Beginning1–Lesson40LetsSpeakFrenchTogether.com Venirde+infinitiveverb(immediatepast)
So far, we only made sentences in the present tense. We didn’t learn how to talk about
thingsthathappenedinthepastorwillhappeninthefuture.Inthislesson,wewilllearna
simplewaytotalkaboutthingsthathappenedinarecentpast.
IMMEDIATEPAST:VENIRDE+INFINITIVEVERB
You can talk about what happened in a recent past with the construction “venir de +
infinitive action verb”. This is used for events that just happened (“immediate past”
wouldbeabetternamethan“recentpast”).
Inordertouseit,youhavetoconjugatetheverb“venir”inthepresenttenseaccordingto
the subject. Then you just have to add the preposition “de” and the infinitive verb
expressingtheactionthatjusthappened.
Pronoun
(subject)
Presenttenseof
“venir”
Je
Tu
Il/Elle/On
Nous
Vous
Ils/Elles
viens
viens
vient
venons
venez
viennent
Examplesofrecentpast:
Venirde+infinitiveverb
Jeviensdemanger.
Tuviensdemanger.
Onvientdepartir.
Nousvenonsdepartir.
Vousvenezderentrer?
Ilsviennentderentrer.
Note:Beforeavoweloramuteh,thepreposition“de”isshortenedto“d’“:
Jeviensd’écrireunelettre.
Ijustwrotealetter.
Usingthestructure“venirde+infinitiveverb”isoftenconsideredastheeasywaytotalk
aboutpastevents.However,rememberthatitmeanstheeventjusthappened,soyoucan’t
useitinothercases.
ThislessonisprovidedbyLet’sSpeakFrenchtogether.
Itismadetobeusedalongwiththeaudioavailableon
LetsSpeakFrenchTogether.com.Feelfreetovisitthewebsite.
Beginning1–Lesson40LetsSpeakFrenchTogether.com Venirde+infinitiveverb(immediatepast)
SAMPLESENTENCES
Jeviensdefinirmontravail.
Ijustfinishedmywork.
Jeviensderentrerdutravail.
Ijustcamebackfromwork.
Jeviensderecevoirmonsalaire.
Ijustgotmysalary.
Tuviensdefinircetteleçon.Tupeuxcommencerlaprochaine.
Youjustfinishedthislesson.Youcanstartthenextone.
Ilvientdetéléphoneràsesparents.
Hejustcalledhisparents(onthephone).
Ellevientdefairedusportpendant2heures.Ellesereposemaintenant.
Shejustexercised/playedsportsduringtwohours.She’shavingsomerestnow.
Onvientdesepromenerautourdulac.
Wejusthadawalkaroundthelake.
Nousvenonsdenousmarier.
Wejustgotmarried.
Vousvenezd’arriver?
Youjustarrived?
Masœuretsonmariviennentd’avoirunbébé!C’estungarçon!
Mysisterandherhusbandjustgotababy!It’saboy!
Note that using “venir de + infinitive verb” doesn’t necessarily means that the event
happenedfewminutesago.Dependingontheeventandwhatthespeakerwanttoimply,
thenotionofimmediatepastcanrefertoalongerperiodoftime.Forexample:
Tuviensdefinirtesétudes.
Youjustfinishedyourstudies. (fewdaysago,fewweeksago,orevenfewmonthsago)
TuviensderentrerdesEtats-Unisettuveuxdéjàrepartir?
YoujustcamebackfromtheUSandyoualreadywanttogoagain?
ThislessonisprovidedbyLet’sSpeakFrenchtogether.
Itismadetobeusedalongwiththeaudioavailableon
LetsSpeakFrenchTogether.com.Feelfreetovisitthewebsite.