French Level 1
    Unité 13: Leçon 4
    Les Verbes: Venir
    Now that you know how to show actions toward locations AND you can say where you are going, it is time to learn how to tell "where you came from". I will now introduce to you the verb, "Venir". You will notice that "Venir" does not end with the letters, "-er" but instead ends with the letters, "-ir". That is because there are three major verb endings that are used in French, "-er", which you already know, "-ir" and "-re". We won't be spending much time on any other "-ir" verbs besides "Venir" in this French 1 Course (we are savings them for French 2!) I should tell you that "Venir" is not a regular "-ir" verb, it is irregular, which means that ending forms of the verb, "venir" are somewhat unique.

    Anyway, after that VERY LONG introduction, here are the forms of this verb:

Track 46
Le Verb: "Venir" SOUND BYTE GOES HERE
EN FRANÇAIS EN ANGLAIS
Je viens
I come
I am coming
I do come
Tu viens
You come
You are coming
You do come
Il vient / Elle vient
He comes / She comes
He is coming / She is coming
He does come / She does come
Nous venons
We come
We are coming
We do come
Vous venez
You come
You are coming
You do come
Ils viennent / Elles viennent
They come
They are coming
They do come
    Now suppose that you want to say that you just "coming from" a place. Look at the chart below to find out how:

Track 47
Des Phrases SOUND BYTE GOES HERE
EN FRANÇAIS EN ANGLAIS
Je viens de l'école à huit heures. I am coming from at school at eight o'clock.
Je viens de la bibliothèque. I am coming from the library.
Tu viens du supermarché. You are coming from the supermarket.
Il vient de l'arc de triomphe. He is coming from the arc of triumph.
(a famous French landmark)
    I am sure that you noticed some more new words, "de la" and "du" and "de l'" in the above sentences. These words are also "combination words", because they are a combination of two different words, "de" + "le", "la", "l'", or "les". To understand what these words mean, study the chart below:
DE + LE, LA, & LES  
EN FRANÇAIS EN ANGLAIS
de + l' = de l' "from the" OR "of the"
(followed by a noun that starts with a vowel or "h")
de + le = du "from the" OR "of the" (followed by a masculine noun)
de + la = de la "from the" OR "of the" (followed by a feminine noun)
de + les = des "from the" OR "of the" (plural noun, masc. or fem.)
    The reason for combining the word "de" with the words, "le", "la", and "les" as shown above, is.....you guessed it! It sounds better in a sentence!

    I will not be seeing you again for a while. Luc will be guiding you through what will be the last three leçons of this Unité. À bientôt!