Introduction

Terminer means “to finish”, and this page covers exactly one thing: terminer in the present tense. The present is the tense French speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for terminer, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passé composé, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about terminer in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il termine le projet tous les jours.” — “He finishes the project every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of terminer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Terminer in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je termine
tu termines
il/elle termine
nous terminons
vous terminez
ils/elles terminent
Gerund: en terminant · Past participle: terminé
The gerund is en terminant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En terminant, je commence la journée.” — “While finishing, I start the day.” The past participle is terminé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai terminé is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present tense is only one part of how terminer is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for terminer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of terminer is formed

The present tense of terminer has six forms: je termine, tu termines, il termine, nous terminons, vous terminez, ils terminent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. terminer is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Two things about the present of terminer are worth noticing. First, the nous and vous forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the nous form, and the present subjunctive takes its nous and vous forms from the same stem, so learning terminons and terminez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so termine can mean both “I finish” and “I am finishing” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because terminer is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of terminer

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use terminer in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and terminer is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je termine le projet à la maison.” — “I finish the project at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about terminer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il termine le projet ce matin.” — “He finishes the project this morning.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. French often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with terminer in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nous terminons le projet avec Paul.” — “We finish the project with Paul.”

4. Scheduled future events

French uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu termines le projet.” — “You finish the project.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and terminer in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils terminent le projet tous les jours.” — “They finish the project every day.”

Present Tense vs Passé Composé: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passé composé, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passé composé describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as tous les jours or toujours, while the passé composé sentences use hier or la semaine dernière. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Il termine le projet à la maison.” — “He finishes the project at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a terminé le projet la semaine dernière.” — “He has finished the project last week.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Je termine le projet ce matin.” — “I finish the project this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai terminé le projet ce matin.” — “I have finished the project this morning.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Tu termines le projet avec Paul.” — “You finish the project with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as terminé le projet avant la fête.” — “You have finished the project before the party.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

Example sentences: terminer in the present tense

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Je termine le projet à la maison.” — “I finish the project at home.”
  2. “Tu termines le projet ce matin.” — “You finish the project this morning.”
  3. “Il termine le projet avec Paul.” — “He finishes the project with Paul.”
  4. “Nous terminons le projet.” — “We finish the project.”
  5. “Vous terminez le projet tous les jours.” — “You finish the project every day.”
  6. “Ils terminent le projet à la maison.” — “They finish the project at home.”
  7. “Je termine le projet tous les jours.” — “I finish the project every day.”
  8. “Il termine le projet avec Paul.” — “He finishes the project with Paul.”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Je termines le projet.” Right: “Je termine le projet tous les jours.” Why: The je form is termine, not termines. termines is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous termine le projet.” Right: “Nous terminons le projet tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form terminons. termine belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je termine le projet hier.” Right: “J'ai terminé le projet hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai terminé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je terminer le projet.” Right: “Je termine le projet tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive terminer never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form termine.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the je form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) avais terminé
    • B) termine
    • C) aurai terminé
    • D) terminez

  2. What is the tu form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) terminez
    • B) termine
    • C) avais terminé
    • D) termines

  3. What is the il/elle form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) a terminé
    • B) avait terminé
    • C) termine
    • D) terminait

  4. What is the nous form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) terminons
    • B) terminâmes
    • C) terminassions
    • D) aurions terminé

  5. What is the vous form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) terminez
    • B) aviez terminé
    • C) terminâtes
    • D) termines

  6. What is the ils/elles form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) terminez
    • B) termineraient
    • C) terminons
    • D) terminent

  7. What is the je form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) termine
    • B) terminais
    • C) ai terminé
    • D) aurais terminé

  8. What is the tu form of terminer in the Present indicative?

    • A) terminez
    • B) terminasses
    • C) auras terminé
    • D) termines

Answer key

  1. B) termine — the je form of terminer in the present indicative is termine. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. D) termines — the tu form of terminer in the present indicative is termines. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. C) termine — the il/elle form of terminer in the present indicative is termine. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. A) terminons — the nous form of terminer in the present indicative is terminons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. A) terminez — the vous form of terminer in the present indicative is terminez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. D) terminent — the ils/elles form of terminer in the present indicative is terminent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. A) termine — the je form of terminer in the present indicative is termine. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. D) termines — the tu form of terminer in the present indicative is termines. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does terminer mean in English?

terminer means “to finish”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of terminer formed?

The six present forms are: je termine, tu termines, il termine, nous terminons, vous terminez, ils terminent. terminer is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict.

When do I use the present instead of the passé composé?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passé composé for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

What are the gerund and past participle of terminer?

The gerund is en terminant and the past participle is terminé.

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