đ«đ· French Tenses by Frequency (Most â Least) âïž đŹđ§ English & Uses 1. PrĂ©sent de lâindicatif â Simple Present (âI eat / I am eatingâ) ââą Now or habitual actions 2. PassĂ© composĂ© â Present Perfect / Simple Past (âI have eaten / I ateâ) ââą One completed past event 3. Imparfait â Imperfect (âI was eating / I used to eatâ) ââą Ongoing, habitual or background past 4. Futur proche â Near Future (âgoing toâŠâ) (âIâm going to eatâ) ââą Action about to happen 5. Futur simple â Simple Future (âwillâŠâ) (âI will eatâ) ââą Future seen as single event 6. Infinitif prĂ©sent â Present Infinitive (âto eatâ) ââą Base âto âŠâ form 7. Participe passĂ© â Past Participle (âeatenâ) ââą Compound tenses/adjectives 8. Participe prĂ©sent â Present Participle (âeatingâ) ââą Verbal adjective 9. GĂ©rondif â Gerund (âen mangeantâ = âwhile eatingâ) ââą en + particip present 10. Conditionnel prĂ©sent â Present Conditional (âwouldâŠâ / âI would likeâ) ââą Hypotheticals, politeness 11. Subjonctif prĂ©sent â Present Subjunctive (â(that) I eatâ) ââą Doubt, desire, necessity, emotion 12. Plus-que-parfait â Past Perfect (âI had eatenâ) ââą Completed before another past act 13. Conditionnel passĂ© â Past Conditional (âI would have eatenâ) ââą Hypothetical past actions 14. Futur antĂ©rieur â Future Perfect (âI will have eatenâ) ââą Completed before another future act 15. Subjonctif passĂ© â Past Subjunctive (â(that) I have eatenâ) ââą Subjunctive for completed action 16. ImpĂ©ratif prĂ©sent â Imperative (âEat!â) ââą Commands 17. PassĂ© simple â Literary Simple Past (âHe walkedâ) ââą Formal/written past 18. ImpĂ©ratif passĂ© â Past Imperative (âHave eaten!â) ââą Rare completedâaction commands 19. PassĂ© antĂ©rieur â Literary Past Perfect (âHe had eatenâ) ââą Very formal, before another past act 20. Infinitif passĂ© â Perfect Infinitive (âto have eatenâ) ââą Past form of the infinitive