This page covers the main group of French verbs whose infinitive ends in -ir - on the model of finir. These have mostly evolved from Latin verbs ending in
-ire .
► Exceptions: there are plenty of verbs in -ir that do not follow the standard group 2 pattern. See below for list of
main irregular verbs in -ir .
Sample verb finir - to finish This is the standard model.
For each tense, a sample English equivalent is given for the first person singular.
Table 1.
| Tenses (indicative) : |
| Person | Present (I finish, I am finishing) | Future (I will finish ) | Imperfect (I was finishing ) |
| 1st singular. | je finis | je finirai | je finissais |
| 2nd singular | tu finis | tu finiras | tu finissais |
| 3rd singular | il elle on ... finit | il (..) finira | il (..) finissait |
| 1st plural | nous finissons | nous finirons | nous finissions |
| 2nd plural | vous finissez | vous finirez | vous finissiez |
| 3rd plural | ils elles finissent | ils finiront | ils finissaient |
| Notes | | | |
Table 2
| Tenses (indicative): |
| Person | Preterite (I finished ) | Perfect (passé composé) (I have finished ) | Pluperfect (I'd finished ) |
| 1st singular. | je finis | j'ai finis | j'avais fini |
| 2nd singular | tu finis | tu as finis | tu avais fini |
| 3rd singular | il (..) finit | il (..) a finis | il avait fini |
| 1st plural | nous finîmes | nous avons finis | nous avions fini |
| 2nd plural | vous finiîtes | vous avez finis | vous aviez fini |
| 3rd plural | ils finirent | ils ont finis | ils avaient fini |
| Notes | rare except in 3rd person
| | |
Table 3
| Tenses (indicative): |
| Person | Future perfect (I will have finished ) | Conditional (I would finish ) | Past conditional (I would have finished ) |
| 1st singular. | j'aurai fini | je finirais | j'aurais fini |
| 2nd singular | tu auras fini | tu finirais | tu aurais fini |
| 3rd singular | il aura fini | il finirait | il aurait fini |
| 1st plural | nous aurons fini | nous finirions | nous aurions fini |
| 2nd plural | vous aurez fini | vous finiriez | vous auriez fini |
| 3rd plural | ils auront fini | ils finiraient | ils auraient fini |
| Notes | | | |
Table 4
| Imperative | | Present participle |
| Person | (finish )
| | finishing |
| 2nd singular | fini | | finissant |
| 1st plural | finissons | | |
| 2nd plural | finissez | | |
| Notes | | | |
Table 5
| Tenses (subjunctive) : |
| Person | Present (may finish , may be finishing) | preterite (might finish) | Perfect (parfait) (may have finished ) |
| 1st singular. | je finisse | je finisse | j'aie fini |
| 2nd singular | tu finisses | tu finisses | tu aies fini |
| 3rd singular | il, elle... finisse | il finît | il ait fini |
| 1st plural | nous finissions | nous finissions | nous ayons fini |
| 2nd plural | vous finissiez | vous finissiez | vous ayez fini |
| 3rd plural | ils finissent | ils finissent | ils aient fini |
| Notes | | (very rare) |
|
There are a few other tenses that are hardly ever used in modern French, except in very literary style.
The second pluperfect (passé antérieur) - which can be used instead of the pluperfect, and is formed on the model:
j'eus fini. The pluperfect subjunctive - on the model:
j'eusse fini The second past conditional - on the model:
j'eusse fini Examples:
Je finis mon dîner
I'm finishing my dinner.
Il finissait toujours son travail avant les autres.
He always finished his work before the others.
Finis-le aussi vite que possible !
Finish it as soon as possible!!
Il se peut que la fête finisse tôt s'il y a trop de bruit.
The party may finish early if there's too much noise.
J'ai peur qu'il n'ait tout fini avant notre arrivée.
I fear that he may have finished everything before we arrive.
(Subjunctive + the particle ne after J'ai peur que....)
► Irregular verbs in -ir
There are a number of common - and less common - verbs in ir that are not conjugated according to the standard type 2 finir model
► 1. Verbs on the model of
sortir and
dormir. See verb table
mentir (coming)
► 2. Verbs in
-oir. See irregular verbs. (coming).
► 3. Several dozen verbs with irregular and sometimes unique tense forms:
tenir, venir, courir, faillir, bouillir, acquérir, bouillir, offrir, ouvrir, souffrir, and other verbs based on these, such as
devenir, soutenir etc.