Revenir Conjugation in French: Complete Tables and Guide

The irregular French verb revenir translates to "to come back" or "to return." As a 3rd-group verb derived from venir, it follows an irregular stem-changing pattern across various tenses.

For English speakers learning French, revenir presents two primary grammar challenges: changing stems across tenses and using the auxiliary verb être in compound structures. This comprehensive guide covers all essential conjugation tables, usage nuances, and practical examples to help you speak with accuracy and confidence.

Verb Overview: Key Facts

  • Infinitive: Revenir
  • Auxiliary in compound tenses: Être (requires past participle agreement)
  • Past participle: Revenu(e)(s)
  • Present participle / Gérondif: Revenant (en revenant)
  • Verb family: Venir, devenir, parvenir, intervenir

    • 1. Present Indicative (Présent)

In the present tense, revenir takes three different forms depending on the subject pronoun:

Subject Pronoun Conjugation English Equivalent
:--- :--- :---
Je reviens I come back / I am coming back
Tu reviens You come back (informal)
Il / Elle / On revient He / She / One comes back
Nous revenons We come back
Vous revenez You come back (formal / plural)
Ils / Elles reviennent They come back

Example: « Je reviens dans cinq minutes. » (I will be back in five minutes.)

2. Compound Past (Passé Composé)

Because revenir is a verb of motion included in the classic DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP acronym, it must be conjugated with être. Remember to add an extra -e for feminine subjects and an -s for plurals.

  • Je suis revenu(e) — I came back / I have returned
  • Tu es revenu(e) — You came back
  • Il est revenu — He came back
  • Elle est revenue — She came back
  • Nous sommes revenu(e)s — We came back
  • Vous êtes revenu(e)(s) — You came back
  • Ils sont revenus — They (masc.) came back
  • Elles sont revenues — They (fem.) came back

Example: « Mes sœurs sont revenues d'Italie hier soir. » (My sisters returned from Italy yesterday evening.)

3. Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

The imperfect describes continuous or habitual past events. It is built using the regular stem reven- plus standard imperfect endings:

  • Je revenais
  • Tu revenais
  • Il / Elle revenait
  • Nous revenions
  • Vous reveniez
  • Ils / Elles revenaient

Example: « Quand j'étais enfant, je revenais de l'école à pied. » (When I was a child, I used to walk back from school.)

4. Simple Future (Futur Simple) & Conditional (Conditionnel)

Both tenses use the stem reviendr-.

Future Tense

  • Je reviendrai (I will come back)
  • Tu reviendras
  • Il / Elle reviendra
  • Nous reviendrons
  • Vous reviendrez
  • Ils / Elles reviendront

    • Conditional Present

  • Je reviendrais (I would come back)
  • Tu reviendrais
  • Il / Elle reviendrait
  • Nous reviendrions
  • Vous reviendriez
  • Ils / Elles reviendraient

    • 5. Present Subjunctive (Subjonctif Présent)

Used after conjunctions of necessity, desire, and doubt (il faut que..., bien que...):

  • Que je revienne
  • Que tu reviennes
  • Qu'il / elle revienne
  • Que nous revenions
  • Que vous reveniez
  • Qu'ils / elles reviennent

Example: « Le patron veut que nous revenions plus tôt lundi. » (The boss wants us to come back earlier on Monday.)

6. Imperative (Impératif)

Give directions or commands without using subject pronouns:

  • Reviens ! — Come back! (singular / informal)
  • Revenons ! — Let's come back!
  • 法Revenez ! — Come back! (plural / formal)

    • Crucial Distinction: Revenir vs. Retourner vs. Rentrer

English speakers frequently interchange these three verbs, but French makes specific distinctions based on the speaker's vantage point:

1. Revenir (To come back): Movement toward the speaker's current location.

  • « Attends-moi ici, je reviens. » (Wait for me here, I am coming back.)

2. Retourner (To go back): Movement away from the speaker's location to a place previously visited.

  • « J'adore Paris, je veux y retourner l'an prochain. » (I love Paris, I want to go back there next year.)

3. Rentrer (To go/come home): Specifically returning to one's base, home, or native country.

  • « Il est tard, je rentre à la maison. » (It is late, I'm heading home.)

    • Common Idiomatic Expressions with Revenir

  • En revenir à nos moutons: To get back to the point.
  • Ne pas en revenir: To be unable to believe something (« Je n'en reviens pas ! » = I can't get over it!).
  • Revenir sur sa parole: To go back on one's word.

Practice these tables out loud and incorporate revenir into your conversational French today!