French has quite a few different tenses and moods, which come in two forms: simple (single word) and compound. Translating French verbs into English, and vice versa, can be difficult for several reasons:

• The two languages don't have the same verb tenses and moods
• Some simple forms in one language are compound in the other
• English has modal verbs but French does not
• Many verbal constructions have more than one possible equivalent in the other language, depending on context

This lesson should help you understand how French and English verb forms match up, but it's just an overview. For more detailed information and examples, please click the links to read the individual lessons.

I'm not going to translate every grammatical person (I, you, he, etc), since you can easily figure out how to extend the translations to other grammatical persons. For my examples of simple verb forms, I will be using the je form of prendre (to take) and the vous form of aller (to go).

Present tense
   je prends - I take, I am taking, I do take
   vous allez - you go, you are going, you do go

Future
   je prendrai - I will take
   vous irez - you will go

Conditional
   je prendrais - I would take
   vous iriez - you would go

Imperfect
   je prenais - I was taking
   vous alliez - you were going

Passé simple (literary tense)
   je pris - I took
   vous allâtes - you went

Subjunctive
   (que) je prenne - (that) I take, "me to take"
   Il est important que je prenne... - It's important that I take...
   Veut-elle que je prenne...?

- Does she want me to take...?

   (que) vous alliez - (that) you go, "you to go"
   Il est important que vous alliez... - It's important that you go...
   Veut-elle que vous alliez...? - Does she want you to go...?

Imperfect subjunctive (literary tense)
   (que) je prisse - (that) I took
   (que) vous allassiez - (that) you went

Complete conjugations for all the simple tenses:
   Prendre | Aller

Conjugating verbs
   Simple tenses
   Compound tenses
   Impersonals and imperatives
   Modal verbs