When using the past participle in compound tenses and the passive voice, remember to keep the rules of French past participle agreement in mind! When the past participle acts as an adjective, you’ll need to remember your adjective agreement rules!
French Articles
Participles and gerunds: What are they and how to use them in French?
By: Agnés Finot Mon May 13 2024
FrenchVerbs
French participles and gerunds (which are a type of present participle) are forms of a verb that are not conjugatedNo definition set for conjugatedLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., but which can still modify a subjectNo definition set for subjectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in the sentence. This means participles and gerunds are non-finite verb formsNo definition set for non-finite verb formsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. You may already be familiar with another type of non-finite verb form: the French infinitive.
Participles and gerunds are used in a variety of ways in French. You’ve likely encountered the past participle when learning about compound tenses or the passive voice. Participles and gerunds can also be used as adjectivesNo definition set for adjectivesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., as nounsNo definition set for nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., to express a cause, and to modify the other verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in the sentence, among other uses!
This post focuses on how to form and how to use the participle (past and present) and the gerund in French. Take a look at their different forms below:
the participle:
past participle: chanté(sang), perdu(lost), suivi(followed)
present participle: chantant(singing), perdant(losing), suivant(following)
the gerund*: en chantant(while singing), en perdant(while losing), en suivant(while following)
Curious to learn more? Let’s dig in!
Table of Contents
What are participles in French?
There are two types of French participles: past and present. Past participles are forms of a verb which take the endings -é, -u, -i when regular, whereas present participles use the ending -ant.
Let’s take a closer look at each type.
How to form and use past participles in French?
The French past participle is formed using the endings -é, -u, or -i. Take a look at the verbs envoyer(to send), revenir(to come back), and choisir(to choose) in their past participle forms:
envoyé(sent)
revenu(come back)
choisi(chosen)
English uses past participles too, both regular (“walked”) and irregular (“gone”). Like English, French also possesses some irregular past participles, which you’ll want to learn by heart.
Important
The past participle is used in three different structures: compound tenses, the passive voice, and as an adjective.
How to use past participles in compound tenses?
In compound tenses in French, the past participle is used in combination with the auxiliary verbs être(to be) or avoir(to have). Here are some examples:
Compound tense | French |
|---|---|
passé composé | Le chien a couru jusqu’à lui. The dog ran up to him. |
plus-que-parfait | Elle était montée* à pied. She had gone up on foot. |
conditionnel passé | Vous auriez mieux dormi. You would have slept better. |
Remember: agreement!
The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subjectNo definition set for subjectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of the sentence when the auxiliary verb in the compound tense is être(to be).
In the second example above, the past participle montébecomes montée, because the auxiliary verb is être (était) and the subject is feminine (elle).
Elle était montée à pied.
She had gone up on foot.
How to use past participles to form the passive voice?
The past participle is used to create the passive voice in French when used in combination with être(to be) conjugated in the past, present, or future. Let’s take a look at some examples:
Les relevés de comptes sont envoyés au format numérique.
Bank statements are sent in digital format.
Les invités seront contactés le mois prochain.
The guests will be contacted next month.
Remember: agreement!
Did you notice the -s on both envoyés and contactés? Don’t forget to always form past participle agreement with the subject in gender and number when using the passive voice!
Les invités seront contactés le mois prochain.
The guests will be contacted next month.
How to use past participles as adjectives?
Past participles can also be used as an adjective in French, and the English translation will either be an adjective, a past participle, or a present participle, depending on the sentence. Here are some examples of adjectives that are past participles in French:
J’ai déposé le linge mouillé dans le sèche-linge.
I put the wet laundry in the dryer.
Elle a mis les robes repassées sur le lit.
She put the ironed dresses on the bed.
Remember: agreement!
Now that we’ve seen how to use past participles in French, let’s move on to the present participle!
How to form and use present participles in French?
A present participle is formed using the ending -ant. Take a look at the verbs envoyer(to send), revenir(to come back), and choisir(to choose) in their present participle forms:
envoyant(sending)
revenant(coming back)
choisissant(choosing)
The present participle is used similarly to the “-ing” verb form in English or as an adjective. However, the French present participle is not used as commonly as the “-ing” form in English, and, regardless of its uses in French, it is important to remember that you will always use another French verb — conjugated in the “classic” way with a subject — in the same sentence.
Forming the French present participle involves two steps:
Take the nous form of the verb in the present tense → nous parlons(we speak)
Drop the ending -ons and replace it with -ant → parlant(speaking)
Exception!
There are three verbs that have an irregular present participle:
être(to be) → êtant(being)
avoir(to have) → ayant(having)
savoir(to know) → sachant(knowing)
Now that you know how to form the present participle (and its irregular forms), let’s look at each of its uses one by one. Ready?
How to use the present participle to replace a ‘qui’ clause?
The French present participle can be used in formal, written contexts to bring some variety to a piece of writing, instead of a qui clause, which can be bulky!
C’est un champion olympique de ski qui a deux médailles d’or !
He is an Olympic ski champion with two gold medals!
C’est un champion olympique ayant deux médailles d’or !
He is an Olympic ski champion having two gold medals! (lit.)
✋ Explanation: the verb avoir(to have) from the relative qui clause in sentence (1) takes the form of the present participle in sentence (2). Notice that you need to replace the whole phrase qui + verb with the present participle. Let’s see another example:
Le vainqueur est le premier joueur qui arrive sur la case “arrivée.”
The winner is the first player who arrives at the "finish" square.
Le vainqueur est le premier joueur arrivant sur la case “arrivée.”
The winner is the first player to reach the "finish" square.
How to use a present participle to express a cause?
If you want to give a reason for something, you can use the present participle in French, in the same way as you would use it in English:
Mon colis étant perdu, je vais demander un remboursement.
My parcel being lost, I’m going to ask for a refund.
Tip
As you can see, this sentence above has two different subjects: le colis + je.
However, if I begin the sentence using the present participle, I can only have one subject. Using the same example as above, you can see that leading with the present participle changes the meaning:
Ayant perdu mon colis, je vais demander un remboursement.
Having lost my package, I’m going to request a refund.
How to use a present participle as an adjective?
As an adjective, the present participle is like the past participle: it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Il m’est arrivé une histoire amusante !
A funny story happened to me!
Exception!
When used as an adjective, present participles ending in -quant and -guant become -cant and -gant:
Present participle | Adjective |
|---|---|
Se fatiguant au travail, Amandine se couche tôt tous les soirs. Being tired at work, Amandine goes to bed early every night. | Le travail de chauffeur routier est fatigant. The work of a truck driver is tiring. |
Communiquant uniquement par texto, Pablo gagne du temps. Communicating only by text, Pablo saves time. | Mon chef est très communicant. My manager is very communicative. |
Important
The past and present participles of the same verb used as adjectives can have different meanings:
Les enfants sont fatigués.
The children are tired. (past participle)
Céline est fatigante.
Céline is annoying. (present participle)
For more examples of past and present participles with different adjective meanings, check out our handy resource!
How to use a present participle as a noun?
Sometimes present participles are used as a noun in French. Can you think of any nouns ending in -ant? Here are a few: un étudiant(student), un enseignant(teacher), un participant(participant), un commerçant(storekeeper). Perhaps you never realized before that these are actually present participles!
These example nouns come from the verbs étudier(to study), enseigner(to teach), participer(to participate), and commercer(to trade).
Differences in using present participles in French versus in English
We’ve seen in the uses of French present participles above that the present participle does not always translate to the “-ing” form in English; let’s take a closer look at the differences in how present participles are used in English versus in French.
English uses the present participle to express the present progressive, but French uses either the present tense or être en train de + infinitive:
“He’s coding.”
✅ Il code → present tense
✅ Il est en train de coder → être en train de+ infinitive
❌ Il est codant.
Unlike in English, you can’t use a present participle after a conjugated verb in French. Instead, you should use the infinitive:
“They like skydiving.”
✅ Ils aiment sauter en parachute.
❌ Ils aiment sautant en parachute.
If you would like to practice using the infinitive and participle forms of the verb, try these activities! Now, we have one final use of the present participle to look at: the gerund.
What are gerunds in French?
French gerunds are a form of the present participle, ending in -ant, and they always follow the preposition en. Some examples of gerunds in French are:
en envoyant(while/upon/by sending)
en revenant(while/upon/by coming back)
en choisissant(while/upon/by choosing)
Can you guess which verbs these come from? If you said envoyer, revenir, and choisir, you’d be right! To form the gerunds above, we simply combined the prepositionNo definition set for prepositionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. en with the present participle of the verb.
What’s the difference between gerunds and present participles, then? The gerund modifies a verb, whereas the present participle modifies a noun or a pronoun. Let’s look at an example:
On a regardé le chien marchant dans le parc.
We watched the dog walking in the park.
On a regardé le chien en marchant dans le parc.
We watched the dog while walking in the park.
Important
With the gerund, it is only possible to have one subject in the sentence, since gerunds must modify verbs.
Referring back to the examples above, with the present participle, there are two subjects (on and le chien) and with the gerund there is only one subject (on). Whereas marchant in (1) describes the dog (le chien), the gerund en marchant in (2) refers back to the subject on. Using the gerund helps dispel any ambiguity about who the subject is.
Because of this unique aspect of the gerund, there are several uses for it in French. Keep reading!
How to use the gerund to talk about simultaneous actions?
Gerunds are used in French to modify other verbs in the sentence, which means they can be used to talk about two actions happening simultaneously. Using the gerund to describe two actions happening is equivalent to using “while/upon + verb-ing” in English.
On écoute un podcast en travaillant.
We listen to a podcast while working.
Tu lis un magazine en bronzant.
You’re reading a magazine while tanning.
Comment télétravailler en s’occupant de ses enfants.
How to work from home while taking care of your children.
Important
If you use the gerund with a pronounNo definition set for pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., the pronoun will go between en and the present participle:
gerundpronoun
Il écoute un podcast en allant au lycée. → Il écoute un podcast en y allant.
He listens to a podcast while going to high school. → He listens to a podcast while going there.
However, not the gerund will not always be split to accommodate a pronoun. See the exception below:
Exception!
If the verb in the gerund is followed by a preposition other than à, such as pour(for), avec(with), sous(under), chez(at), etc, keep the preposition and the stressed pronoun following the preposition after the gerund:
gerundpreposition + stressed pronoun
Elle marche en riant avec ses amis. → Elle marche en riant avec eux.
She walks while laughing with her friends. → She walks while laughing with them.
How to use the gerund to express a cause or means of doing something
When you want to explain how or why something is happening, use the gerund to express “by” or “because” in English.
En passant par l’autoroute, j’ai économisé 20 minutes de trajet.
By taking the highway, I saved 20 minutes of travel time.
Elle s’est foulé la cheville en trébuchant.
She sprained her ankle because she tripped.
In these examples above, the gerund answers the question Comment… ?(How...?).
Tip
Be careful not to translate “while/upon/by + -ing” in English with par + present participle in French. You need to use the gerund!
“By eating”:
✅ en mangeant
❌ par mangeant
How to use the gerund to express a condition?
Finally, you can also use the gerund in French as an equivalent to using “if” in English to express a condition. Take a look:
Tu connaîtras la fin de l’histoire en lisant tout le livre.
You will know the end of the story if you read the whole book.
Let's recap!
When using past and present participles, as well as gerunds, in French, keep the following tips in mind:
Non-finite verb form | Uses |
|---|---|
Past participle |
|
Present participle |
|
Gerund |
|
To practice French participles and gerunds, along with the other type of non-finite verbs, infinitives, check out our activities!
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