For students diving into the intricate depths of French verbs conjugations, mastering verbs like "venir" proves essential. Translating to "to come" in English, "venir" is not just a verb; it serves as a cornerstone of expressing movement and arrival in the French language. Exploring its French verb conjugation unlocks a world of nuances across various tenses and moods. Join us on an enlightening journey through the French verb conjugation of "venir," unraveling its intricacies across different contexts and within a variety of very French idiomatic expressions.

What makes Venir an irregular French verb in the Mrs Vandertramp group?

Certain verbs stand out in French language learning. There's a select list of verbs that deviate from the norm in their French verb conjugation when placed in the passé composé. Instead of following the usual pattern with "avoir," they opt for conjugation with "être". Moreover, their past participle aligns with the subject of the verb, leading to constructions like ‘ils sont partis’ or ‘elle est tombée’ rather than the more typical ‘ils ont donné’ or ‘elle a fait’.

These verbs form the Mrs Vandertramp group, and they include:

Monter (elle est montée)

Retourner (elle est retournée)

Sortir (elle est sortie)

Venir (elle est venue)

Aller (elle est allée)

Naître (elle est née)

Descendre (elle est descendue)

Entrer (elle est entrée)

Rester (elle est restée)

Tomber (elle est tombée)

Rentrer (elle est rentrée)

Arriver (elle est arrivée)

Mourir (elle est morte)

Partir (elle est partie)
 

You get Mrs Vandertramp if you extract the first letter from each verb as highlighted above!
It's just a mnemonic way to remember them.

What is the past participle of venir?

The past participle of the verb "venir" in French is "venu" for masculine singular subjects and "venue" for feminine singular subjects.

For example:

Masculine singular: Il est venu (He came)
Feminine singular: Elle est venue (She came)

In its plural forms:

Masculine plural: Ils sont venus (They came)
Feminine plural: Elles est venues (They came)

Note that venir uses être en not avoir as the French verb auxiliary to form its past participle, as a result, in its plural forms remember how the verb agrees in both gender and number with its plural pronouns "Ils" for masculine plural and "Elles" for feminine plural respectively "venus" and "venues" the "e" at the end of the latter is for the agreement with the feminine gender and the s marks the plural.

What is the French word for come in?

The French word for "come in" is "entrer" or "renter."
 

Here are three examples demonstrating the usage in French of venir vs. entrer ou rentrer:

Venir (to come):

Je viens de la plage. (I come from the beach.)
Explanation: "Venir" denotes the action of moving from one place to another, specifically emphasizing the point of origin.

Entrer/Rentrer (to come in):

Entrez s'il vous plaît. (Please come in.)
Explanation: "Entrer" or "Rentrer" implies the action of physically entering into a space, a building, a room, etc. It emphasizes the act of moving from outside to inside a specific location.

Venir (to come) vs. Entrer/Rentrer (to come in):

Il vient à la maison. (He is coming to the house.)
Il entre dans la maison. (He enters into the house.)
Explanation: "Venir" emphasizes the general movement toward a place or destination, indicating the action of moving towards a location. On the other hand, "Entrer/Rentrer" emphasizes the specific action of physically stepping into a place or space from the outside.

In essence, "venir" is about the action of coming or moving toward a place, while "entrer/renter" specifically focuses on the act of entering into a defined space or location.

Now, let's focus on the reason d'être of this article, the French verb conjugation of the venir verb itself.

The Six Forms of Venir: Navigating Conjugation

Similar to other essential verbs, "venir" showcases diverse forms across different tenses. Let's meticulously explore its conjugation across various grammatical structures.

Present Tense (Le Présent de l'Indicatif)

In the present tense, "venir" assumes unique forms for each subject pronoun:

- Je viens (I come)
- Tu viens (You come, familiar)
- Il, elle, on vient (He, she, one comes)
- Nous venons (We come)
- Vous venez (You come)
- Ils, elles viennent (They come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: Je viens de Paris. (I come from Paris.)
   English Translation: I come from Paris, a common expression denoting origin in introductory French lessons.

2. Conjugate: Tu viens avec moi? (Are you coming with me?)
   English Translation: Are you coming with me, a question frequently used to invite someone in discussions about movement.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils viennent à la fête. (They come to the party.)
   English Translation: They come to the party, a statement exploring movement concerning subject pronouns.

Compound Past (Le Passé Composé)

As an irregular verb, "venir" plays a distinctive role in the compound past, particularly in the passé composé:

- Je suis venu(e) (I came)
- Tu es venu(e) (You came)
- Il, elle, on est venu(e) (He, she, one came)
- Nous sommes venus(es) (We came)
- Vous êtes venus(es) (You came)
- Ils, elles sont venus(es) (They came)

Example Sentences:

1. French Conjugation: Je suis venu(e) hier soir. (I came last night.)
   English Translation: I came last night, an event discussed in conversations about past occurrences.

2. French Lesson: Vous êtes venus à la réunion? (Did you come to the meeting?)
   English Translation: Did you come to the meeting, a question frequently used to inquire about past attendance.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils sont venus en avance. (They came early.)
   English Translation: They came early, a statement describing movement concerning subject pronouns.

Simple Past (Le Passé Simple)

Though less prevalent in spoken French, the passé simple is essential for literary comprehension:

- Je vins (I came)
- Tu vins (You came)
- Il, elle, on vint (He, she, one came)
- Nous vînmes (We came)
- Vous vîntes (You came)
- Ils, elles vinrent (They came)

Example Sentences:

1. French Conjugation: Elle vint me voir hier. (She came to see me yesterday.)
   English Translation: She came to see me yesterday, an event narrated in literary contexts.

2. Conjugate: Nous vînmes ensemble. (We came together.)
   English Translation: We came together, a statement about joint movement in past contexts.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils vinrent nous aider. (They came to help us.)
   English Translation: They came to help us, an action involving subject pronouns in the past.

Imperfect (L'Imparfait)

The imperfect tense portrays ongoing or habitual past actions:

- Je venais (I came)
- Tu venais (You came)
- Il, elle, on venait (He, she, one came)
- Nous venions (We came)
- Vous veniez (You came)
- Ils, elles venaient (They came)

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: Je venais souvent ici. (I used to come here often.)
   English Translation: I used to come here often, a statement reflecting habitual actions in the past.

2. Conjugate: Tu venais nous voir régulièrement. (You used to come and see us regularly.)
   English Translation: You used to come and see us regularly, a description of recurring actions in the past.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils venaient en voiture. (They came by car.)
   English Translation: They came by car, a statement involving subject pronouns describing habitual movement.

Pluperfect (Plus-Que-Parfait)

The pluperfect tense delves deeper into the past, expressing actions completed before another past event:

- J'avais venu(e) (I had come)
- Tu avais venu(e) (You had come)
- Il, elle, on avait venu(e) (He, she, one had come)
- Nous avions venu(e)s (We had come)
- Vous aviez venu(e)s (You had come)
- Ils, elles avaient venu(e)s (They had come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Conjugation: J'avais venu(e) te chercher. (I had come to pick you up.)
   English Translation: I had come to pick you up, an action completed before another past event.

2. French Lesson: Vous aviez venu(e)s nous rendre visite. (You had come to visit us.)
   English Translation: You had come to visit us, an action completed in the pluperfect tense.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils avaient venu(e)s en avance. (They had come early.)
   English Translation: They had come early, a statement involving subject pronouns in the pluperfect tense.

Near Future (Le Futur Proche)

The near future tense combines the present tense of "aller" with the infinitive form of "venir":

- Je vais venir (I am going to come)
- Tu vas venir (You are going to come)
- Il, elle, on va venir (He, she, one is going to come)
- Nous allons venir (We are going to come)
- Vous allez venir (You are going to come)
- Ils, elles vont venir (They are going to come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: Je vais venir te voir demain. (I am going to come see you tomorrow.)
   English Translation: I am going to come see you tomorrow, a future event described in the near future tense.

2. Conjugate: Tu vas venir avec moi? (Are you going to come with me?)
   English Translation: Are you going to come with me, a question about future plans using subject pronouns.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils vont venir à la fête

 ce soir. (They are going to come to the party tonight.)
   English Translation: They are going to come to the party tonight, a future event involving subject pronouns.

Simple Future (Le Futur Simple)

The simple future tense expresses actions that will occur in the future:

- Je viendrai (I will come)
- Tu viendras (You will come)
- Il, elle, on viendra (He, she, one will come)
- Nous viendrons (We will come)
- Vous viendrez (You will come)
- Ils, elles viendront (They will come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Conjugation: Je viendrai te chercher à midi. (I will come to pick you up at noon.)
   English Translation: I will come to pick you up at noon, a commitment in the simple future tense.

2. French Lesson: Vous viendrez assister à la réunion? (Will you come to attend the meeting?)
   English Translation: Will you come to attend the meeting, a question about future attendance.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils viendront en train. (They will come by train.)
   English Translation: They will come by train, a statement involving subject pronouns in the future.

Past Future (Le Futur Antérieur)

The past future tense combines the future tense of "avoir" with the past participle of "venir":

- J'aurai venu(e) (I will have come)
- Tu auras venu(e) (You will have come)
- Il, elle, on aura venu(e) (He, she, one will have come)
- Nous aurons venu(e)s (We will have come)
- Vous aurez venu(e)s (You will have come)
- Ils, elles auront venu(e)s (They will have come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Conjugation: J'aurai venu(e) tôt demain. (I will have come early tomorrow.)
   English Translation: I will have come early tomorrow, an action completed before a future event.

2. French Lesson: Vous aurez venu(e)s nous voir avant notre départ. (You will have come to see us before our departure.)
   English Translation: You will have come to see us before our departure, an action completed in the past future tense.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils auront venu(e)s à la réunion. (They will have come to the meeting.)
   English Translation: They will have come to the meeting, an action involving subject pronouns in the past future tense.

Conditional Mood (Le Présent du Conditionnel)

The conditional mood expresses hypothetical or unreal actions in the present or future:

- Je viendrais (I would come)
- Tu viendrais (You would come)
- Il, elle, on viendrait (He, she, one would come)
- Nous viendrions (We would come)
- Vous viendriez (You would come)
- Ils, elles viendraient (They would come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: Je viendrais si j'avais le temps. (I would come if I had the time.)
   English Translation: I would come if I had the time, a hypothetical scenario in the conditional mood.

2. Conjugate: Vous viendriez nous aider si vous pouviez? (Would you come to help us if you could?)
   English Translation: Would you come to help us if you could, a question about a hypothetical situation using subject pronouns.

3. Subject Pronoun: Ils viendraient si vous les invitiez. (They would come if you invited them.)
   English Translation: They would come if you invited them, a conditional statement involving subject pronouns.

Present Subjunctive (Le Subjonctif)

The present subjunctive expresses doubt, uncertainty, or subjective opinions:

- Que je vienne (That I come)
- Que tu viennes (That you come)
- Qu'il, elle, on vienne (That he, she, one come)
- Que nous venions (That we come)
- Que vous veniez (That you come)
- Qu'ils, elles viennent (That they come)

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: Il est possible que je vienne plus tard. (It is possible that I come later.)
   English Translation: It is possible that I come later, a statement in the present subjunctive expressing uncertainty.

2. Conjugate: Je préfère que tu viennes avec moi. (I prefer that you come with me.)
   English Translation: I prefer that you come with me, a subjective opinion expressed in the present subjunctive.

3. Subject Pronoun: Il faut que nous venions à l'heure. (We must come on time.)
   English Translation: We must come on time, a directive in the present subjunctive involving subject pronouns.

Imperative (L'Impératif)

The imperative mood is used for commands or requests:

- Viens (Come) - Tu form
- Venons (Let's come) - Nous form
- Venez (Come) - Vous form

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: Viens ici tout de suite! (Come here right now!)
   English Translation: Come here right now, an imperative often used in commands or requests.

2. Subject Pronoun: Venons ensemble à la fête. (Let's come together to the party.)
   English Translation: Let's come together to the party, an invitation expressed using subject pronouns.

3. French Lesson: Venez nous aider s'il vous plaît. (Come and help us, please.)
   English Translation: Come and help us, please, a request in the imperative involving subject pronouns.

Gerund (Le Gérondif)

The gerund expresses ongoing actions:

- En venant (By coming)

Example Sentences:

1. French Lesson: En venant tôt, on évite les embouteillages. (By coming early, one avoids traffic.)
   English Translation: By coming early, one avoids traffic, a statement using the gerund to express an ongoing action.

2. Conjugate: En venant nous voir, tu nous rends heureux. (By coming to see us, you make us happy.)
   English Translation: By coming to see us, you make us happy, a description of an ongoing action using the gerund.

What are some commonly used idiomatic expressions using venir in French?

Venir à point nommé :

Literal Translation: "To come at the right time."
Meaning: Used when something happens or arrives exactly when needed.
Example: Son aide est venue à point nommé pour résoudre le problème. (His help came at the right time to solve the issue.)

Venir en tête:

Literal Translation: "To come in first."
Meaning: Indicates taking the lead or coming in first place.
Example: Notre équipe est venue en tête lors du tournoi. (Our team came in first during the tournament.)

Venir aux oreilles de quelqu'un:

Literal Translation: "To come to someone's ears."
Meaning: When someone hears about something, especially when the information spreads.
Example: La nouvelle est venue aux oreilles du directeur. (The news reached the director.)

Venir de loin:

Literal Translation: "To come from far away."
Meaning: Used to describe a long journey or progress.
Example: Son succès est venu de loin, il a travaillé dur pour y arriver. (His success came from afar, he worked hard to achieve it.) 

 

Additional Insight on the French verb conjugation of "Venir":

Mastering the conjugation of the irregular verb "venir" is pivotal for navigating French grammar. As we've explored its forms across various tenses and moods, it's evident that "venir" stands as a crucial verb for expressing movement and arrival in French. Stay tuned for our forthcoming articles, where we will delve into additional intricacies of Mrs Vandertramp French verb conjugations uncovering their importance and idiomatic uses alongside other foundational verbs in the journey of learning French.

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