French grammar can seem complex at first, but some concepts become very clear once you understand the basics. One of these concepts is the non-personal forms of the verb in French. These are verb forms that do not change depending on who is speaking. They are fixed forms — they stay the same no matter the subject.
Think of them as the « neutral » forms of French verbs. You will find them everywhere in French, and learning them will help you read, write, and speak much more naturally.
Simple Examples to Get Started
- Manger (to eat) — this is the infinitive form
- Mangeant (eating) — this is the present participle
- Mangé (eaten) — this is the past participle
Notice how none of these forms tell you who is eating. That is exactly what makes them « non-personal. »
The Elements of Non-Personal Forms in French
There are three main non-personal forms in French. Each one plays a different role in a sentence. Let’s look at each one carefully.
1. The Infinitive (L’infinitif)
The infinitive is the base form of the verb. In English, it usually comes with « to » — for example, « to eat » or « to speak. » In French, infinitives end in -er, -ir, or -re.
- Parler — to speak
- Finir — to finish
- Prendre — to take
The infinitive is used after other verbs, after prepositions, and as a subject or object in a sentence.
- Je veux manger. — I want to eat.
- Il apprend à conduire. — He is learning to drive.
- Voyager est ma passion. — Travelling is my passion.
2. The Present Participle (Le participe présent)
The present participle is formed by taking the nous form of the present tense, removing -ons, and adding -ant. It is often used to describe an action happening at the same time as another.
- parler → nous parlons → parlant (speaking)
- finir → nous finissons → finissant (finishing)
- prendre → nous prenons → prenant (taking)
A very common use is with the word en, forming what is called the gérondif (gerund):
- Il écoute de la musique en mangeant. — He listens to music while eating.
- Elle apprend le français en regardant des films. — She learns French by watching films.
3. The Past Participle (Le participe passé)
The past participle is used to form compound tenses like the passé composé. It is also used in passive constructions and as an adjective.
- mangé (eaten) — from manger
- fini (finished) — from finir
- pris (taken) — from prendre
- J’ai mangé une pomme. — I ate an apple.
- La porte est fermée. — The door is closed.
- Le travail est terminé. — The work is finished.
Why Non-Personal Forms Matter in French
Understanding these forms is essential for building correct and natural sentences. Here is why they are so useful:
- They appear in almost every sentence you read or hear in French.
- They allow you to connect ideas smoothly without repeating subjects.
- They are needed to form important tenses like the passé composé.
- They help you sound more fluent and natural when speaking.
Without knowing these forms, you will struggle to understand many everyday French sentences.
Comparison with Other Languages
It is always helpful to compare French with languages you already know. Here is a quick overview:
| Form | French | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | parler (to speak) | hablar (to speak) | to speak |
| Present Participle | parlant (speaking) | hablando (speaking) | speaking |
| Past Participle | parlé (spoken) | hablado (spoken) | spoken |
As you can see, all three languages share the same three non-personal forms. The structures are similar, which makes it easier to understand the concept. However, the rules for agreement and usage are different in French, so pay attention to those details as you progress.
A Complete Example
Let’s look at a short paragraph that uses all three non-personal forms together:
Apprendre une nouvelle langue est un défi passionnant. En travaillant chaque jour, on fait des progrès rapides. J’ai commencé à étudier le français il y a six mois, et j’ai déjà appris beaucoup de mots nouveaux.
- Apprendre — infinitive used as the subject of the sentence
- En travaillant — present participle used with en (gerund)
- commencé and appris — past participles used in the passé composé
Key Takeaways
- Non-personal verb forms do not change with the subject.
- There are three main forms: the infinitive, the present participle, and the past participle.
- The infinitive ends in -er, -ir, or -re.
- The present participle ends in -ant.
- The past participle is used in compound tenses and as an adjective.
- These forms exist in English and Spanish too, which helps you understand them faster.
Sources
- Grevisse, M. & Goosse, A. (2011). Le Bon Usage. De Boeck Supérieur.
- Riegel, M., Pellat, J.-C. & Rioul, R. (2009). Grammaire méthodique du français. Presses Universitaires de France.
- Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Cambridge University Press.