Nine verbs also have an irregular subjunctive stem, used at least for the singular and third plural

of the present subjunctive. These verbs can be said to have 11 principal parts, because the
subjunctive stem may or may not be used for the first and second plural present subjunctive, the
imperative and/or the present participle, in ways that vary from verb to verb.

The following table shows how the paradigm of an 11-principal-part irregular verb is constructed
from its principal parts. Note that these verbs are generally the most irregular verbs in French,
and many of them construct the present indicative (especially the singular) in an idiosyncratic
fashion. The verb aller also constructs its past participle and simple past differently, according to
the endings for -er verbs.

Paradig
m for
the
highly
irregular
verbs
(11
principal
parts)

Condition Imperativ
  Indicative Subjunctive
al e
Presen Simple Imperfec
Future Present Imperfect Present Present
t past t
je 1S+s PAST+s 1P+ais FUT+ai SUBJ+e PAST+sse FUT+ais
(same as
pres. indic.
2nd. sg.;
but use
tu 1S+s PAST+s 1P+ais FUT+as SUBJ+es PAST+sses FUT+ais
3rd. sg. if
ends with
vowel) or
SUBJ+e
il/elle 1S+t PAST+t 1P+ait FUT+a SUBJ+e PAST+ˆt FUT+ait
(same as
SUBJ+ion
1P+on PAST+ˆme FUT+on PAST+ssion pres. indic.
nous 1P+ions s or FUT+ions
s s s s 1st pl.) or
1P+ions
SUBJ+ons
(same as
SUBJ+iez pres. indic.
vous 1P+ez PAST+ˆtes 1P+iez FUT+ez PAST+ssiez FUT+iez
or 1P+iez 2nd pl.) or
SUBJ+ez
FUT+on
ils/elles 3P+ent PAST+rent 1P+aient SUBJ+ent PAST+ssent FUT+aient
t
Non-finite forms:

 Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)

 Present participle: 1P-ant or SUBJ-ant
 Gerundive: en 1P-ant or en SUBJ-ant
 Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s) or SUBJ-ant(e)(s)
 Past participle: PP(e)(s)

The following table gives the principal parts for the 11-principal-part verbs. (Stems that are
irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)

Table of principal parts of the highly irregular French verbs (11 principal parts)
PAS
Presen PP:
T: Simila
Present Present Impera t Past
Sim Notes r
Indicative Subjunctive tive Partici Partici
ple verbs
ple ple
Past
FUT
INF: 1P:
Meani :
Infinit 1S: 1st 1st
ng Futu
ive Sing Plu 3P:
re SUBJ:
(2nd r 3rd 1st
1st
Sing, (2n Plu Plur
Sing
3rd d r
Sing) Plu
r)
pouv- "to be pour peux/p pou peu puiss- follo follows follow pu pu-s alternat
oir able" r-ai uis, v- v- e ws indic. s 1P (reg. e 1st
peux, ons ent subj. (pouv- ) sing.
peut (puiss ant) puis
-ions) require
d in
questio
ns, use
elsewhe
re is
manner
ed; note
that old
pres.
part.
puiss-
ant is
attested
as an
adjectiv
e
 "powerf
ul"
follo follows
sav follow
sav- "to saur sav ws subj.
sai-s - sach-e subj. (sache, s subj. su su-s
oir know" -ai -ent (sach-
ons (sach- sachons, ant)
sachez)
ions)
follo
ws follows follow
vou veu subj.
voul- "to voud veux, veuill- indic s 1P voulu voul
l- l- (veuille,
oir want" r-ai veut e . (voul- u-s
ons ent veuillons,
(voul- veuillez) ant)
ions)
follo follows
"to be vaud vaux, val- val- ws indic. follow valu
val-oir vaill-e indic (vaux, s 1P valu
worth" r-ai vaut ons ent -s
. (val- valons, (val-ant)
ions) valez)
Imperso
(ste
"to be nal
fall- faud m fallu
necessa fau-t – faill-e – – – fall-u (3rd-
oir r-a fall -t
ry" singular
-)
only)
2nd pl.
fais défair
follo pres.
- follow e,
ws follows indic.
fer- ons fon s 1P refair
fai-re "to do" fai-s fass-e subj. indic. (fais- fait fi-s faites
ai , t e,
(fass- ant)
(also in
fait ions)
satisfa
imperat
es ire
ive)
ai-e, ay- follows
"to aur- ai, as, av- ai-es, ons, subj. follow
av-oir ont s subj. eu /y/ eu-s
have" ai a ons ai-t; ay- (aie,
ayons, (ay-ant)
ai-ent ez ayez)