Français — The gerund (gérondif)
The gérondif is 'en' + the present participle (en -ant): en arrivant, en parlant. It links a second action to the main verb, expressing simultaneity, manner or condition, and always shares the same subject as the main verb.
How it works
Form the present participle from the nous-form of the present tense: drop -ons and add -ant (nous parlons → parlant, nous finissons → finissant, nous prenons → prenant). Then place 'en' in front: Il chante en travaillant ('He sings while working'). Only three verbs are irregular: être → étant, avoir → ayant, savoir → sachant.
Examples
| Sentence | Value / meaning |
|---|---|
| Elle chante en cuisinant. | Simultaneity — she sings while cooking. |
| En arrivant, j'ai vu la lettre. | Time — as/when I arrived, I saw the letter. |
| Il apprend le français en lisant. | Manner/means — he learns French by reading. |
| En travaillant plus, tu réussiras. | Condition — if you work more, you'll succeed. |
| Tout en souriant, elle a refusé. | Concession (tout en) — while smiling, she refused. |
| En étant patient, on y arrive. | Irregular être → étant — by being patient, one gets there. |
Good to know
Same-subject rule: the gérondif and the main verb must share one subject. En sortant, j'ai vu Paul means I saw Paul as I was going out — I am the one leaving. To say Paul was leaving, you cannot use the gérondif (say Quand Paul sortait, je l'ai vu). Also, don't confuse the gérondif (en + -ant, an adverb of the verb) with the plain present participle used as an adjective (une histoire amusante) or the English -ing after a preposition, which French renders with the infinitive: avant de partir, not avant partant.