subvenir — French conjugation

to provide for

Frequency#977Irregular

Indicative

Present (Présent) Irregular

Use the présent for habits, what is true now, and what is about to happen soon. A single set of endings covers what English often splits into “I speak” and “I am speaking”.

Elle parle arabe et français.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jesubviensI provide for
tusubviensyou provide for
il/ellesubvienthe/she/it provides for
noussubvenonswe provide for
voussubvenezyou (pl.) provide for
ils/ellessubviennentthey provide for

Simple past (Passé simple) Irregular

The passé simple narrates completed past events in a literary or very formal style. In everyday conversation people use the passé composé instead, so you mostly meet this form in books and journalism.

Ils virent le roi s'approcher.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jesubvinsI provided for
tusubvinsyou provided for
il/ellesubvinthe/she/it provided for
noussubvînmeswe provided for
voussubvîntesyou (pl.) provided for
ils/ellessubvinrentthey provided for

Imperfect (Imparfait) Irregular

The imparfait describes ongoing or repeated past actions and sets the background — how things were, what used to happen, weather, feelings. The passé composé, by contrast, marks single completed events.

Quand j'étais petit, j'allais souvent à la piscine.

PronounFrench
jesubvenais
tusubvenais
il/ellesubvenait
noussubvenions
voussubveniez
ils/ellessubvenaient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Irregular

The conditionnel is for polite questions and requests, “would”-type hypotheticals, and what someone said would happen. It is also the usual consequent clause in si + imparfait → conditionnel patterns.

Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?

PronounFrenchEnglish
jesubviendraisI would provide for
tusubviendraisyou would provide for
il/ellesubviendraithe/she/it would provide for
noussubviendrionswe would provide for
voussubviendriezyou (pl.) would provide for
ils/ellessubviendraientthey would provide for

Future (Futur) Irregular

The futur is for future plans and objective predictions. In speech, aller + infinitive is often clearer for the immediate future, while the simple future is common for facts further ahead or in writing.

Demain, nous dînerons chez eux.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jesubviendraiI will provide for
tusubviendrasyou will provide for
il/ellesubviendrahe/she/it will provide for
noussubviendronswe will provide for
voussubviendrezyou (pl.) will provide for
ils/ellessubviendrontthey will provide for

Present perfect (Passé composé) Regular

The passé composé is the main spoken past for completed, bounded actions (often with a time adverb). Use avoir with most verbs; être is required for a fixed group of motion/inchange and all pronominal verbs, with participle agreement when necessary.

Elle est venue tôt, puis elle a téléphoné.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'ai subvenuI have provided for
tutu as subvenuyou have provided for
il/elleil/elle a subvenuhe/she/it has provided for
nousnous avons subvenuwe have provided for
vousvous avez subvenuyou (pl.) have provided for
ils/ellesils/elles ont subvenuthey have provided for

Pluperfect (Plus-que-parfait) Regular

The plus-que-parfait is the “earlier past”: one action was already over before another past moment. It answers “had already” when a story is anchored in a past time.

Déjà, il avait fini quand je suis arrivé.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'avais subvenuI had provided for
tutu avais subvenuyou had provided for
il/elleil/elle avait subvenuhe/she/it had provided for
nousnous avions subvenuwe had provided for
vousvous aviez subvenuyou (pl.) had provided for
ils/ellesils/elles avaient subvenuthey had provided for

Conditional perfect (Conditionnel passé) Regular

The conditionnel passé states what would have been true, plans that failed, and unreal past if-clauses (often with si + plus-que-parfait in the apodose).

J'aurais dit oui, mais c'était impossible.

PronounFrench
jej'aurais subvenu
tutu aurais subvenu
il/elleil/elle aurait subvenu
nousnous aurions subvenu
vousvous auriez subvenu
ils/ellesils/elles auraient subvenu

Future perfect (Futur antérieur) Regular

The futur antérieur marks an action that will be finished before a later future moment (by then I will have…). It can also suggest a conjecture about a recent past fact in formal or literary use.

D'ici samedi, j'aurai lu le rapport.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'aurai subvenuI will have provided for
tutu auras subvenuyou will have provided for
il/elleil/elle aura subvenuhe/she/it will have provided for
nousnous aurons subvenuwe will have provided for
vousvous aurez subvenuyou (pl.) will have provided for
ils/ellesils/elles auront subvenuthey will have provided for

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjonctif présent) Irregular

The present subjunctive appears in subordinate clauses after desire, doubt, fear, need, and many impersonals, usually when the subject of the subordinate is different. Learn common triggers: il faut que, je veux que, je doute que…

Il faut qu'il parte avant midi.

PronounFrench
jesubvienne
tusubviennes
il/ellesubvienne
noussubvenions
voussubveniez
ils/ellessubviennent

Imperfect subjunctive (Subjonctif imparfait) Regular

The imparfait du subjonctif is a literary and formal past subjunctive. In modern speech, the present subjunctive usually replaces it for the same meaning.

Bien qu'il fût fatigué, il continua.

PronounFrench
jesubvinsse
tusubvinsses
il/ellesubvînt
noussubvinssions
voussubvinssiez
ils/ellessubvinssent

Other forms

Imperative (Impératif) Regular

The imperative is for direct orders and advice to tu, nous, and vous. For many -er verbs, the tu form drops the final -s of the present (parle!); negatives use the subjunctive-like forms in practice.

Fermons la porte, s'il vous plaît !

PronounFrench
tusubviens
noussubvenons
voussubvenez