venir
/və.niʁ/
The English phrase 'come' is translated into French as venir.
The verb venir means to arrive or to appear.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context and the person you are addressing, different forms are used. Viens is the informal singular imperative, while Venez is the formal imperative. If you want to ask someone to specifically move closer, you should use Approchez (Come closer). In an informal context, you may also hear Allez to mean 'Come on'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the phrase Viens-t'en is often used to mean 'come'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of the verb is venu, and the subjunctive mood form is vienne.
How do you pronounce it?
/və.niʁ/
Did you know?
- The word venir is a direct ancestor of the English word 'adventure', via the Old French 'aventure' which relates to things that 'come' to pass.
- The phrase venir au monde is the standard French way to say 'to be born', literally translating to 'to come into the world'.
- The verb venir is a key component in the construction of the 'recent past' tense, where you use it with the preposition de to say you 'have just' done something.
Examples in context
- Il aurait dû venir.He should have come.This sentence uses venir to express a past obligation.Tatoeba #817732 by Cocorico, translation #1119276 by riccioberto
- Tom veut-il venir ?Does Tom want to come?This sentence uses venir to express a desire to come.Tatoeba #8690288 by Micsmithel, translation #2011641 by CK
- Il refuse de venir.He refuses to come.This sentence uses venir to express a refusal to come.Tatoeba #8940901 by Julien_PDC, translation #10485307 by sundown
- Venez avec moiCome with me
- Approchez, s'il vous plaîtPlease come closer
- Viens iciCome here
- Allez, viens !Come on, come!
- Venez sur scène, s'il vous plaîtCome to the stage, please
- Viens chez moi ce soir !Come to my place tonight!
- Allez, venez voir ça !Come on, come and see this!
- 923 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are talking on the phone about a party.
- LucasTu veux venir à la fête ?Do you want to come to the party?
- LéaOui, je vais venir avec toi.Yes, I will come with you.
- LucasD'accord, je vais venir te chercher.Okay, I will come to pick you up.
- LéaC'est parfait, merci Lucas.That's perfect, thanks Lucas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry venir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries venir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
