Present Participle and Gerund in French

The French present participle and gerund both end in -ant, but they are used differently. The present participle (le participe présent) describes an action or adds information, while the gerund (le gérondif) uses en + present participle to express how, when or under what condition an action happens.

This guide explains how to form and use both structures, with clear examples and common mistakes to avoid. If you would like to strengthen your grammar and make faster progress, my intensive French courses are tailored to your level and goals.

The French present participle and gerund use the same verb form in -ant, but the gerund is always preceded by en.

The present participle and gerund are invariable. By contrast, a verbal adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes.

Although neither form is a verb tense, both are useful alongside the main French tenses you need to know.

To form the French present participle, take the stem of the nous form in the French present tense and add the ending -ant.

For example:

nous parlons → parlant

nous finissons → finissant

nous prenons → prenant

2.1 Regular Present Participles

2.2 The Three Irregular Present Participles

Only three verbs have an irregular present participle:

2.3 Present Participles of Reflexive Verbs

With French reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun comes before the present participle and changes according to the subject:

• se lever → me levant, te levant, se levant, nous levant, vous levant, se levant
• s’occuper → m’occupant, t’occupant, s’occupant, nous occupant, vous occupant, s’occupant

For example:

• Me levant tôt, je profite du calme. (Getting up early, I enjoy the peace and quiet.)
• S’occupant des enfants, elle n’a pas vu l’heure. (While looking after the children, she did not notice the time.)

Used without en, the present participle can describe an action connected to the main verb or provide information about a noun. It is particularly common in written French and more formal contexts.

3.1 To Explain a Cause or Circumstance

The present participle can explain why or under what circumstances the main action happens:

• Connaissant bien la région, ils ont passé de bonnes vacances. (Knowing the region well, they had a good holiday.)
• Ayant soif, elle a commandé une limonade. (Being thirsty, she ordered a lemonade.)

The implied subject of the present participle should be the same as the subject of the main verb. In Ayant soif, elle a commandé une limonade, it is elle who is thirsty.

3.2 To Replace a Relative Clause

The present participle can sometimes replace a relative clause introduced by qui, particularly in formal writing:

• Les personnes souhaitant participer doivent s’inscrire. (People wishing to participate must register.)

This corresponds to: Les personnes qui souhaitent participer doivent s’inscrire.

3.3 Present Participle or Verbal Adjective?

The present participle remains invariable because it functions as a verb:

• Des enfants amusant le public sont montés sur scène. (Children entertaining the audience went on stage.)

The verbal adjective describes a noun and therefore agrees in gender and number:

• J’ai trouvé ce film très amusant. (I found this film very funny.)
• Ses sœurs sont charmantes. (His or her sisters are charming.)

Some verbal adjectives also have a different spelling from the corresponding present participle, such as fatigant versus fatiguant and convaincant versus convainquant.

Now that we know how to form the participle, what is exactly the gerund ? Really useful, the gerund is invariable (except for the reflexive pronouns).

en + present participle

For example:

parler → en parlant

finir → en finissant

prendre → en prenant

se lever → en se levant

avoir → en ayant

être → en étant

savoir → en sachant

The gerund is invariable. With reflexive verbs, only the reflexive pronoun changes according to the subject.

As a general rule, the subject of the gerund must also be the subject of the main verb:

• En traversant la rue, j’ai aperçu Paul. (While crossing the street, I saw Paul.)

Here, je is the person who is both crossing the street and seeing Paul.

Now that we know how to form the participle, what is exactly the gerund ? Really useful, the gerund is invariable (except for the reflexive pronouns).

The French gerund can express simultaneity, manner, means, condition or contrast.

5.1 To Express Simultaneous Actions

The gerund can show that two actions happen at the same time:

• Il s’est coupé en cuisinant. (He cut himself while cooking.)
• Elle écoute de la musique en étudiant. (She listens to music while studying.)

5.2 To Express Manner or Means

The gerund can explain how an action is performed or how a result is achieved:

• Il a appris le français en regardant des films. (He learned French by watching films.)
• Vous progresserez en pratiquant régulièrement. (You will improve by practising regularly.)

5.3 To Express a Condition

The gerund can introduce the condition required for a result:

• En vous levant tôt, vous serez à l’heure. (By getting up early, you will be on time.)
• En réservant à l’avance, vous paierez moins cher. (By booking in advance, you will pay less.)

5.4 To Express Contrast with Tout en

The structure tout en + present participle can show that two apparently contradictory facts or actions coexist:

• Tout en faisant un régime, je ne maigris pas. (Although I am dieting, I am not losing weight.)
• Tout en étant fatiguée, elle a continué à travailler. (Although she was tired, she continued working.)

For an additional overview of participle and gerund forms, you can also consult Le Conjugueur.