The Irregular Verb Venir & Le Passé Récent

Venir – to come

The verb venir means ‘to come’. Its present‑tense conjugation is irregular and must be known in order to form the passé récent (recent past).

Present Tense of Venir

Le Passé Récent (The Recent Past)

To express that an action has just taken place, the construction venir de + infinitive is used. The verb venir is in the present tense and agrees with the subject.

- Je viens de finir mes devoirs. (I have just finished my homework.)
- Il vient de partir. (He has just left.)
- Nous venons de manger. (We have just eaten.)
- Elles viennent d’arriver. (They have just arrived.)

For the conjugation of venir, see the table above. For the infinitive forms used after de, refer to the verb lists in earlier lessons, such as regular -ER verbs and irregular verbs.

Negation and Questions

In negative sentences, ne…pas encloses the conjugated form of venir: Je ne viens pas de comprendre. (I have not just understood.)

For questions, the same patterns apply as with other verbs: Est‑ce que tu viens de te réveiller ? or simply the rising intonation Tu viens de te réveiller ?

For the full rules of negation, see basic negation. For question formation, see yes/no questions via intonation and questions with est‑ce que.

With Pronominal Verbs

When the main verb is pronominal, the reflexive pronoun remains attached to the infinitive, and the infinitive follows de as usual: Je viens de me réveiller. (I have just woken up.) Elle vient de se coucher. (She has just gone to bed.) For the conjugation and placement of pronominal verbs, see pronominal and reflexive verbs.