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French language and grammar pages : verbs and verb tables

 Group 2 verbs: verbs in -ir .


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) :
PersonPresent
(I finish, I am finishing)
Future
(I will finish )
Imperfect
(I was finishing )
1st singular.je finisje finiraije finissais
2nd singulartu finistu finirastu finissais
3rd singularil elle on ... finitil (..) finirail (..) finissait
1st pluralnous finissonsnous finironsnous finissions
2nd pluralvous finissezvous finirezvous finissiez
3rd pluralils elles finissentils finirontils finissaient
Notes

Table 2
Tenses (indicative):
PersonPreterite
(I finished )
Perfect (passé composé)
(I have finished )
Pluperfect
(I'd finished )
1st singular.je finisj'ai finisj'avais fini
2nd singulartu finistu as finistu avais fini
3rd singularil (..) finitil (..) a finisil avait fini
1st pluralnous finîmesnous avons finisnous avions fini
2nd pluralvous finiîtesvous avez finisvous aviez fini
3rd pluralils finirentils ont finisils avaient fini
Notesrare except in 3rd person

Table 3
Tenses (indicative):
PersonFuture perfect
(I will have finished )
Conditional
(I would finish )
Past conditional
(I would have finished )
1st singular.j'aurai finije finirais j'aurais fini
2nd singulartu auras finitu finirais tu aurais fini
3rd singularil aura finiil finirait il aurait fini
1st pluralnous aurons fininous finirions nous aurions fini
2nd pluralvous aurez finivous finiriez vous auriez fini
3rd pluralils auront finiils finiraient ils auraient fini
Notes

Table 4
ImperativePresent participle
Person(finish )
finishing
2nd singularfinifinissant
1st pluralfinissons
2nd pluralfinissez
Notes

Table 5
Tenses (subjunctive) :
PersonPresent
(may finish , may be finishing)
preterite
(might finish)
Perfect (parfait)
(may have finished )
1st singular.je finisseje finissej'aie fini
2nd singulartu finissestu finissestu aies fini
3rd singularil, elle... finisseil finîtil ait fini
1st pluralnous finissionsnous finissionsnous ayons fini
2nd pluralvous finissiezvous finissiezvous ayez fini
3rd pluralils finissentils finissentils 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. 



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