Present Tense: venir (to come)

In French, verbs change their endings based on who is doing the action. We call this conjugation. Most verbs follow a strict set of rules. venir is a bit of a rebel. It belongs to the third group of verbs. These are the irregular ones. However, venir is actually quite logical. It changes its internal spelling to help with pronunciation. Think of it like a gear shift in a car. You change the "engine" (the stem) to keep the "speed" (the flow of speech) smooth. It feels natural once you say it out loud a few times.

1. 1To conjugate venir, we follow a "boot" pattern. This means the singular forms and the third-person plural change their stem. The nous and vous forms stay closer to the original infinitive. Here is the step-by-step breakdown:
2. 2Start with the root ven-.
3. 3For je, tu, and il/elle, change the root to vien-.
4. 4Add the endings -s, -s, and -t.
5. 5For nous and vous, keep the root ven-.
6. 6Add the standard endings -ons and -ez.
7. 7For ils/elles, change the root to vienn- (double the 'n'!).
8. 8Add the ending -ent.
9. 9It looks like this: je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent. Notice how the "i" appears in most forms but disappears for nous and vous. It is like a grammar game of hide-and-seek.

You will use venir in three main real-world scenarios. First, use it for physical movement. If you are walking toward someone, you use venir. For example, "I am coming to the office." Second, use it to talk about your origins. If someone asks where you are from at a party, say Je viens de... followed by your city. It is much more common than saying "I am from." Third, use it for the "recent past." This is a French superpower. If you add de and another verb, it means you "just" did something. Je viens de manger means "I just ate." It is perfect for turning down a second dessert!

Do not use venir when you are leaving a place. That is partir or y aller. It is a common mistake to mix up "coming" and "going." Also, do not use it for figurative "coming to a conclusion." French usually prefers en arriver à. Think of venir as a physical or temporal movement toward the speaker. If you are moving away from the current spot, venir is the wrong choice. It is like a one-way street in grammar.

One big mistake is forgetting the double 'n' in ils viennent. Without that extra 'n', it sounds completely different. Another classic error is keeping the "i" in the nous form. Nous vienons is a no-go. It sounds clunky to a native ear. Think of nous and vous as the "stable" forms that stay true to the original verb. Also, watch out for the pronunciation of viennent. The -ent is silent! It sounds like "vyenn." Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, but you will be better prepared.

venir has a twin brother: tenir (to hold). They conjugate exactly the same way. If you learn one, you get the other for free! This is a great "buy one, get one free" deal in French. However, do not confuse venir with voir (to see). They both start with 'v', but their paths diverge quickly. Also, compare it to aller (to go). While aller is about moving away, venir is about arriving or originating. They are two sides of the same coin in your travel toolkit.