Recent past – venir de + infinitive
Je viens de manger = I've just eaten
To say that something has just happened, French uses venir de + infinitive. It's called the passé récent.
How to form it
venir (present tense) + de / d' + infinitive
- Je viens de manger.I've just eaten.
- Elle vient de partir.She's just left.
- Nous venons d'arriver.We've just arrived.
- Ils viennent de se marier.They've just got married.
De becomes d' before a vowel or mute h: Il vient d'acheter une voiture.
Don't confuse with venir de + place
- Je viens de Paris.I come from Paris.
- Je viens de parler à Paris.I've just spoken to Paris.
In the past
With venir in the imperfect, it means "had just":
- Je venais de rentrer quand tu as appelé.I had just got home when you called.
Three timeframes with aller and venir
| Je viens de manger. | I've just eaten. (recent past) |
|---|---|
| Je mange. | I'm eating. (present) |
| Je vais manger. | I'm going to eat. (near future) |
See Near future.
Practice
- She has just left.Options: Elle vient de partir. · Elle va partir. · Elle vient partir.
Show the answer
Elle vient de partir.
- Je viens _____ arriver.
Show the answer
d'
- Nous _____ de commencer.
Show the answer
venons
- Ils _____ de téléphoner.Options: viennent · vont · venent
Show the answer
viennent
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.