In this comparative grammar lesson of Romance languages, we cover the present participle and gerund in French. We encountered the past participle in Lesson 1 of this level when we studied the compound past. Another participle that is useful to learn is the present participle.
Present Participle
The conjugation of the present participle is straightforward.
We start with the first-person plural form, that is, the “nous” form, and we replace the final “-ons” with “-ant.”
The present participle has only one form. There is no gender or number associated with the present participle.
Let us look at some examples of forming the present participle:
| nous parlons | we speak | parlant | speaking |
| nous mangeons | we eat | mangeant | eating |
| nous choisissons | we choose | choisissant | choosing |
| nous buvons | we drink | buvant | drinking |
Notice that we carry over any spelling change in the “nous” form to the present participle.
Irregular Verbs
There are only three irregular verbs in the present participle: “être” (to be), “avoir” (to have), and “savoir” (to know).
The present participles of these verbs are: “étant,” “ayant,” and “sachant,” respectively.
Usage
The present participle is used to describe the action of a noun or pronoun that is unrelated to the action described by the main verb. For example:
| Nous avons vu l’homme entrant dans le bâtiment. | We saw the man entering the building. |
| Étant occupé, il a refusé de prendre rendez-vous. | Being busy, he declined to make an appointment. |
| Voulant être entendu, il a décidé de se lever et de parler fort. | Wanting to be heard, he decided to stand up and speak loudly. |
Sometimes the past participle is used to replace a relative clause, for example:
| Les personnes portant des sacs doivent attendre. | People carrying (who carry) bags must wait. |
| Les animaux domestiques ayant des papiers peuvent voyager. | Pets having (that have) documentation can travel. |
| Des techniciens sachant réparer les téléphones sont disponibles. | Technicians knowing (who know) how to fix phones are available. |
Gerund
When the present participle is preceded by the preposition “en,” it is referred to as gerund.
In this context, the preposition “en” can be translated as “while,” “upon,” or “by,” for example:
| Il s’est dormi en regardant la télé. | He slept while watching TV. |
| Il est devenu nerveux en me voyant. | He got nervous upon seeing me. |
| En étudiant dur, il a réussi l’examen. | By studying hard, he passed the exam. |
| C’est en suivant les règles qu’il a réussi. | It is by following the rules that he succeeded. |
Adding “Tout” before the Gerund
Sometimes “tout” (all) precedes the preposition “en” when forming the gerund. This cannot be translated literally, but often highlights a contradiction between two actions or events. The meaning becomes closer to “even though,” for example:
| Tout en étant malade, il a réussi à être le meilleur joueur sur le terrain. | While being sick, he managed to be the best player on the pitch. |
| Tout en prétendant être innocent, les preuves étaient contre lui. | While claiming to be innocent, the evidence was against him. |
Back to: Comparative Grammar Lessons
Other lessons in Level III:
