अनुमान लगाना छोड़ें और सटीक ज्ञान प्राप्त करें। एक ही इंटरैक्टिव हब में, Présent से लेकर Plus-que-parfait तक, प्रत्येक French tense का विस्तृत अवलोकन प्राप्त करें।
Je parle français tous les jours.
I speak French every day. (présent — habits)
Hier, j'ai vu un film magnifique.
Yesterday, I saw a magnificent film. (passé composé — completed event)
Quand j'étais petit, je jouais dans le jardin.
When I was little, I used to play in the garden. (imparfait — past habit)
Demain, je partirai en vacances.
Tomorrow, I will leave on vacation. (futur simple — future event)
Je viens de finir mes devoirs.
I just finished my homework. (passé récent)
Il faut que tu sois à l'heure.
You must be on time. (subjonctif — after il faut que)
Avoid this
Si je serais riche, je voyagerais.
Say this instead
Si j'étais riche, je voyagerais.
Why: SI never takes the conditional or future. After si, use présent, imparfait, or plus-que-parfait. The conditional goes in the result clause, never the si-clause. This is the #1 French tense error.
Avoid this
Je suis allé au cinéma hier. J'ai y passé deux heures.
Say this instead
Je suis allé au cinéma hier. J'y ai passé deux heures.
Why: Y and en go BEFORE the auxiliary in compound tenses: J'y suis allé (not Je suis y allé). The pronoun always precedes the conjugated verb or auxiliary.
Avoid this
Quand j'arriverai, je t'appellerai. (two futures)
Say this instead
Quand j'arriverai, je t'appellerai. (correct — but only for future events)
Why: In temporal clauses with quand/lorsque/dès que, French uses futur in BOTH clauses for future events. This is different from English ('When I arrive, I'll call'). However, si-clauses are different — si NEVER takes futur.
⏰ The Time Machine Dashboard
Think of French tenses as a time machine dashboard. PRÉSENT = NOW (the default). PASSÉ COMPOSÉ = a photo taken in the past (completed snapshot). IMPARFAIT = a video running in the past (ongoing background). FUTUR SIMPLE = a future calendar entry. CONDITIONNEL = a 'what if' simulation. SUBJONCTIF = the 'uncertainty' button — only press when you're not sure. Each button takes you to a different time dimension!
Tenses are the backbone of TEF/TCF grammar assessment. A1: présent of regular verbs. A2: passé composé (basic), futur proche. B1: imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel présent, plus-que-parfait. B2: subjonctif présent, conditionnel passé, all compound tenses. The most common errors across all levels are si + conditionnel (B1 trap), passé composé agreement (B1/B2), and subjonctif vs indicatif choice (B2).
A student confused about which past tense to use:
Étudiant
Je ne comprends jamais quand utiliser passé composé ou imparfait.
Prof
Pense à un film. Passé composé = les actions qui font avancer l'histoire. Imparfait = le décor, les descriptions, le contexte.
Étudiant
Donc 'Il pleuvait' (imparfait = le décor) et 'j'ai ouvert mon parapluie' (passé composé = l'action) ?
Prof
Exactement ! Tu as tout compris.
Practice all 11 French tenses with free interactive exercises on PrepMyFrench. Each exercise set includes instant scoring and detailed grammar explanations.
Type any French verb and instantly see its full conjugation in all 11 tenses — présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur, subjonctif, and more. Free on PrepMyFrench.
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Présent