Venir Verb Conjugation Tables With Translations & Real Life Examples
If you’re searching for venir verb conjugation, you’re dealing with a verb that appears constantly in French and changes form more than learners expect. This guide covers every tense and mood, explains when each one is used, and shows practical examples with translations that reflect how English actually works.
Revenir Verb Conjugation Tables With Translations & Real Life Examples
Let’s start with the foundations so the conjugations don’t feel random.
What You Need To Know Before Conjugating Venir
Venir means to come. It is one of DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs.. It is an irregular French verb that uses être in compound tenses and whose past participle venu agrees in gender and number. Its stem changes across tenses, but those changes follow clear patterns once you understand how French structures time and intention.
Indicative Mood
The indicative mood is used to talk about facts, real situations, habits, and actions you present as certain or observable.
Present Tense (Présent)
The present tense describes what is happening now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true. In English, it often translates as “come” or “am/is/are coming,” depending on context and emphasis.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | viens | I come / I am coming |
| Tu | viens | you come / you are coming |
| Il / Elle / On | vient | he / she comes |
| Nous | venons | we come / we are coming |
| Vous | venez | you come / you are coming |
| Ils / Elles | viennent | they come / they are coming |
Examples:
- Je viens maintenant. → I’m coming now.
- Nous venons souvent ici. → We often come here.
- Ils viennent ce soir. → They’re coming tonight.
Now that the present tense is clear, let’s move into how French talks about ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)
The imperfect tense is used for ongoing actions in the past, repeated habits, and background descriptions. In English, it usually becomes “was coming” or “used to come,” depending on whether the action was continuous or habitual.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | venais | I was coming / I used to come |
| Tu | venais | you were coming |
| Il / Elle / On | venait | he / she was coming |
| Nous | venions | we were coming |
| Vous | veniez | you were coming |
| Ils / Elles | venaient | they were coming |
Examples:
- Je venais ici tous les jours. → I used to come here every day.
- Elle venait souvent nous voir. → She often came to see us.
- Ils venaient quand il pleuvait. → They would come when it rained.
That brings us to the most common way French expresses completed past actions.
Passé Composé
The passé composé expresses completed past actions with a clear result or endpoint. Venir uses être, which means the past participle must agree in gender and number. In English, this tense translates as “came” or “have come.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | suis venu(e) | I came / I have come |
| Tu | es venu(e) | you came |
| Il / Elle / On | est venu(e) | he / she came |
| Nous | sommes venu(e)s | we came |
| Vous | êtes venu(e)(s) | you came |
| Ils / Elles | sont venu(e)s | they came |
Examples:
- Elle est venue hier. → She came yesterday.
- Nous sommes venus ensemble. → We came together.
- Ils sont venus trop tard. → They came too late.
To express actions that will happen later, French switches to the future.
Simple Future (Futur Simple)
The simple future is used to describe actions that will happen. Venir uses the stem viendr-, which is important to remember because the same stem appears in the conditional mood.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | viendrai | I will come |
| Tu | viendras | you will come |
| Il / Elle / On | viendra | he / she will come |
| Nous | viendrons | we will come |
| Vous | viendrez | you will come |
| Ils / Elles | viendront | they will come |
Examples:
- Je viendrai demain. → I will come tomorrow.
- Nous viendrons plus tard. → We’ll come later.
- Elle viendra seule. → She will come alone.
When one past action happened before another past action, French uses a different tense.
Plus-Que-Parfait
The plus-que-parfait shows that an action had already happened before another past action. In English, it almost always translates as “had come.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | étais venu(e) | I had come |
| Tu | étais venu(e) | you had come |
| Il / Elle / On | était venu(e) | he / she had come |
| Nous | étions venu(e)s | we had come |
| Vous | étiez venu(e)(s) | you had come |
| Ils / Elles | étaient venu(e)s | they had come |
Examples:
- J’étais venu avant toi. → I had come before you.
- Elle était venue trop tôt. → She had come too early.
- Nous étions venus exprès. → We had come on purpose.
Some tenses are rarely used in speech but still matter for reading and comprehension.
Passé Simple (Rare – Literary)
The passé simple is not used in spoken French. You mainly see it in novels, historical writing, and formal narratives, where it replaces the passé composé.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | vins | I came |
| Tu | vins | you came |
| Il / Elle / On | vint | he / she came |
| Nous | vînmes | we came |
| Vous | vîntes | you came |
| Ils / Elles | vinrent | they came |
Examples:
- Il vint au village. → He came to the village.
- Elle vint trop tard. → She came too late.
- Ils vinrent ensemble. → They came together.
French also uses moods to express intention, emotion, and uncertainty.
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is used to express necessity, desire, doubt, emotion, or judgment. English usually avoids a direct equivalent and instead uses “for someone to…” or “that someone should…”.
Present Subjunctive
This form appears after expressions like il faut que, je veux que, bien que. Each translation below reflects the two most natural English options.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | vienne | for me to come / that I should come |
| Que tu | viennes | for you to come / that you should come |
| Qu’il / elle / on | vienne | for him/her to come / that he/she should come |
| Que nous | venions | for us to come / that we should come |
| Que vous | veniez | for you to come / that you should come |
| Qu’ils / elles | viennent | for them to come / that they should come |
Examples:
- Il faut que je vienne. → I need to come.
- Je veux que tu viennes. → I want you to come.
- Bien qu’ils viennent tôt… → Although they come early…
Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive is used when the subjunctive action happened before the main verb. In English, this usually becomes “to have come.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | sois venu(e) | for me to have come |
| Que tu | sois venu(e) | for you to have come |
| Qu’il / elle / on | soit venu(e) | for him/her to have come |
| Que nous | soyons venu(e)s | for us to have come |
| Que vous | soyez venu(e)(s) | for you to have come |
| Qu’ils / elles | soient venu(e)s | for them to have come |
Examples:
- Je regrette que tu sois venu. → I regret that you came.
- Bien qu’elle soit venue… → Although she came…
- Je suis content qu’ils soient venus. → I’m glad they came.
Imperfect Subjunctive (Very Rare – Literary)
This tense is almost never used in modern speech. You’ll mainly encounter it in older or highly formal writing, and it is useful primarily for reading comprehension.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | vinsse | for me to come / that I should come |
| Que tu | vinsses | for you to come / that you should come |
| Qu’il / elle / on | vînt | for him/her to come / that he/she should come |
| Que nous | vinssions | for us to come / that we should come |
| Que vous | vinssiez | for you to come / that you should come |
| Qu’ils / elles | vinssent | for them to come / that they should come |
Examples:
- Bien qu’il vînt tard… → Although he came late…
- Qu’elle vinsse ou non… → Whether she came or not…
- Bien qu’ils vinssent ensemble… → Although they came together…
French also uses a mood for hypothetical or polite situations.
Conditional Mood
The conditional mood is used to talk about hypothetical situations, polite requests, and imagined outcomes. In English, it usually translates as “would come.”
Present Conditional
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | viendrais | I would come |
| Tu | viendrais | you would come |
| Il / Elle / On | viendrait | he / she would come |
| Nous | viendrions | we would come |
| Vous | viendriez | you would come |
| Ils / Elles | viendraient | they would come |
Examples:
- Je viendrais si je pouvais. → I would come if I could.
- Elle viendrait avec toi. → She would come with you.
- Nous viendrions plus tôt. → We would come earlier.
Finally, French uses a specific form for giving instructions or encouragement.
Imperative Mood
The imperative is used to give orders, instructions, or encouragement. It focuses on action rather than time and appears without an explicit subject pronoun.
Present Imperative
| Form | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| (Tu) | viens | come |
| (Nous) | venons | let’s come |
| (Vous) | venez | come (formal/plural) |
Examples:
- Viens ici. → Come here.
- Venez demain. → Come tomorrow.
- Venons ensemble. → Let’s come together.
FAQs
What Does The Verb Venir Mean In French?
The French verb venir means “to come.” It is used to express movement toward a person or place, origin, arrival, and even recent past actions when combined with de. Because it appears in everyday conversation, storytelling, and expressions, it is considered one of the most important irregular verbs to master early.
Is Venir A Regular Or Irregular Verb?
Venir is an irregular verb. Its stem changes depending on the tense and the subject, and it does not follow standard -er, -ir, or -re verb patterns. Once you understand its stem logic, especially in the present, future, and subjunctive, the irregularity becomes much easier to manage.
Which Auxiliary Verb Does Venir Use?
Venir uses être as its auxiliary verb in all compound tenses, such as the passé composé and plus-que-parfait. Because of this, the past participle venu must agree in gender and number with the subject, which is a common source of mistakes for learners.
How Do You Conjugate Venir In The Present Tense?
In the present tense, venir changes its stem between vien- and ven-. Singular forms and ils/elles use vien-, while nous and vous use ven-. This pattern is consistent and helps learners recognize correct pronunciation and spelling across similar verbs.
What Is The Difference Between Je Viens And Je Venais?
Je viens means “I come” or “I am coming” and refers to the present moment. Je venais means “I was coming” or “I used to come” and describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past. The difference is about time and continuity, not meaning.
How Do You Use Venir In The Past Tense?
In the past tense, venir is commonly used in the passé composé with être. For example, je suis venu means “I came” or “I have come.” The plus-que-parfait (j’étais venu) is used when the action happened before another past event.
Why Does Venir Agree In The Past Tense?
Venir agrees in compound tenses because it uses être as its auxiliary. This means the past participle venu must match the subject’s gender and number. For example, elle est venue adds an -e, and ils sont venus adds an -s.
How Do You Conjugate Venir In The Future Tense?
In the future tense, venir uses the stem viendr-, followed by standard future endings. For example, je viendrai means “I will come.” This same stem is also used in the conditional tense, which makes memorization easier.
What Is The Conditional Form Of Venir Used For?
The conditional form of venir is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, or imagined outcomes. For example, je viendrais si je pouvais means “I would come if I could.” It softens statements and adds politeness or uncertainty.
When Do You Use The Subjunctive With Venir?
The subjunctive with venir is used after expressions of necessity, desire, doubt, emotion, or judgment. Common triggers include il faut que, je veux que, and bien que. It focuses on intention or uncertainty rather than stating a fact.
How Do You Translate “Que Je Vienne” In English?
“Que je vienne” is best translated as “for me to come” or “that I should come.” English does not use the subjunctive the same way French does, so the translation often becomes an infinitive or a structure with “should,” depending on the sentence.
Is The Imperfect Subjunctive Still Used With Venir?
The imperfect subjunctive of venir still exists but is rarely used in modern spoken French. You will mostly encounter it in literature or very formal writing. Learning it is useful for reading comprehension rather than everyday communication.
What Does Venir De Mean In French?
Venir de is used to express the recent past. It means “to have just done something.” For example, je viens de manger means “I just ate.” This structure is extremely common in spoken French and is worth mastering early.
Can Venir Mean To Come From?
Yes, venir is often used to express origin. For example, je viens de France means “I come from France.” In this case, de indicates origin rather than recent past, and context makes the meaning clear.
Is Venir Used In Everyday Spoken French?
Yes, venir is extremely common in everyday spoken French. It is used to talk about coming, arriving, origin, invitations, plans, and recent actions. Because of this frequency, mastering its conjugation significantly improves fluency and comprehension.
What Are Common Mistakes Learners Make With Venir?
Common mistakes include using avoir instead of être, forgetting agreement in compound tenses, mixing stems in the present tense, and translating the subjunctive too literally into English. Understanding the patterns behind venir helps eliminate these errors quickly.
Are There Other Verbs That Conjugate Like Venir?
Yes, several important verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as venir. These include revenir, devenir, parvenir, intervenir, and survenir. Learning venir well makes it much easier to conjugate this entire verb family.
How Can I Remember Venir Conjugations More Easily?
The best way to remember venir conjugations is to focus on stem patterns instead of memorizing isolated forms. Recognizing when French uses vien-, ven-, or viendr- helps you predict the correct form and build confidence when speaking or writing.
Is Venir More Important Than Other Irregular Verbs?
Venir is one of the most important irregular verbs because of how frequently it appears and how many related verbs depend on its pattern. Mastering venir gives you a strong foundation for understanding tense structure, agreement, and verb families in French.
Should Beginners Learn All Venir Tenses At Once?
Beginners should focus first on the present tense, passé composé, future tense, and the venir de structure. Other tenses, such as the imperfect and subjunctive, can be added gradually. Literary tenses are best learned later for reading purposes.
Final Takeaway
The venir verb conjugation becomes clear once each tense is connected to its real meaning and real usage. When you understand how French expresses time, intention, and nuance, venir stops being confusing and starts working naturally in your sentences.