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French present participle: the nous stem, -ant and three exceptions

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Form parlant, prenant, ayant, étant and sachant, then use the bare present participle in notices and descriptions with five short practice questions.

In short

Usually, take the present nous form, remove -ons and add -ant: nous prenons → prenant. Learn three exceptions: ayant, étant, sachant. Without en, this form can describe the action of a noun: les personnes attendant ici.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A small group of adults waits calmly outside a French public building with a plain closed door and no written signs.
The scene shows les personnes attendant dehors. Illustration: Atelier

Le participe présent · formation et emploi

1 · Build from the actual nous form

The stem comes from the present indicative, including its spelling changes. Finir supplies finiss-; partir supplies part-.

nous parlons → parlantspeaking
nous finissons → finissantfinishing
nous prenons → prenanttaking
nous faisons → faisantdoing

Les personnes prenant des notes peuvent rester.People taking notes may stay.

2 · Keep the e and the cedilla

Keep the spelling that gives the soft consonant before a: mangeant and commençant.

Les élèves commençant le cours aujourd’hui sont les bienvenus.Pupils starting the course today are welcome.

3 · Learn three exceptions

These forms replace the usual stem calculation.

avoir → ayanthaving
être → étantbeing
savoir → sachantknowing

Les candidats sachant répondre peuvent lever la main.Candidates who know how to answer may raise their hands.

4 · Keep the verbal participle invariable

It can take an object or ne … pas. Its ending stays -ant, even after a feminine plural noun.

Les personnes ne comprenant pas la consigne peuvent poser une question.People who do not understand the instruction may ask a question.

A noun description or a second action?

The same form in two constructions
FrenchWhat it describes
Les personnes parlant français peuvent aider.Which people: those who speak French.
Elle apprend en parlant avec ses collègues.How she learns: by speaking with her colleagues.
Les personnes qui parlent français peuvent aider.A full relative clause with the same meaning as the first row.

In the first sentence, parlant français attaches to les personnes. In the second, en parlant accompanies the main action, apprend: the woman learns and speaks. A bare participle is especially useful in written notices and descriptions; a qui clause gives an equally clear full sentence.

Les personnes attendant dehors sont entrées à midi.

The people waiting outside came in at noon.

The main event is past. The name “present participle” identifies a form; the sentence supplies the time.

Question 1No account needed
Replace qui attendent with a bare participle.Les personnes ___ ici ont rendez-vous.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

attendant. The verbal participle attendant replaces qui attendent and stays invariable.

Question 2No account needed
Replace qui finissent with a bare participle.Les élèves ___ leur travail peuvent sortir.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

finissant. Nous finissons gives finissant. It takes the object leur travail and stays invariable.

Question 3No account needed
Replace qui ont with a bare participle.Les candidats ___ une question peuvent rester.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ayant. The present participle of avoir is the exception ayant. It takes une question as its object.

Question 4No account needed
Replace qui sait with a bare participle.Une personne ___ traduire nous aidera.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

sachant. Savoir gives the present participle sachant, followed here by the infinitive traduire.

Question 5No account needed
Choose the bare present participle of être.___ malade, Nora reste chez elle.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Étant. Étant is the invariable present participle of être. Here it gives the reason Nora stays at home.

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