Arriver Conjugation in French
arriver means “to arrive” in English, and it is one of the first verbs French learners meet — it sits at number 33 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for French verbs. You use it whenever you talk about arriving in Paris at eight o'clock, and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of arriver — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “J'arrive à Paris à huit heures tous les jours.” — “I arrive in Paris at eight o'clock every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: arriver
- English: to arrive
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: arrivant
- Past participle: arrivé
- Auxiliary: être (all perfect tenses are formed with être + the past participle)
- Ending: -er verbs; pattern er in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for arriver, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read arriver in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about arriver
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -er pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use être: the present perfect is formed with être in the present plus the past participle arrivé. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is arrivant and the participle is arrivé: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for arriver. Learn the present tense first, then the passé composé and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arrive |
| tu | arrives |
| il/elle | arrive |
| nous | arrivons |
| vous | arrivez |
| ils/elles | arrivent |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “J'arrive en retard ce matin tous les jours.” — “I arrive late this morning every day.”
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arrivai |
| tu | arrivas |
| il/elle | arriva |
| nous | arrivâmes |
| vous | arrivâtes |
| ils/elles | arrivèrent |
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written and literary French. For example: “Tu arrivas en retard ce matin hier.” — “You arrived late this morning yesterday.”
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arrivais |
| tu | arrivais |
| il/elle | arrivait |
| nous | arrivions |
| vous | arriviez |
| ils/elles | arrivaient |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Il arrivait en retard ce matin autrefois.” — “He used to arrive late this morning in the past.”
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arriverai |
| tu | arriveras |
| il/elle | arrivera |
| nous | arriverons |
| vous | arriverez |
| ils/elles | arriveront |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “J'arriverai en retard ce matin demain.” — “I will arrive late this morning tomorrow.”
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arriverais |
| tu | arriverais |
| il/elle | arriverait |
| nous | arriverions |
| vous | arriveriez |
| ils/elles | arriveraient |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Tu arriverais en retard ce matin un jour.” — “You would arrive late this morning one day.”
Present perfect (passé composé)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | suis arrivé |
| tu | es arrivé |
| il/elle | est arrivé |
| nous | sommes arrivé |
| vous | êtes arrivé |
| ils/elles | sont arrivé |
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. For example: “Il est arrivé en retard ce matin cette semaine.” — “He has arrived late this morning this week.”
Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | étais arrivé |
| tu | étais arrivé |
| il/elle | était arrivé |
| nous | étions arrivé |
| vous | étiez arrivé |
| ils/elles | étaient arrivé |
The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “J'étais arrivé en retard ce matin avant la fête.” — “I had arrived late this morning before the party.”
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | serai arrivé |
| tu | seras arrivé |
| il/elle | sera arrivé |
| nous | serons arrivé |
| vous | serez arrivé |
| ils/elles | seront arrivé |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tu seras arrivé en retard ce matin pour demain.” — “You will have arrived late this morning by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | serais arrivé |
| tu | serais arrivé |
| il/elle | serait arrivé |
| nous | serions arrivé |
| vous | seriez arrivé |
| ils/elles | seraient arrivé |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Il serait arrivé en retard ce matin hier.” — “He would have arrived late this morning yesterday.”
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arrive |
| tu | arrives |
| il/elle | arrive |
| nous | arrivions |
| vous | arriviez |
| ils/elles | arrivent |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “Il est important que j'arrive en retard ce matin.” — “It is important that I arrive late this morning.”
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | arrivasse |
| tu | arrivasses |
| il/elle | arrivât |
| nous | arrivassions |
| vous | arrivassiez |
| ils/elles | arrivassent |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in formal written French for past wishes and hypotheticals after que. For example: “Il est important que tu arrivasses en retard ce matin.” — “It is important that you arrive late this morning.”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | arrive |
| nous | arrivons |
| vous | arrivez |
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Arrive en retard ce matin !” — “Arrive late this morning!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | arrive |
| nous | arrivons |
| vous | arrivez |
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Ne arrive pas en retard ce matin.” — “Do not arrive late this morning.”
Gerund
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en arrivant |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, usually after en. For example: “En arrivant à Paris à huit heures, je passe un bon moment.” — “While arriving in Paris at eight o'clock, I have a good time.”
Past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Past participle | arrivé |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Je suis arrivé à Paris à huit heures cette semaine.” — “I have arrived in Paris at eight o'clock this week.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with arriver, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “J'arrive à Paris à huit heures tous les jours.” — “I arrive in Paris at eight o'clock every day.”
- “Tu arrivas en retard ce matin hier.” — “You arrived late this morning yesterday.”
- “Il arrivait demain avec Marie autrefois.” — “He used to arrive tomorrow with Marie in the past.”
- “J'arriverai à Paris à huit heures demain.” — “I will arrive in Paris at eight o'clock tomorrow.”
- “Tu arriverais en retard ce matin un jour.” — “You would arrive late this morning one day.”
- “Il est arrivé demain avec Marie cette semaine.” — “He has arrived tomorrow with Marie this week.”
- “J'étais arrivé à Paris à huit heures avant la fête.” — “I had arrived in Paris at eight o'clock before the party.”
- “Tu seras arrivé en retard ce matin pour demain.” — “You will have arrived late this morning by tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il arrive demain avec Marie.” — “It is important that he arrive tomorrow with Marie.”
- “Arrive à Paris à huit heures !” — “Arrive in Paris at eight o'clock!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je arriver à Paris à huit heures.”
✓ Right: “Je arrive à Paris à huit heures.”
The infinitive arriver never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form arrive.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Je arrivent à Paris à huit heures.”
✓ Right: “Je arrive à Paris à huit heures.”
arrivent is the ils/elles form, not the je form. Match the verb to the subject every time: je goes with arrive.
3. Using the passé simple for a present habit
✗ Wrong: “Je arrivai à Paris à huit heures tous les jours.”
✓ Right: “Je arrive à Paris à huit heures tous les jours.”
The passé simple arrivai describes one finished past action. For something that happens every day, use the present arrive.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que je arrive à Paris à huit heures.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que je arrive à Paris à huit heures.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use arrive here, not the indicative arrive.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je ai arrivé à Paris à huit heures.”
✓ Right: “Je suis arrivé à Paris à huit heures.”
The passé composé of arriver is formed with être plus the past participle arrivé: the je form is suis arrivé. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
6. Dropping a written accent
✗ Wrong: “arrive” written without its accent
✓ Right: “arrive”
Accents are part of the spelling in French. Write the form exactly as it appears in the table, accent included, or it looks like a different word.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on arriver. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of arriver in the Present indicative?
- A) arrives
- B) arrivons
- C) arrivez
- D) arrive
What is the il/elle form of arriver in the Passé simple?
- A) arrivai
- B) arrivas
- C) arrivâmes
- D) arriva
What is the nous form of arriver in the Imperfect?
- A) arrivais
- B) arrivait
- C) arriviez
- D) arrivions
What is the tu form of arriver in the Future?
- A) arriverons
- B) arriveras
- C) arriverai
- D) arrivera
What is the je form of arriver in the Conditional?
- A) arriverais
- B) arriverait
- C) arriverions
- D) arriveriez
What is the il/elle form of arriver in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) suis arrivé
- B) es arrivé
- C) sommes arrivé
- D) est arrivé
What is the il/elle form of arriver in the Present subjunctive?
- A) arrives
- B) arrivions
- C) arriviez
- D) arrive
What is the je form of arriver in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) arrivasse
- B) arrivasses
- C) arrivât
- D) arrivassions
What is the gerund of arriver?
- A) en sortant
- B) en partant
- C) en arrivant
- D) en entendant
What does arriver mean in English?
- A) to arrive
- B) to hear
- C) to go out
- D) to leave
Answer key
- D) arrive — the je form of arriver in the Present indicative is arrive. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) arriva — the il/elle form of arriver in the Passé simple is arriva. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) arrivions — the nous form of arriver in the Imperfect is arrivions. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) arriveras — the tu form of arriver in the Future is arriveras. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) arriverais — the je form of arriver in the Conditional is arriverais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) est arrivé — the il/elle form of arriver in the Present perfect (passé composé) is est arrivé. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) arrive — the il/elle form of arriver in the Present subjunctive is arrive. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) arrivasse — the je form of arriver in the Imperfect subjunctive is arrivasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) en arrivant — the gerund of arriver is en arrivant; it is used after en for actions happening at the same time as another action. The other options are the gerunds of neighbouring verbs.
- A) to arrive — arriver means “to arrive” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does arriver mean in English?
arriver means “to arrive”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is arriver regular or irregular?
arriver is regular: it follows the ordinary -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is arrivant and the past participle is arrivé.
What are the gerund and past participle of arriver?
The gerund is arrivant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as another action. The past participle is arrivé — use it with être for the perfect tenses, as in suis arrivé.
Which auxiliary does arriver take in the passé composé?
arriver takes être in the passé composé: the je form is suis arrivé. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with être plus the past participle arrivé.
How do I say “I arrive” in French?
Say “J'arrive à Paris à huit heures tous les jours.” — “I arrive in Paris at eight o'clock every day.” The je form of the present is arrive, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of arriver — every tense of arriver in one place.
- Arriver in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Arriver examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Entendre conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Sortir conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- Partir conjugation — another everyday French verb.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise arriver with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise arriver with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise arriver with the interactive tool.