How Many Tenses Does French Have? Chart, Examples & Study Order.

French tense lists online can feel… all over the place. Some say 6, others insist on 21. The truth is simpler: the count depends on whether you’re listing tenses inside moods (indicative, conditional, subjunctive, imperative) and whether you include literary forms most learners rarely use. In this guide, we give you a clean chart, plain-English explanations, a realistic 4-month study plan, and copy-paste example sentences—exactly how we teach our students every week.

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Mood vs. tense (and why we teach them separately)

• Mood = the speaker’s attitude to the action (fact, wish, command, hypothesis). You’ll meet four personal moods early: indicatif (facts), conditionnel (would, hypotheticals), subjonctif (necessity, emotion, doubt), impératif (commands).

• Tense = time/aspect inside a mood (present/past/future; simple vs. compound).

Simple vs. compound (our quick rule):

• Simple tenses are one word (e.g., je parle, je parlerai).

• Compound tenses use avoir or être + past participle (e.g., j’ai parlé, je suis allé(e)).

• Agreement: with être, the past participle agrees with the subject (elles sont parties). With avoir, it generally doesn’t—unless there’s a preceding direct object (les lettres que j’ai écrites).

Keep this lens as you read the chart—it’s the fastest way to spot patterns.

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The full list (modern vs. literary)

Mood	Simple tenses	Compound tenses	Modern use?	Tiny example
Indicative	présent, imparfait, passé simple*, futur simple	passé composé, plus-que-parfait, passé antérieur*, futur antérieur	* = literary/rare in speech	Je parle / J’ai parlé
Conditional	présent	passé	common	Je voudrais / J’aurais voulu
Subjunctive	présent, imparfait*	passé, plus-que-parfait*	present = common; others = literary	Il faut que tu viennes
Imperative	présent	passé (rare)	present = common; past = rare	Viens !

You’ll also meet infinitif (parler), participe (parlant / parlé) and gérondif (en parlant). These aren’t “tenses” but they power a lot of everyday structures, so we weave them in from week one.

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The 6 tenses we teach first (with examples & when to use them)

1) Présent (Indicative) — daily life, facts, routines

• Form: one word, regular patterns for -er/-ir/-re verbs (watch irregulars: être, avoir, aller, faire).

• Use: now, habits, near future with time phrases (demain, ce soir, bientôt).

• Examples:

  • Je travaille à Londres. (I work in London.)

  • On se voit ce soir ? (Are we seeing each other tonight?)

2) Passé composé (Indicative) — finished past actions

• Form: avoir/être (present) + past participle. Être with movement/reflexive verbs.

• Use: single, completed events; “what happened”.

• Examples:

  • Nous avons réussi l’examen. (We passed the exam.)

  • Elle est arrivée tôt. (She arrived early.)

3) Imparfait (Indicative) — background, habits, descriptions

• Form: stem from nous form (-ons) + endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, …).

• Use: ongoing past, context, repeated actions, feelings.

• Examples:

  • Quand j’étais petit, je lisais chaque soir. (When I was little, I used to read every evening.)

  • Il faisait froid. (It was cold.)

Our teaching shortcut: Contrast passé composé (completed) vs imparfait (background). In a story, imparfait paints the scene; passé composé moves the plot.

4) Futur proche → Futur simple (Indicative) — plans vs. neutral future

• Futur proche form: aller (present) + infinitive → Je vais commencer.

• Futur simple form: stem (often infinitive) + endings (-ai, -as, -a, …).

• Use:

  • Futur proche = immediate/intentional plans (“I’m going to”).

  • Futur simple = neutral predictions, formal or written tone.

• Examples:

  • Je vais réserver le cours demain. (I’m going to book the class tomorrow.)

  • Je parlerai couramment l’année prochaine. (I will speak fluently next year.)

5) Conditionnel présent — politeness, hypotheticals, wishes

• Form: futur simple stem + imparfait endings.

• Use: softening requests; “would” in English; if-clauses (Type 2: si + imparfait → conditionnel présent).

• Examples:

  • Je voudrais améliorer mon français professionnel. (I’d like to improve my business French.)

  • Si j’avais plus de temps, je lirais davantage. (If I had more time, I would read more.)

6) Subjonctif présent — triggers after que (necessity, emotion, doubt)

• Form: ils-stem + endings (-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent); irregulars: être → sois/soyons; avoir → aie/ayons; aller → aille/allions; faire → fasse.

• Common triggers: il faut que, bien que, pour que, avant que, je doute que, je veux que.

• Examples:

  • Il faut que tu sois à l’heure. (You must be on time.)

  • Bien qu’il fasse froid, on sort. (Although it’s cold, we’re going out.)

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A clean study order (our 4-month plan you can actually follow)

Weeks 1–4 — Foundations

• présent of high-frequency verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, vouloir, pouvoir, devoir).

• Introduce passé composé with avoir then être; drill common past participles.

• Start futur proche for plans.

• Goal: talk about yourself now & yesterday; book things; ask simple questions.

Weeks 5–8 — Past mastery

• Add imparfait and practise contrasts: hier, quand, pendant que.

• Timelines: write 5–6 sentence mini-stories switching between imparfait (scene) and passé composé (events).

• Goal: narrate short stories and describe routines in the past.

Weeks 9–12 — Hypothesis & nuance

• conditionnel présent for politeness and “would”.

• si-clauses Type 2: si + imparfait → conditionnel présent.

• Upgrade future: move from futur proche to futur simple forms.

• Goal: make polite requests; discuss plans vs predictions.

Weeks 13–16 — Subjunctive basics

• subjonctif présent with 10 core triggers; learn 6 irregulars thoroughly.

• Controlled production: two clauses with que, one trigger each.

• Goal: express necessity/emotion/doubt with confidence.

Weekly routine (60–90 min daily, split small):

• 15 min: verb forms (spaced-repetition deck).

• 20 min: read a short text; highlight tense use.

• 15 min: write 5 lines using this week’s tense(s).

• 10 min: speak aloud—shadow 6–8 sentences.

• 10–20 min: correction with us or an exchange partner.

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Common pitfalls (and how we fix them fast)

1. Passé composé vs imparfait

2. Fix: Ask “Can I pin it to a timeline as a completed point?” → passé composé. “Was it ongoing/background?” → imparfait.

3. Example: Quand il est arrivé, je lisais (event + background).

4. Agreement with être

5. Fix: with être, agree past participle: elles sont arrivées. With avoir, don’t—unless the direct object comes before: les lettres que j’ai écrites.

6. Depuis / pendant / pour

7. Fix: depuis = “since/for” with present continuing: J’habite ici depuis 2019.; pendant = duration completed: J’ai étudié pendant deux heures.; pour = planned duration/future: Je pars pour une semaine.

8. Futur proche vs futur simple

9. Fix: intention/near-term plan → futur proche; neutral prediction/formal tone → futur simple. Many answers accept both; choose the tone you want.

10. Subjunctive triggers

11. Fix: we memorise 10 high-frequency triggers and 6 irregular stems; we don’t overuse it—after penser/croire que (affirmative), stay in the indicative.

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Mini-quiz (quick check)

1. Choose the best tense: Hier, elle (aller) au cinéma.

2. Fill the gap: Si j’_____ (avoir) le temps, je voyagerais plus.

3. Subjunctive or indicative? Nous voulons que tu (venir) demain.

4. Futur proche or futur simple? Demain à 9h, je (rencontrer) le client.

5. Correct the agreement: Elles sont (arriver) tôt.

Answers:

1. est allée (passé composé). 2) avais (si + imparfait → conditionnel). 3) viennes (subjonctif). 4) Both okay; futur proche (je vais rencontrer) feels scheduled; futur simple (je rencontrerai) is neutral/formal. 5) arrivées..

PAA-style FAQs

How many French tenses are used daily?

• About six: présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur proche/futur simple, conditionnel présent, subjonctif présent. Others are mostly literary or advanced.

Is passé composé the same as “the French past tense”?

• No. It’s the main completed past. The imparfait covers ongoing/background past. You need both.

Do I need the subjunctive for GCSE/A-level/DELF?

• Yes—at least the subjonctif présent with common triggers (e.g., il faut que, bien que). Requirements vary by level, but basic control is expected from intermediate level upward.

How to use this guide to learn faster

• Make a tense ladder: list our 6 core tenses; under each, add 3 verbs you actually need this week.

• Shadow aloud daily: 5–8 lines from the examples above—short and consistent wins.

• Colour-code your writing: underline imparfait in blue, passé composé in red.

• Get feedback: we’ll catch micro-errors (agreement, register) you’ll miss—and we’ll prioritise the ones that impact clarity most.

Learn with us (and make French tenses feel easy)

If you’re ready to use French tenses—not just recognise them—we’d love to help. We’re Gaëlle & French Tutors, a London-based team of 100% native tutors providing:

• 1:1 lessons in London (at your home/office) or online worldwide

• A structured route through the 6 core tenses, then targeted literary/advanced forms if you need them

• Exam preparation (GCSE, A-level, DELF/DALF) and Business French tailored to your industry

• Clear progress tracking, weekly micro-goals, and practical homework you can finish in 20–30 minutes

What we’ll do in your first session We map your current level to a 4-month plan (like the one above), build a personalised tense roadmap, and create example sentences drawn from your life—work, school, travel—so every minute feels relevant.

Book a free consultation:

• Call/WhatsApp: +44 7719 782683

• Email: gaelle@gaellefrenchtutor.com

• Or enquire via the contact form on our site.

We’ve helped learners in London and online worldwide turn tense-juggling into second nature—for exams, boardrooms, and cafés alike. If that sounds like the French you want, let’s get your first lesson in the diary.