Finir (to finish) · All tenses

French traditionally divides verbs into three conjugation groups: 1st = -er verbs (parler), 2nd = -ir verbs with -iss- infix (finir, choisir, réussir, grandir, vieillir, obéir, réfléchir, remplir), 3rd = everything else (irregular verbs + -re verbs + a few -ir verbs without -iss- like partir, sortir, dormir). The 2nd group has about 300 members — small but predictable.

2nd-group: -iss- infix in nous/vous/ils ('nous finissons', 'ils choisissent'). 3rd-group: no infix ('nous partons', 'ils dorment'). Memorise the 3rd-group -ir verbs (partir, sortir, dormir, mentir, sentir, servir, ouvrir, couvrir, offrir, souffrir, venir, tenir, mourir, courir, fuir, etc.). Everything else with -ir is 2nd-group.

Use avoir + the past participle 'fini' (drop -r from infinitive 'finir'): j'ai fini, tu as fini, il a fini, nous avons fini, vous avez fini, ils ont fini. Every regular 2nd-group -ir verb forms its participle this way (choisir → choisi, réussir → réussi).

Since finir takes avoir, 'fini' is invariable in standard cases. Exception: a preceding direct object triggers agreement ('les tâches que j'ai finies' = the tasks I finished — feminine plural). This is the standard avoir-verb rule.

'Finir par + infinitive' = 'to end up + verb-ing': 'il a fini par accepter' (he ended up accepting), 'je finirai par comprendre' (I'll end up understanding). It expresses a final outcome after some process. Common conversational structure.

Finir uses the stem 'finiss-' (from nous form) plus imparfait endings: je finissais, tu finissais, il/elle/on finissait, nous finissions, vous finissiez, ils/elles finissaient. The -iss- infix carries through every imparfait form — characteristic of 2nd-group -ir verbs.

Use 'je finissais' for habitual or ongoing past finishing: 'chaque vendredi, je finissais tôt' (every Friday, I used to finish early). Use 'j'ai fini' for a specific completed finish: 'le vendredi dernier, j'ai fini tôt' (last Friday, I finished early).

Yes — every 2nd-group -ir verb keeps the -iss- infix in the imparfait: choisir → choisissais, réussir → réussissais, grandir → grandissais. This makes them easy to recognize. Compare 3rd-group -ir verbs (partir → partais, dormir → dormais) which lack the -iss-.

The subjonctif of finir is: que je finisse, que tu finisses, qu'il finisse, que nous finissions, que vous finissiez, qu'ils finissent. Stem 'finiss-' from the 3rd-plural present 'finissent' (drop -ent). The -iss- carries across all six persons.

Use it after triggers of necessity, will, time, or doubt: 'il faut que je finisse' (I need to finish), 'avant que tu finisses' (before you finish), 'je doute qu'il finisse à temps' (I doubt he'll finish on time). 'Il faut que' + finir is one of the most-used French structures for deadlines.

All 2nd-group -ir verbs preserve -iss- in the subjonctif because the subjonctif stem derives from the 3rd-plural indicative ('ils finissent' → finiss-). The same applies to choisir (choisisse), réussir (réussisse), and every other 2nd-group verb. The -iss- is the identifying mark of these ~300 verbs across multiple tenses.

The futur of finir is regular: je finirai, tu finiras, il/elle/on finira, nous finirons, vous finirez, ils/elles finiront. Full infinitive 'finir' as stem + future endings. NO -iss- here — the -iss- only appears in present, imparfait, and subjonctif.

The -iss- infix is historically a 'inchoative' marker (signaling beginning or transformation) that only operates in certain tenses. It survives in the present, imparfait, and subjonctif of 2nd-group -ir verbs but not in the futur or conditionnel, which build from the full infinitive. So 'je finis' has no -iss- in singular, but 'je finirai' (futur) also has no -iss-. Easy to remember: -iss- only where the stem isn't the full infinitive.

Both express future finishing. 'Je finirai' (futur simple) feels slightly more formal. 'Je vais finir' (futur proche) is more conversational for near-term completion: 'je vais bientôt finir' (I'm about to finish soon).

The conditionnel of finir is: je finirais, tu finirais, il/elle/on finirait, nous finirions, vous finiriez, ils/elles finiraient. Same full-infinitive stem as the futur, plus imperfect endings.

'Je finirais bien + complement' = 'I'd love to finish + X': 'je finirais bien ce projet' (I'd love to finish this project). The 'bien' adds eagerness or politeness. Soft, conversational.

Standard hypothetical: 'si j'avais le temps, je finirais ce livre' (if I had time, I would finish this book). The 'si' clause uses the imparfait; the main clause uses the conditionnel. Never put the conditionnel in the 'si' clause.