Grammar / B1 : Intermediate / The gerund
The gerund
en + present participle: simultaneity, manner, condition.
Two actions, one subject, one compact structure
The gérondif is formed with en + the present participle. It is invariable; it never agrees in gender or number with anything. It always refers to the subject of the main clause: both the main verb and the gérondif share the same subject. It is one of the most economical structures in French, linking two actions in a single short phrase.
The gérondif expresses four main meanings: simultaneity (while doing), manner (by doing), condition (by doing / if one does), and cause (because of doing).
1. Formation
Step 1: take the nous form of the present indicative
Step 2: remove -ons
Step 3: add -ant
Step 4: place en before it
| Infinitive | nous form | Stem | Participe présent | Gérondif |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| parler | parlons | parl- | parlant | en parlant |
| finir | finissons | finiss- | finissant | en finissant |
| prendre | prenons | pren- | prenant | en prenant |
| faire | faisons | fais- | faisant | en faisant |
| partir | partons | part- | partant | en partant |
| venir | venons | ven- | venant | en venant |
| lire | lisons | lis- | lisant | en lisant |
| manger | mangeons | mange- | mangeant | en mangeant |
Three irregular forms
Only three verbs have irregular present participles and therefore irregular gérondifs. These must be memorised.
| Infinitive | Participe présent | Gérondif |
|---|---|---|
| être | étant | en étant |
| avoir | ayant | en ayant |
| savoir | sachant | en sachant |
2. The fundamental rule : same subject
The gérondif and the main verb must always share the same subject. This is not optional. If the two actions have different subjects, the gérondif cannot be used.
⚠ Both actions must have the SAME subject.
✓ Il s'est blessé en tombant. (He hurt himself by falling.) (he fell, he hurt himself)
❌ En arrivant à Paris, la tour Eiffel était visible. (who arrived? Not the Eiffel Tower.)
✓ En arrivant à Paris, nous avons vu la tour Eiffel. (we arrived, we saw)
3. Use 1 (simultaneity): while doing
The most common use: two actions by the same subject happening at the same time. The gérondif describes the background or accompanying action.
Il travaille en écoutant de la musique. (He works while listening to music.)
Elle chante en faisant la vaisselle. (She sings while doing the dishes.)
Il lisait le journal en buvant son café. (He read the newspaper while drinking his coffee.)
Elle souriait en répondant à ses questions. (She was smiling as she answered his questions.)
Il est entré en courant. (He came in running / He ran in.)
4. Use 2 (manner): by doing
The gérondif describes the method or means by which the main action is achieved. This is the "how" of the main verb.
Il a appris le français en regardant des films. (He learned French by watching films.)
Elle a amélioré son niveau en pratiquant tous les jours. (She improved her level by practising every day.)
On réussit en travaillant. (One succeeds by working.)
Il a résolu le problème en réfléchissant calmement. (He solved the problem by thinking calmly.)
💡 A famous French proverb illustrates the manner use perfectly:
C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. (It is by forging that one becomes a blacksmith.) ("Practice makes perfect.")
5. Use 3 (condition): by doing / if one does
The gérondif expresses a condition: if (or when) one does X, the result Y follows. In this use, it often appears at the beginning of the sentence.
En travaillant plus, tu réussiras. (By working more / if you work more, you will succeed.)
En faisant attention, tu éviteras les erreurs. (If you pay attention, you will avoid mistakes.)
En partant maintenant, on arrivera à temps. (If we leave now, we'll arrive on time.)
En prenant ce médicament, vous vous sentirez mieux. (By taking this medication, you will feel better.)
6. Use 4 (cause): because of doing
The gérondif can indicate how or why an event came about; the secondary action explains the circumstance that produced the main event.
Il s'est blessé en tombant. (He hurt himself by falling / in a fall.)
Elle a rencontré son mari en voyageant. (She met her husband while travelling / through travelling.)
Il a découvert ce restaurant en se promenant. (He discovered this restaurant while walking.)
Tu te fatigueras les yeux en lisant dans le noir. (You will strain your eyes by reading in the dark.)
7. Tout en + gérondif : emphasis and contrast
Adding tout before the gérondif emphasises the simultaneity, often with a nuance of contrast, irony, or surprise: the two actions seem difficult to reconcile, or the speaker finds it notable that both happen at once.
Il écoute tout en faisant semblant de ne pas entendre. (He listens while pretending not to hear: the contrast is the point.)
Elle travaille tout en regardant la télé. (She works while watching TV: doing both simultaneously.)
Il accepte tout en sachant que c'est une erreur. (He accepts, all the while knowing it's a mistake.)
Tout en comprenant ses raisons, je ne peux pas l'approuver. (While I understand his reasons, I cannot approve of it.)
8. Gérondif vs participe présent
The gérondif (en + -ant) and the participe présent (the -ant form alone) look similar but function differently.
| Gérondif (en + -ant) | Participe présent (-ant alone) | |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Modifies the verb (describes how, when, or why the action happens) | Modifies a noun (describes or qualifies a person or thing) |
| Subject | Always the same as the main verb | The noun it modifies |
| Agreement | Never agrees (invariable) | Never agrees either (invariable) |
| Example | Il est entré en courant. (He came in running: how he entered) | J'ai vu un homme courant dans la rue. (I saw a man running in the street: qualifies homme) |
Elle chantait en dansant.: gérondif: she was singing (and simultaneously dancing)
J'ai entendu une femme chantant sous la pluie.: participe présent: qualifies femme
Il a répondu en souriant. (gérondif: he replied (with a smile; manner))
Un enfant souriant nous a ouvert la porte.: participe présent: a smiling child (qualifies enfant)
9. Position in the sentence
The gérondif can appear before or after the main clause. Its position affects which meaning is emphasised.
| Position | Emphasis | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before (sentence-initial) | Condition or cause (the gérondif sets up the main clause) | En travaillant dur, il a réussi. (By working hard, he succeeded.) |
| After (sentence-final) | Manner or simultaneity (the gérondif qualifies the main verb) | Il a réussi en travaillant dur. (He succeeded by working hard.) |
10. Key points
✓ Formation: nous form → remove -ons → add -ant → place en before
✓ Only three irregulars: en étant, en ayant, en sachant
✓ Gérondif is invariable (never agrees with anything)
✓ SAME subject rule: both actions must share the same subject
✓ Simultaneity: while doing, Il travaille en écoutant de la musique.
✓ Manner: by doing; Il a appris le français en regardant des films.
✓ Condition: if/by doing; En partant maintenant, on arrivera à temps.
✓ Cause: because of / through doing; Il s'est blessé en tombant.
✓ tout en + gérondif: emphatic simultaneity, often with contrast
✓ Gérondif (en + -ant) modifies the verb / participe présent (-ant alone) modifies a noun