La Langue: Which French verb tenses do people actually say out loud?

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The whole thing started, as many linguistic crises do for me, in a boulangerie.

Day 1, I step up to the counter in Aix, channel my best B1 courage and say:

« Je voudrais un sable avec confiture, s’il vous plaît. »

Quizzical look. Micro-pause. My brain: Oh no, wrong tense. Wrong mood. Wrong everything. Maybe I needed the subjunctive for cookies?

A week passes, same boulangerie, same brave face, same order… same stare.

Finally, the vendor laughs and admits, in English, that she’s actually… English. My “sable avec confiture” problem was not a tense issue. It was a vocabulary issue (hello, sablé with an accent) plus a shared second-language brain freeze.

But that little interaction plus a classmate’s comment sent me into a very deep verb-tense rabbit hole.

Her Parisian tutor reportedly told her:
“Who cares about the conditional? You’ll never use it when speaking.”

Excuse me? If I can cross an ocean at my age to learn French, I at least want the right tense to politely ask for a coffee.

So: is that true? Can we delete half the conjugation tables from our brains and just speak in the present until retirement?

Short answer, I must have misremembered what my friend said: no, you can’t throw the conditional in the bin.
Longer answer (this post): you can absolutely prioritize.

Below is my “not-a-teacher-just-obsessed” breakdown of:

  1. The tenses you really do need for everyday spoken French

  2. The tenses that are nice but not urgent

  3. The tenses that are basically there so novels and presidents’ speeches sound fancy

All based on a mix of online grammar resources and actual French people who were trapped near me at apéro. (Preply)

1. First, how many tenses are we even talking about?

Depending on how you count, French has around 12 “main” tenses in common grammar guides, more if you include every compound/literary variant. (Preply)

Teachers often recommend focusing on 6 core tenses for spoken conversation:

  • Présent

  • Passé composé

  • Imparfait

  • Futur (often futur simple, plus futur proche as a structure)

  • Conditionnel présent

  • Subjonctif présent (French Learner)

Already feeling better? Same.

But some of those are more “daily life” than others. Let’s sort them in a way that makes sense if you’re, say, trying to order a sablé at 8:03 before class.

2. The everyday spoken French tenses (your core toolbox)

Think of these as: “If my mouth can do these, I can survive socially.”
You don’t need them perfect, but you need to at least recognize and aim for them.

I’ll use simple B1-ish examples; don’t worry about every detail.

2.1 Le présent de l’indicatif – the Swiss-army knife

You already know this one. It’s doing 60% of the work.

  • Usage:

    • What’s happening now: Je mange.

    • Habits: Je prends un café tous les matins.

    • Near future in speech: Demain, je prends le train.

  • Why it matters:
    French leans on the present much more than English. Guides often list it as the essential tense to master first. (French Learner)

  • Good enough goal (B1):
    Be able to conjugate common verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, venir, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, prendre, mettre, dire, savoir) in the present without a full nervous breakdown.

Mini-example:

Aujourd’hui, je parle de grammaire, mais je préfère manger un sablé.

2.2 Le passé composé – the “I actually did the thing” tense

This is the main past tense in spoken French. If something happened once, or a series of things happened, this is your guy. (Bonjour Coach)

  • Usage:

    • Completed actions: J’ai acheté un sablé.

    • A list of events: Je me suis levé, j’ai couru à la boulangerie, j’ai oublié mon portefeuille…

  • Good enough goal (B1):
    Know how to build it with avoir/être + participe passé, and which verbs take être (the usual DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP suspects + reflexives).

Example:

Hier, j’ai commandé un sablé. La vendeuse a fait une drôle de tête.

2.3 L’imparfait – background, habits, and storytelling

If passé composé are the dots in your story, imparfait is the background watercolor wash.

  • Usage: (French with Agnes)

    • What things used to be like: Quand j’étais enfant, je mangeais du pain de mie.

    • Ongoing states in the past: Il faisait chaud.

    • Repeated actions: Tous les dimanches, on allait chez Mamie.

  • Good enough goal (B1):
    Recognize it, and start using it in simple phrases: Quand j’habitais aux États-Unis…

Example pair:

Il faisait froid, et j’attendais devant la boulangerie quand j’ai vu le panneau « sablés maison ».

Imparfait for the general scene; passé composé for the specific event.

2.4 Futur proche – the “I’m gonna” future

Technically not its own tense (it’s aller in the present + infinitive), but hugely common in speech:

  • Je vais acheter du pain. – I’m going to buy bread.

  • Why it’s great:
    It’s easy, and it sounds very natural in everyday conversation. Many teachers say learn this before futur simple. (French with Agnes)

  • Good enough goal (A2/B1):
    Be able to talk about your plans for today, tomorrow, next week with futur proche.

Example:

Demain, je vais essayer un autre temps de verbe… ou une autre boulangerie.

2.5 Futur simple – the “proper” future

This is the standard “will” future:

  • Je parlerai français. – I will speak French.

In spoken French, people use both futur simple and futur proche. Futur simple can sound a touch more formal or distant, but it’s completely normal conversation French. (French Learner)

  • Good enough goal (B1/B2):
    Learn the most common irregular stems (aur-, ser-, ir-, fer-, viendr-, pourr-, voudr-, devr-, verr-). Use futur proche if your brain stalls.

Example:

Un jour, je parlerai assez bien pour discuter du subjonctif avec la boulangère.

2.6 Le conditionnel présent – the polite + hypothetical superstar

Now, about that controversial tutor quote.

Most serious grammar guides put conditionnel présent in the “core 6 tenses for conversation,” alongside present, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple and subjonctif présent. (French Learner)

Why? Because in spoken French, conditionnel présent does at least three big jobs:

  1. Polite requests

    • Je voudrais un café. – I’d like a coffee.

    • Je pourrais avoir un sac, s’il vous plaît ? – Could I have a bag, please?

  2. Softening opinions / making things less direct

    • Je dirais que l’imparfait est plus difficile. – I’d say the imparfait is harder.

  3. Hypotheticals, especially with “si”

    • Si j’avais plus de temps, j’apprendrais aussi l’italien. – If I had more time, I’d also learn Italian.

Imagine trying to be polite in French without je voudrais or je pourrais… You’d survive, but you’d sound like a very friendly toddler.

So if someone says, “You’ll never use the conditional in speech,” I suspect they mean:

  • you can get by before you fully master it,

  • or they’re ignoring how politeness actually works in cafés.

Good enough goal (B1):

  • Learn a few “polite sentence stems” by heart:

    • Je voudrais…

    • Je pourrais… ?

    • J’aimerais…

  • Understand basic “si + imparfait, conditionnel” patterns, even if you can’t improvise them yet.

Example:

Si la grammaire était un sablé, je le mangerais plus facilement.

2.7 L’impératif – the “do it / don’t do it” mood

Very useful in daily life, especially in France where “Faites comme chez vous” and “Attendez ici” are everywhere.

  • Usage:

    • Mange ton sablé ! – Eat your cookie!

    • Ne paniquez pas ! – Don’t panic!

  • Good enough goal (A2/B1):
    Recognize it when people boss you around (kindly, of course), and use a few simple forms.

2.8 Le subjonctif présent – the “you’ll hear it before you love it” mood

Most guides put this in the advanced side of “essential for fluency.” (French Learner)

The good news: in speech, you meet it mostly in set phrases:

  • Il faut que je parte. – I have to go.

  • Je veux que tu viennes. – I want you to come.

  • Je suis content que tu sois là. – I’m happy you’re here.

  • Good enough goal (late B1/B2):
    Learn these fixed expressions first; don’t try to master every verb. Honestly, you can survive a long time using the indicative where subjonctif is expected; natives do it too.

3. Tenses you will see, but don’t need to obsess over (yet)

These are like the “side quests” of French. Useful, but not Day-1 urgent.

3.1 Plus-que-parfait – the “had done” tense

  • Usage:

    • J’avais déjà mangé quand tu es arrivé. – I had already eaten when you arrived.

Very handy for storytelling, and you do hear it in speech, but it’s not one of the first things you need as a shaky B1. Most guides put it in the “second wave” of tenses. (Preply)

3.2 Conditionnel passé – the “would have done” tense

  • J’aurais aimé te voir. – I would have liked to see you.

  • On aurait dit qu’il pleuvait. – It looked like it was raining.

This is used in real speech for regrets and reported speech, and in the news for unconfirmed info (Le suspect aurait quitté le pays…). But again, you can often paraphrase with simpler structures while you’re still B1.

3.3 Futur antérieur – the “will have done” tense

More common in writing, but pops up in spoken French when speculating:

  • Il sera déjà parti. – He must have already left.

Some resources explicitly say it’s mostly written and not essential for daily conversation. (French with Agnes)

Put it in the “later, maybe B2+” bucket.

3.4 Passé récent, futur proche, etc.

Technically not separate “tenses” but useful constructions:

  • Passé récent: Je viens de manger. – I just ate.

  • Futur proche: Je vais manger. – I’m going to eat.

These are very spoken, very friendly, and fairly easy to add once your present tense is solid. (Western Kentucky University)

4. The literary / mostly-written tenses (for your future book club self)

Here’s the part that made me breathe easier: a whole cluster of tenses is mainly for written French, not daily speech.

Most grammar explanations agree that the following are literary or very formal, rarely spoken: (Lawless French)

  • Passé simple – the literary cousin of passé composé

  • Passé antérieur – a written-only “had done” used with passé simple

  • Imparfait du subjonctif

  • Plus-que-parfait du subjonctif

  • Conditionnel passé, 2e forme (a super fancy past conditional)

Even many native speakers never actively use the subjonctif imparfait or plus-que-parfait du subjonctif; they just recognize them in books. Some teachers report that these tenses are gradually disappearing from everyday written French too.

In speech?

  • Passé simple appears in certain set expressions or maybe jokingly (Ce fut épique !), but that’s about it. (FrenchPod101)

So if you’re B1 and staring at a conjugation book with fusse, eusses, aimasse, parlâmes…
You are allowed to gently close it and back away. Those are for later, if you want to read Balzac in the original.

5. So what can I safely ignore for now?

If your current goal is speaking and surviving real-life interactions, and not passing a super-formal written exam, most modern guides agree you can put these in the lowest-priority pile: (busuu.com)

  • Passé simple

  • Passé antérieur

  • Imparfait du subjonctif

  • Plus-que-parfait du subjonctif

  • Conditionnel passé (2e forme)

  • Probably futur antérieur, unless you’re at B2+ and into speculation

You will want them one day if you love literature, but that day is not your next boulangerie run.

6. A level-by-level tense game plan

Here’s a rough “what to care about when” roadmap. Obviously schools and textbooks vary, but this is how I’m mentally organizing my own panic.

A1 – “Help, I just arrived”

Focus on:

  • Présent de l’indicatif (common verbs)

  • Imperative in a few forms (regardez, écoutez, venez)

  • Futur proche (je vais + infinitif) for simple plans

Ignore completely:

  • Subjonctif, conditionnel, anything with an accent you fear

One sentence you want:

Je vais prendre ça, s’il vous plaît.

That plus pointing will get you fed.

A2 – “I can talk about yesterday without crying”

Add:

  • Passé composé (with avoir + être)

  • Start recognizing imparfait

  • Use futur proche regularly

Start flirting with:

  • A few conditionnel présent politeness phrases (je voudrais…)

One sentence you want:

Hier, j’ai goûté un sablé, c’était délicieux.

B1 (hello, that’s us) – “Stories and opinions mode”

Strengthen:

  • Present, passé composé, imparfait combo

  • Futur proche + futur simple (at least for common verbs)

Actively learn:

  • Conditionnel présent for politeness + hypotheses

  • A few plus-que-parfait structures:
    Quand j’avais fini, je suis sorti.

Dip a toe into:

  • Subjonctif présent in fixed phrases:

    • Il faut que…

    • Je suis content que…

One new sentence you get to say now:

Si j’avais su, j’aurais pris deux sablés.

(If I had known, I would have taken two sablés.)

B2 – “I can complain about bureaucracy in detail”

Polish:

  • Subjonctif présent in more contexts

  • Plus-que-parfait and conditionnel passé for narratives and regrets

  • More futur simple and a bit of futur antérieur if you’re feeling fancy

Consider:

  • Reading short articles or YA novels where passé simple starts sneaking in.

C1/C2 – “Give me Balzac and a fountain pen”

This is where you:

  • Truly master the literary tenses for reading and maybe writing formal French

  • Start recognizing imparfait du subjonctif etc. for the pleasure of it, or exams, or because you secretly enjoy pain.

Most French people live perfectly full lives without ever saying “que je fusse”, so you definitely don’t need that before B2+.

7. My boulangerie revelation (a.k.a. it’s not always the tense)

Circling back to « sable avec confiture ».

I was ready to blame tenses, moods, accent, social class, Mercury retrograde… anything.

Turns out:

  • sable = sand

  • sablé = the lovely shortbread-ish cookie I was trying to order

So I was essentially saying, “One sand with jam, please.” The vendor, being secretly English, was just as confused as I was, but for different reasons.

The real revelation:

Half the time when we panic about “wrong tense,” the problem is vocabulary, accent, or sheer human confusion, not imperfect vs passé composé.

Now when the grammar anxiety starts, I remind myself I can at least say:

« On verra plus tard pour le subjonctif imparfait. »
(We’ll deal with the imperfect subjunctive later.)

That sentence did not exist in my mouth a year ago. Small win.

8. A few (lightly) curated resources if you want to go deeper

If you feel like geeking out after this:

  • FrenchLearner – “Most important French verb tenses” (focuses on 6 key tenses + explanations) (French Learner)

  • Preply – “French verb tenses: a comprehensive guide” (nice overview of 12 main tenses + which 6 matter most for conversation) (Preply)

  • French with Agnes – “French tenses you need to know” (good breakdown of which tenses are for everyday speech vs advanced) (French with Agnes)

  • Lawless French – Literary tenses & moods (if you’re curious about all those scary book-only forms) (Lawless French)

  • Frenchtoday – “Secret to mastering French verb conjugation” (great on how to learn, especially with audio) (French Today)

9. Tips by level (A1 → advanced)

Aimed at speaking & understanding, not passing a university exam.

For A1 learners

  • Memorize present tense of être, avoir, aller, faire + 3–4 verbs you use all the time.

  • Use futur proche for everything future: je vais voyager, je vais étudier.

  • Learn 3 polite phrases:

    • Je voudrais…

    • S’il vous plaît.

    • Merci, bonne journée !

For A2 learners

  • Get comfortable building passé composé with 10–15 common verbs.

  • Start noticing imparfait when you hear stories; you don’t have to produce it perfectly yet.

  • Practice saying yesterday / last week / last year with a simple pattern:
    Hier, j’ai… ; La semaine dernière, j’ai…

For B1 learners (our tense crisis zone)

  • Work specifically on imparfait vs passé composé in short stories about your life.

  • Add conditionnel présent for politeness and “if…” sentences.

  • Don’t worry about literary tenses yet. If your teacher mentions them, just nod wisely.

For B2 learners

  • Start playing with plus-que-parfait and conditionnel passé for regrets and more complex stories.

  • Expand your subjonctif présent beyond fixed phrases.

  • When you read, underline passé simple forms and mentally convert them to passé composé.

For advanced learners

  • Decide: do you care about literature & formal writing?

    • If yes, start actively learning passé simple and friends.

    • If no, maybe your time is better spent on slang, idioms, and pronunciation.

Your turn – on papote verb tenses ?

Drop a comment (in French or English, all levels welcome):

  • Have you ever had a “wrong tense, wrong cookie” moment in France?

  • Which tense are you currently avoiding like a dentist appointment?

  • If you’re more advanced: which tense suddenly “clicked” one day, and how?

And if you’re A1, A2, B1, B2, or beyond, feel free to introduce yourself in the comments like this:

  • A1: Je suis A1. Je parle un peu français. Je voudrais progresser !

  • A2: Je suis A2. J’ai étudié le passé composé, mais l’imparfait… aïe.

  • B1: Je suis B1. Je raconte déjà des histoires, mais parfois dans le mauvais siècle.

  • B2+: Tell us your favorite tense and why. Yes, you’re allowed to say aucun.

Because honestly, between tu and vous, sablé and sable, and present vs imperfect, we’re all just trying to get to the jammy cookie part in one piece.

Location: France

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