What is the infinitive in French?
An infinitive is a verb form in which no one is performing the action. In French, an infinitive has one of three endings: -er, -ir, or -re. For example parler (to speak), finir (to finish), and vendre (to sell).
How do infinitives work in French?
Infinitives are used throughout the French language. An infinitive is a verb taken directly from the dictionary in its original form, ie ending in -er, -ir, -re meaning ‘to…’…Verbs commonly followed by an infinitive.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| savoir | to know |
What is the infinitive form of a verb French?
The infinitive form of a French verb is the form that ends with [-ER], [-IR], or [-RE]. Each of these infinitive endings is the equivalent of “to …” (i..e. to speak, to read, to take, etc.) in English. Often, an infinitive verb is conjugated when used in a sentence.
What are the 3 types of infinitives in French?
In French, there are three main groups of infinitive endings:
- -er such as manger (to eat).
- -ir such as finir (to finish).
- -re such as vendre (to sell)
What is French Imperatif?
The imperative, (l’impératif in French) is used to give commands, orders, or express wishes, like ‘Stop!’ , ‘Listen!’ There are three forms of the imperative: tu, nous and vous. For all verbs, the imperative is formed by taking the corresponding forms of the present indicative, but without subject pronouns.
What is the indicative in French?
The indicative is a personal mood and is the most commonly used mood in French. French has 10 indicative tenses, but not all of them are used in everyday language. To learn how to conjugate verbs in other moods in French such as the conditional, the imperative and the subjunctive, go to the section on verbs.
What is French Imparfait used for?
The imperfect tense (l’imparfait) has two primary uses: to describe on-going actions and states of being in the past, and to state habitual actions in the past. The imparfait also has several idiomatic uses.
How do you identify tenses in French?
To use the correct form of a French verb, you have to use the right tense. The indicative mood, which deals with objectivity — things really happening — includes many time aspects called tenses. A tense defines the time frame in which the action of the verb takes place: past, present, or future.
What is difference between indicative and subjunctive?
The indicative mood is used to talk about things that are objective and/or certain. This includes things like facts, descriptions, and scheduled events. The subjunctive mood is used to talk about things that are subjective and/or possible, but not certain.
What is an example of a subjunctive?
If I were in the program, I would sing the song. I suggest that Lisa write the article. I propose that Suzan be asked to perform in the program.
What triggers subjunctive?
Subjunctive triggers are words that force the verb in a sentence to be used in its subjunctive form. Sometimes, these subjunctive triggers already contain the subjunctive verb within them. In other words, when you see one of these subjunctive triggers, you must use the subjunctive.
How do you use the subjunctive?
In most cases, the subjunctive form of a verb is usually the third-person form of the verb with the ‑s dropped, but the verb to be is a special case. The subjunctive is used after certain expressions that contain an order or a request, a hypothetical, or a wish.
How do you know when to use the indicative or subjunctive in French?
The subjunctive is used after verbs and expressions of doubt, denial, and disbelief. The indicative tenses, which state facts (present, passé composé, imperfect, and future) are used after verbs and expressions of certainty and probability.
How do you know when to use the subjunctive in French?
Quick Recap
- The subjunctive is used to express varied states of unreality or uncertainty like some kind of judgment, wish, possibility, opinion, doubt, emotion, or something that has not occurred yet.
- The subjunctive appears after certain words and conjunctions that have two parts and two different subjects.
What is subjunctive used for in French?
The subjunctive – Easy Learning Grammar French. The subjunctive is a verb form that is used in certain circumstances to express some sort of feeling, or to show there is doubt about whether something will happen or whether something is true.
How do you avoid the subjunctive in French?
Change negative to affirmative For structures that require the subjunctive only when used negatively, you can avoid the subjunctive by inverting the negative and affirmative. Je ne crois pas qu’il soit là.
What is French subjunctive mood?
The French subjunctive is a special verb form, called a mood, that is used in dependent clauses to indicate some sort of subjectivity, uncertainty, or unreality in the mind of the speaker. In French, feelings like doubt and desire require the subjunctive, as do expressions of necessity, possibility, and judgment.
What is the present subjunctive in French?
Forming the present subjunctive The subjunctive is used when a person wants someone else to do something, eg I want you to help me. It can also be used to express thoughts, possibility or necessity.
What are the tenses in French?
French has three tenses: Present. Past. Future….The French past tense consists of five verb forms:
- imparfait | imperfect.
- passé antérieur | past anterior.
- passé composé | compound past.
- passé simple | simple past.
- plus-que-parfait | past perfect (pluperfect)
Is J espere que subjunctive?
Espérer may require the subjunctive, depending on whether it is used affirmatively, negatively, or interrogatively. Espérer in the affirmative = no subjunctive. J’espère que sa mère viendra. Espérer in the negative or interrogative = subjunctive.