Mission: describe how you do things
The gérondif (en + present participle) for two actions at once, how you do something and conditions. Say more in one sentence.
FrenchB1 · Hypotheses and plansAbout 7 min: 3 reading, 4 practiceUpdated
- Form the present participle (nous form minus -ons, plus -ant) and the gérondif with en
- Know the irregular participles étant, ayant and sachant
- Express two simultaneous actions (en marchant)
- Say how or by what means (en travaillant dur) and give a condition (en partant tôt, tu…)
- Keep the same subject, and use tout en
Hypotheses and plans: lesson 3 of 4
- B1 · Hypotheses and plans
- Mission: give a friend advice 7 min
- Mission: imagine winning the lottery 6 min
- Mission: describe how you do things 7 min
- Mission: talk about your ambitions at a job interview 6 min
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Level Level B1 (around the DELF B1 exam). Real French: telling a friend how you manage a busy day.
What it is
Your mission: your friend Inès is amazed that you manage work, sport and a social life. She asks, « Comment tu fais pour tout faire ? » Describe three of your habits in one sentence each, using en + a verb in -ant.
The gérondif is en + the present participle. It never changes (no agreement), and it adds a second action or a way of doing something to your main verb.
Forming it: take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, add -ant.
| Verb | Nous form | Gérondif |
|---|---|---|
| marcher | nous marchons | en marchant |
| finir | nous finissons | en finissant |
| prendre | nous prenons | en prenant |
| faire | nous faisons | en faisant |
Three irregular participles: être → étant, avoir → ayant, savoir → sachant (en étant, en ayant, en sachant).
Three main uses:
| Meaning | Example |
|---|---|
| at the same time | Je lis en mangeant. |
| how / by what means | Elle réussit en travaillant dur. |
| condition (if) | En partant tôt, tu éviteras les bouchons. |
Same subject rule: the gérondif and the main verb must have the same subject: Je téléphone en marchant (I am doing both).
Tout en + gérondif stresses that two things happen together, often with a little contrast: Elle travaille tout en écoutant de la musique. / Tout en comprenant ton point de vue, je ne suis pas d'accord.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"She sings while she cooks."
- After en you need the -ant form
- En is not followed by an infinitive here
Show answer
Elle chante en cuisinant.. en + participle in -ant.
Why it matters
The gérondif packs two ideas into one sentence, so your French sounds smoother and more mature. You hear it all the time (je t'appelle en rentrant), and it is common in written texts too. In a B1 speaking task it helps you to explain how you do things instead of listing short sentences.
Worked example
Over coffee:
- Inès: Comment tu fais pour tout faire ? Tu travailles, tu cours, tu vois tes amis…
- You: Je m'organise. Je réponds à mes mails en prenant mon café, et je révise mon espagnol en allant au travail.
- Inès: Et le sport ?
- You: Je réussis à courir tous les jours en me levant plus tôt. En partant à six heures, je suis à la maison avant le dîner.
- Inès: Moi, j'écoute la radio tout en préparant le repas.
- You: Voilà ! On gagne du temps en faisant deux choses à la fois.
Real French: Je t'appelle en rentrant. (I'll call you when I get home.) is something French speakers say every day. The subject is the same: it's me who gets home and me who calls.
Common mistake
Using a gérondif when the two verbs have different subjects: wrong: En marchant dans la rue, la pluie a commencé. The rain was not walking! Say Pendant que je marchais dans la rue, la pluie a commencé or En marchant dans la rue, j'ai été surpris par la pluie.
More detail: participe présent without en
You may also meet the present participle on its own, mostly in writing: Voyant qu'il pleuvait, il est resté chez lui. It can describe a noun (une histoire passionnante, where it becomes an adjective and agrees). Don't use that when you are speaking; the gérondif with en is what you want at B1.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
Which sentence is correct?
- The rain did not leave the office: the two verbs have different subjects
- En needs the -ant form
Show answer
En sortant du bureau, j'ai vu Paul.. gérondif = same subject as the main verb.
Key terms
- le gérondif
- en + present participle (en marchant)
- le participe présent
- verb form in -ant (marchant)
- en + -ant
- while doing / by doing
- étant, ayant, sachant
- being, having, knowing
- tout en + -ant
- while (at the same time, often with contrast)
- je t'appelle en rentrant
- I'll call you when I get home
- à la fois
- at once, at the same time
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| le gérondif | en + present participle (en marchant) |
| le participe présent | verb form in -ant (marchant) |
| en + -ant | while doing / by doing |
| étant, ayant, sachant | being, having, knowing |
| tout en + -ant | while (at the same time, often with contrast) |
| je t'appelle en rentrant | I'll call you when I get home |
| à la fois | at once, at the same time |
Practice
Recognition drill
Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.
All pairs
Tap a card to turn it over. 8 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| parler | en parlant |
| finir | en finissant |
| prendre | en prenant |
| faire | en faisant |
| aller | en allant |
| être | en étant |
| avoir | en ayant |
| savoir | en sachant |
Sort it
At the same time, or by / if?
Il lit en mangeant.
two actions togetherShow answer
At the same time. two actions together
On apprend une langue en pratiquant.
how you learnShow answer
By / if. how you learn
Elle écoute la radio tout en cuisinant.
tout en stresses simultaneityShow answer
At the same time. tout en stresses simultaneity
En partant tôt, tu éviteras les bouchons.
if you leave earlyShow answer
By / if. if you leave early
Je t'appelle en rentrant.
calling as I get homeShow answer
At the same time. calling as I get home
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
"By working hard, you will succeed."
- After en you need the -ant form, not a past participle
- -ons is the nous form; the gérondif ends in -ant
Show answer
En travaillant dur, tu réussiras.. en + travaillant (nous travaillons → travaillant).
Which participle goes with savoir?
- savant is an adjective/noun ("learned", "a scholar"), not the gérondif of savoir
- en is not followed by an infinitive here
Show answer
en sachant. savoir has an irregular participle: sachant.
Build the sentence
Build "She works while listening to music."
Show answer
Elle travaille tout en écoutant de la musique.. tout en + participle.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Inès, my friend, who is amazed that I manage so many things in one day. Speak naturally but clearly, at level B1, using tu. Start with « Comment tu fais pour tout faire ? ». Ask one question at a time about my mornings, my work, my free time and how I save time. After each of my answers, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch the -ant form, en before it, and that the gérondif has the same subject as the main verb. When I have used a gérondif for two things at once, for how I do something and for a condition, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Gérondif = en + participle in -ant (nous form minus -ons, plus -ant).
- Irregular: étant, ayant, sachant.
- Uses: two actions at once, how or by what means, condition.
- The gérondif has the same subject as the main verb. It never agrees.
- Tout en + gérondif stresses simultaneity or contrast.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Say "I listen to music while running."
Show answer
J'écoute de la musique en courant.
What is the gérondif of prendre, and how do you find it?
Show answer
en prenant: take nous prenons, drop -ons, add -ant.
Why is "En marchant, la pluie a commencé" wrong?
Show answer
Different subjects: the rain was not walking. The gérondif needs the same subject as the main verb.
Further reading
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français: free exercises on real clips.
- RFI, Journal en français facile, daily news in simple French.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.