The Gérondif (Le Gérondif)

B1
grammar
gerondif
exercises
Author

Kunal Khurana

Published

May 20, 2025

Understanding the “Gérondif”

The gérondif is a verb form in French used to express simultaneous actions or the manner in which something is done. It often translates to “while doing” or “by doing” in English.

When to Use the Gérondif

  • To indicate that two actions are happening at the same time.
  • To express how or under what circumstances something happens.

Examples: - Il écoute de la musique en faisant ses devoirs.
(He listens to music while doing his homework.) - Elle a appris le français en voyageant.
(She learned French by traveling.)

How to Form the Gérondif

  • Take the nous form of the present tense, remove the -ons, and add -ant.
  • Precede it with en.

Formation:
en + [nous form without -ons] + ant

Examples: - parler → nous parlons → en parlant (while speaking) - finir → nous finissons → en finissant (while finishing) - prendre → nous prenons → en prenant (while taking)

Irregular Forms

There are only three irregular gérondif forms: - être → en étant - avoir → en ayant - savoir → en sachant

Exercises

1. Write the gérondif for the following verbs:

  1. parler →
  2. finir →
  3. prendre →
  4. être →
  5. avoir →
  6. savoir →

2. Complete the sentences with the correct gérondif form:

  1. Il a appris le français ___ (voyager).
  2. Elle s’est blessée ___ (courir).
  3. Tu peux progresser ___ (pratiquer) tous les jours.
  4. ___ (être) patient, tu réussiras.
  5. Il a réussi ___ (travailler) dur.
  6. Nous avons compris la leçon ___ (écouter) attentivement.
  7. Elle a perdu du poids ___ (faire) du sport.
  8. Ils ont gagné du temps ___ (prendre) le train.
  9. Vous pouvez améliorer votre accent ___ (répéter) les phrases.
  10. Il a trouvé un emploi ___ (envoyer) des candidatures.

3. Translate into French using the gérondif:

  1. By listening, you will understand better.

  2. He improved his French by reading.

  3. She found the solution by thinking.

  4. By practicing, you will progress.

  5. By being patient, you will succeed.

  6. By working hard, he succeeded.

  7. By taking the train, they saved time.

  8. By repeating the sentences, you can improve your accent.

  9. By sending applications, he found a job.

  10. By listening carefully, we understood the lesson.

To Consolidate Your Learning

Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) explaining how and when to use the gérondif in French. Use your own words and, if possible, give an example.

Note

Write your sentences here: