The participe présent, the gérondif and nouns from verbs · French grammar B1

Contents · B1

In this part, you will learn to give a reason or describe someone in writing. You will also learn to say how or when something is done, and to turn verbs and adjectives into nouns.

Reasons and descriptions in writing: the participe présent (-ing form), -ant#

The participe présent ends in -ant, is invariable and is used above all in written French.

Étant en retard, nous avons pris un taxi.Being late, we took a taxi.
Ayant faim, les enfants ont mangé tout le pain.Being hungry, the children ate all the bread.
On cherche une personne parlant anglais et espagnol.We are looking for someone who speaks English and Spanish.
Ne pouvant pas venir, Paul m’a envoyé un message.As he couldn’t come, Paul sent me a message.

Formation

Infinitive	Present (nous)	Participe présent
chanter	nous chantons	chantant
finir	nous finissons	finissant
faire	nous faisons	faisant
prendre	nous prenons	prenant
voir	nous voyons	voyant
manger	nous mangeons	mangeant
commencer	nous commençons	commençant
être, avoir, savoir	—	étant, ayant, sachant

The participe présent is formed from the nous form of the present: the ending -ons is replaced by -ant.
Three verbs are irregular: être → étant, avoir → ayant, savoir → sachant.
In verbs ending in -ger and -cer, the e or the ç of the nous form is kept: mangeant, commençant.
In the negative, ne… pas is placed around the participe présent: Ne sachant pas nager, il est resté sur la plage. (“Not knowing how to swim, he stayed on the beach.”)

Use

The participe présent is far less frequent than the English -ing form, and it is used mostly in writing.
The participe présent is used to give a reason: Étant malade, il est resté à la maison. (“Being ill, he stayed at home.”)
The participe présent is also used in place of a relative clause with qui. Thus les élèves venant de Lyon means les élèves qui viennent de Lyon (“the pupils who come from Lyon”).
Used as a verb, the participe présent is invariable.

Difference from English

The English -ing form often corresponds to a French infinitive, noun or clause: J’aime nager. (“I like swimming.”)
An English -ing form after a noun is usually a clause with qui in French. “The girl reading in the garden” is la fille qui lit dans le jardin.

Common mistakes

~~Être malade, il est resté au lit.~~ → Étant malade, il est resté au lit.“Being” at the start of such a phrase is étant, not the infinitive être.
~~Savant la réponse, elle a levé la main.~~ → Sachant la réponse, elle a levé la main.The participe présent of savoir is irregular: sachant.

Remember

Form the participe présent from the nous form of the present: nous finissons, finissant.
Learn the three irregular forms étant, ayant and sachant: Ayant faim, il a mangé. (“Being hungry, he ate.”)
In speech, after a noun, use a clause with qui rather than the participe présent. Thus “the girl reading in the garden” is la fille qui lit dans le jardin.

You now know how to form the participe présent and how to use it in writing.

Practise

“The participe présent, the gérondif and nouns from verbs”, The participe présent: chantant, étant, ayant, sachant

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Saying when, how or on what condition: the gérondif, en + -ant#

The gérondif, en + participe présent (-ing form), is used for a second action by the subject of the main verb.

Je fais mes devoirs en écoutant de la musique.I do my homework while listening to music.
Elle s’est cassé la jambe en tombant dans l’escalier.She broke her leg falling down the stairs.
Il a trouvé du travail en lisant le journal.He found a job by reading the newspaper.
En prenant le métro, tu iras plus vite.If you take the underground, you will get there faster.

Formation

The gérondif is formed with en followed by the participe présent: en marchant, en faisant, en étant.
The gérondif is invariable, and its subject is always the subject of the main verb.
With a pronominal verb, the pronoun agrees with the subject: en me levant, en nous promenant.

Use

The gérondif is used for two actions of one person at the same time: Il chante en se lavant. (“He sings while washing.”)
The gérondif is used for the manner or the means: Il est venu en courant. (“He came running.”) Elle a réussi en travaillant beaucoup. (“She succeeded by working hard.”)
With a future in the main clause, the gérondif is used for a condition. En partant tout de suite, tu arriveras à l’heure. (“If you leave at once, you will arrive on time.”)
With two different subjects, a clause is used, not the gérondif: pendant que tu dors (“while you are sleeping”).

Common mistakes

~~Il lit le journal pendant mangeant.~~ → Il lit le journal en mangeant.“While” before an -ing form is en, when the subject is the same.
~~Elle a appris le français par regardant des films.~~ → Elle a appris le français en regardant des films.“By” before an -ing form is en as well: “by working” is en travaillant.

Remember

Form the gérondif with en and the participe présent: en marchant.
Use en, never pendant or par, before the participe présent: Il lit le journal en mangeant. (“He reads the paper while eating.”)
Use the gérondif only when both actions have the same subject; otherwise, use a clause: pendant que tu dors.

You now know how to say when, how or on what condition something is done, with the gérondif.

Practise

“The participe présent, the gérondif and nouns from verbs”, The gérondif: at the same time, en marchant “The participe présent, the gérondif and nouns from verbs”, The gérondif: how, on what condition

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Turning verbs and adjectives into nouns: suffixes and their gender#

Many nouns are formed from a verb or an adjective with a suffix, and the suffix often shows the gender.

Le départ du train est à neuf heures.The train leaves at nine.
Nous attendons l’arrivée de nos invités.We are waiting for our guests to arrive.
La réservation est au nom de Paul.The booking is in Paul’s name.
Nous attendons ta réponse.We are waiting for your reply.

Formation

Suffix	Gender	Examples
-ée	feminine	arriver → l’arrivée, entrer → l’entrée
-tion, -sion	feminine	réserver → la réservation, décider → la décision
-ure	feminine	ouvrir → l’ouverture, fermer → la fermeture
-té	feminine	beau → la beauté, difficile → la difficulté
-esse	feminine	triste → la tristesse, gentil → la gentillesse
-eur	feminine	long → la longueur, chaud → la chaleur
-ment	masculine	changer → le changement, payer → le paiement
-age	masculine	laver → le lavage, passer → le passage
no suffix	—	partir → le départ, répondre → la réponse, choisir → le choix

Nouns formed with -ée, -tion, -sion, -ure, -té and -esse are feminine; nouns formed with -ment and -age are masculine.
Nouns in -eur formed from an adjective are feminine: la longueur.
Nouns in -eur for a person, formed from a verb, are masculine: le chanteur.
Some nouns have no suffix, and their gender is learnt with them: le départ, la réponse.

Use

A noun of this kind names the action or the quality.
Such a noun is used in place of a whole clause: Quand le train arrive… → À l’arrivée du train… (“when the train arrives”, “on the train’s arrival”)

Difference from English

English nouns do not show a gender; a French noun of this kind has one, often shown by its suffix.
An English -ing form used as a noun is a noun with a suffix in French. “The opening” is l’ouverture, and “the washing” is le lavage.

Common mistakes

~~le décision~~ → la décisionNouns in -sion and -tion are feminine.
~~la changement~~ → le changementNouns in -ment are masculine.

In short

Point	Form	Example
participe présent	nous stem + -ant; étant, ayant, sachant	finissant
use	invariable; a reason, a clause with qui (written)	Étant malade, il reste.
gérondif	en + participe présent, same subject	en marchant
uses of the gérondif	at the same time; how; on what condition	Il chante en travaillant.
nouns from verbs	-ée, -tion, -ure, -té, -esse (f.); -ment, -age (m.)	l’arrivée, le changement

Remember

Learn each new noun with its article: la décision, le changement.
Nouns formed with -tion and -sion are feminine: la réservation.
Nouns formed with -ment and -age are masculine: le paiement, le passage.

You now know how to form nouns from verbs and adjectives, and how to tell their gender by the suffix.

Practise

“The participe présent, the gérondif and nouns from verbs”, Nouns from verbs and adjectives: l'arrivée, la beauté

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