Conjugating “venir” can be a bit tricky for learners, but it's an essential verb to master for anyone looking to become proficient in French. In this article, we will explore the conjugation of “venir” in its various tenses and moods.
The Basic Meaning of “Venir”
Before diving into the intricacies of conjugation, let's first understand the fundamental meaning of “venir.” In its simplest form, “venir” means “to come.” It is used to describe the action of coming or arriving at a specific location. However, “venir” can also be used in more complex ways, such as expressing recent actions or future plans.
Present Tense (Présent)
The present tense is the most basic and commonly used tense in French. To conjugate “venir” in the present tense, you need to know its present tense stem, which is “ven-.” Here's how “venir” is conjugated in the present tense:
– Je viens (I come)
– Tu viens (You come)
– Il/elle/on vient (He/she/one comes)
– Nous venons (We come)
– Vous venez (You come, formal or plural)
– Ils/elles viennent (They come)
Notice that the stem “ven-” remains the same for all forms in the present tense, and the endings are added accordingly.
Past Tenses (Passé Composé, Imparfait, and Plus-que-parfait)
The past tenses in French are essential for narrating events that have already occurred. Let's look at how “venir” is conjugated in these tenses:
1. Passé Composé (Compound Past):
To form the passé composé, you need the auxiliary verb “être” and the past participle of “venir”, which is “venu.” The conjugation is as follows:
– Je suis venu(e) (I came)
– Tu es venu(e) (You came)
– Il/elle/on est venu(e) (He/she/one came)
– Nous sommes venus/venues (We came)
– Vous êtes venus/venues (You came, formal or plural)
– Ils/elles sont venus/venues (They came)
2. Imparfait (Imperfect):
The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The imperfect stem for “venir” is “ven-“, and the conjugation is as follows:
– Je venais (I used to come)
– Tu venais (You used to come)
– Il/elle/on venait (He/she/one used to come)
– Nous venions (We used to come)
– Vous veniez (You used to come, formal or plural)
– Ils/elles venaient (They used to come)
3. Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect):
The pluperfect is used to express actions that had occurred before another past action. The stem “ven-” is combined with the imperfect of the auxiliary verb “être”:
– J'étais venu(e) (I had come)
– Tu étais venu(e) (You had come)
– Il/elle/on était venu(e) (He/she/one had come)
– Nous étions venus/venues (We had come)
– Vous étiez venus/venues (You had come, formal or plural)
– Ils/elles étaient venus/venues (They had come)
Future and Conditional Tenses (Futur Simple and Conditionnel Présent)
These tenses are used to express actions that may occur in the future. Here's how “venir” is conjugated in the future and conditional tenses:
1. Futur Simple (Simple Future):
The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. The future stem for “venir” is “viend-“, and the conjugation is as follows:
– Je viendrai (I will come)
– Tu viendras (You will come)
– Il/elle/on viendra (He/she/one will come)
– Nous viendrons (We will come)
– Vous viendrez (You will come, formal or plural)
– Ils/elles viendront (They will come)
2. Conditionnel Présent (Conditional):
The conditional is used to express actions that would happen under certain conditions. The conditional stem for “venir” is also “viend-“, and the conjugation is as follows:
– Je viendrais (I would come)
– Tu viendrais (You would come)
– Il/elle/on viendrait (He/she/one would come)
– Nous viendrions (We would come)
– Vous viendriez (You would come, formal or plural)
– Ils/elles viendraient (They would come)
Subjunctive Mood (Subjonctif Présent)
The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, necessity, or subjective actions. To conjugate “venir” in the subjunctive mood, you need to use the present subjunctive stem “vienn-” and add the appropriate endings:
– Que je vienne (That I come)
– Que tu viennes (That you come)
– Qu'il/elle/on vienne (That he/she/one come)
– Que nous venions (That we come)
– Que vous veniez (That you come, formal or plural)
– Qu'ils/elles viennent (That they come)
10 example sentences with the word “venir”
Here are 10 example sentences with the word “venir” in different grammatical tenses:
- Il vient à la fête ce soir. (He is coming to the party tonight.) – Present Tense
- Hier, nous sommes venus en retard à l'école. (Yesterday, we came late to school.) – Passé Composé
- Quand j'étais enfant, je venais souvent ici en vacances. (When I was a child, I used to come here on vacation often.) – Imparfait
- Avant la fête, ils étaient déjà venus pour préparer. (Before the party, they had already come to prepare.) – Plus-que-parfait
- Demain, je viendrai te rendre visite. (Tomorrow, I will come to visit you.) – Futur Simple
- Si j'avais le temps, je viendrais à la réunion. (If I had the time, I would come to the meeting.) – Conditionnel Présent
- Il faut que tu viennes à la réunion. (You must come to the meeting.) – Subjonctif Présent
- Quand tu seras prêt, nous viendrons te chercher. (When you are ready, we will come to pick you up.) – Futur Simple
- Si elle était ici, elle viendrait avec nous. (If she were here, she would come with us.) – Conditionnel Présent
- J'espère qu'ils viendront à la soirée demain. (I hope they will come to the party tomorrow.) – Futur Simple