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French - Gerund

Explaining the French "gerund" is important because it's a concept that often confuses English speakers. The name is the same, but the function is completely different.

The Most Important Point: It's Not the English Gerund!

First, forget the English definition of a gerund.

  • In English, a gerund is the "-ing" form of a verb used as a noun.

    • Example: "Swimming is my favorite hobby." (Here, "swimming" is the subject of the sentence).

  • In French, this does not exist. You cannot use the gerund form as a noun. To say the sentence above, you would use the infinitive:

    • Nager est mon passe-temps préféré.

The French gérondif is a special verb form that functions as an adverb. It tells you how, why, or while doing something.

What is the French Gérondif?

The gérondif describes an action that is happening at the same time as the main action of the sentence. Both actions are performed by the same subject.

It answers questions like:

  • How did he do that?
  • While doing what?

It's most often translated into English as "by doing..." or "while doing..."

How to Form the Gérondif

The formation is very consistent and easy to learn.

Formula: en + Present Participle (-ant form of the verb)

To find the present participle stem:

  1. Take the nous form of the verb in the present tense.
  2. Drop the -ons ending.
  3. Add the ending -ant.

Examples:

  • Verb: parler (to speak)

    1. nous form: parlons
    2. Drop -ons: parl-
    3. Add -ant: parlant
    4. Gérondif: en parlant (while speaking / by speaking)

  • Verb: finir (to finish)

    1. nous form: finissons
    2. Drop -ons: finiss-
    3. Add -ant: finissant
    4. Gérondif: en finissant (while finishing / by finishing)

Three Irregular Verbs: There are only three exceptions to this rule that you need to memorize:

  • Être (to be) → en étant
  • Avoir (to have) → en ayant
  • Savoir (to know) → en sachant

How to Use the Gérondif

Remember these two golden rules:

  1. Same Subject: The gérondif can only be used when the subject of the main verb and the subject of the gerund are the same.
  2. Invariable: The gérondif form never changes. It does not agree in gender or number.

Here are its primary uses:

1. Simultaneity (to mean "while")

This describes two actions happening at once.

  • Je lis le journal en buvant mon café. (I read the newspaper while drinking my coffee.)
    • Subject is "je" for both reading and drinking.
  • Elle écoute de la musique en faisant ses devoirs. (She listens to music while doing her homework.)
    • Subject is "elle" for both listening and doing.

2. Manner (to mean "by" or "how")

This describes how the main action is accomplished.

  • Il a maigri en faisant du sport. (He lost weight by doing sports.)
  • Elle est partie en courant. (She left by running / running.)

3. Condition (to mean "if" or "by")

It can also express a condition that needs to be met.

  • En étudiant sérieusement, tu réussiras. (By studying seriously, you will succeed.)
    • This implies: Si tu étudies sérieusement... (If you study seriously...)

Important Distinction: Gérondif vs. Present Participle

This is a common point of confusion.

  • Le Gérondif (en + ...-ant) is what we've discussed. It's an adverbial phrase, it requires the word en, and it is invariable.

    • J'ai vu Marie en sortant du magasin. (I saw Marie while leaving the store.)

  • Le Participe Présent (...-ant form alone) can be used as an adjective. When used this way, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes.

    • C'est une histoire intéressante. (It's an interesting story.)
    • Les personnes sachant parler français peuvent postuler. (People knowing how to speak French can apply.) In this case it acts more like a relative clause (qui savent).

The key is the word en. If you see en, it's the invariable gérondif. If you don't, it might be an adjective that needs to agree.