How is "main" used in the Present Simple in French?

main in the Present Simple: "Je me lave les mains avant de manger." — "I wash my hands before eating." "Tu lèves la main pour poser une question." — "You raise your hand to ask a question." "Il tient ma main quand nous marchons." — "He/she holds my hand when we walk." "Nous nous serrons la main quand nous nous rencontrons." — "We shake hands when we meet." "Vous écrivez de la main gauche." — "You all write with your left hand." "Ils me donnent un coup de main avec les cartons." — "They give me a hand with the boxes."

How is "main" used in the Past Compound in French?

main in the Past Compound: "Je me suis blessé la main hier." — "I hurt my hand yesterday." "Tu lui as serré la main ce matin." — "You shook his hand this morning." "Il/Elle a levé la main en classe." — "He/She raised his/her hand in class." "Nous nous sommes tenu la main pendant le film." — "We held hands during the movie." "Vous vous êtes lavé les mains avant de manger." — "You all washed your hands before eating." "Ils/Elles ont écrit la lettre à la main." — "They wrote the letter by hand."

How is "main" used in the Imperfect in French?

main in the Imperfect: "Je tenais sa main au parc." — "I was holding her hand at the park." "Tu levais toujours la main en classe." — "You always raised your hand in class." "Elle avait un livre à la main." — "He/she had a book in his/her hand." "Nous nous lavions les mains dans la cuisine." — "We were washing our hands in the kitchen." "Vous aviez besoin d'un coup de main pour le projet." — "You all needed a hand with the project." "Elles agitaient la main pour dire au revoir." — "They were waving their hands to say goodbye."

How is "main" used in the Future in French?

main in the Future: "Je te serrerai la main demain." — "I'll shake your hand tomorrow." "Tu te feras mal à la main si tu ne fais pas attention." — "You'll hurt your hand if you're not careful." "Il prendra ma main pendant la cérémonie." — "He/she will take my hand during the ceremony." "Nous aurons besoin d'une main supplémentaire pour le déménagement." — "We'll need an extra hand for the move." "Vous lèverez la main pour voter." — "You all will raise your hands to vote." "Ils se laveront les mains avant le dîner." — "They'll wash their hands before dinner."

How is "main" used in the Conditional in French?

main in the Conditional: "Je te donnerais un coup de main si je pouvais." — "I'd give you a hand if I could." "Tu écrirais mieux de la main droite." — "You'd write better with your right hand." "Elle tiendrait ma main si je demandais." — "He/she would hold my hand if I asked." "Nous nous serrerions la main si nous nous rencontrions encore." — "We'd shake hands if we met again." "Vous auriez besoin d'un coup de main avec cette table lourde." — "You all would need a hand with that heavy table." "Elles lèveraient la main si elles connaissaient la réponse." — "They'd raise their hands if they knew the answer."

How is "main" used in the Present Subjunctive in French?

main in the Present Subjunctive: "Je doute que ma main soit assez forte." — "I doubt my hand is strong enough." "Il est important que tu lèves la main." — "It's important that you raise your hand." "Je veux qu'il/elle me donne la main." — "I want him/her to give me his/her hand." "Elle craint que nous serrions la main trop fort." — "She fears that we shake hands too hard." "Il faut que vous vous laviez les mains." — "It's necessary that you all wash your hands." "Je préfère qu'ils/elles se tiennent la main." — "I prefer that they hold hands."

main (hand) — French Noun Examples

Main in the Present Simple

Main in the Present Simple
English	Example in French
I wash my hands before eating.	Je me lave les mains avant de manger.
You raise your hand to ask a question.	Tu lèves la main pour poser une question.
He/she holds my hand when we walk.	Il tient ma main quand nous marchons.
We shake hands when we meet.	Nous nous serrons la main quand nous nous rencontrons.
You all write with your left hand.	Vous écrivez de la main gauche.
They give me a hand with the boxes.	Ils me donnent un coup de main avec les cartons.

Main in the Past Compound

Main in the Past Compound
English	Example in French
I hurt my hand yesterday.	Je me suis blessé la main hier.
You shook his hand this morning.	Tu lui as serré la main ce matin.
He/She raised his/her hand in class.	Il/Elle a levé la main en classe.
We held hands during the movie.	Nous nous sommes tenu la main pendant le film.
You all washed your hands before eating.	Vous vous êtes lavé les mains avant de manger.
They wrote the letter by hand.	Ils/Elles ont écrit la lettre à la main.

Main in the Imperfect

Main in the Imperfect
English	Example in French
I was holding her hand at the park.	Je tenais sa main au parc.
You always raised your hand in class.	Tu levais toujours la main en classe.
He/she had a book in his/her hand.	Elle avait un livre à la main.
We were washing our hands in the kitchen.	Nous nous lavions les mains dans la cuisine.
You all needed a hand with the project.	Vous aviez besoin d'un coup de main pour le projet.
They were waving their hands to say goodbye.	Elles agitaient la main pour dire au revoir.

Main in the Future

Main in the Future
English	Example in French
I'll shake your hand tomorrow.	Je te serrerai la main demain.
You'll hurt your hand if you're not careful.	Tu te feras mal à la main si tu ne fais pas attention.
He/she will take my hand during the ceremony.	Il prendra ma main pendant la cérémonie.
We'll need an extra hand for the move.	Nous aurons besoin d'une main supplémentaire pour le déménagement.
You all will raise your hands to vote.	Vous lèverez la main pour voter.
They'll wash their hands before dinner.	Ils se laveront les mains avant le dîner.

Main in the Conditional

Main in the Conditional
English	Example in French
I'd give you a hand if I could.	Je te donnerais un coup de main si je pouvais.
You'd write better with your right hand.	Tu écrirais mieux de la main droite.
He/she would hold my hand if I asked.	Elle tiendrait ma main si je demandais.
We'd shake hands if we met again.	Nous nous serrerions la main si nous nous rencontrions encore.
You all would need a hand with that heavy table.	Vous auriez besoin d'un coup de main avec cette table lourde.
They'd raise their hands if they knew the answer.	Elles lèveraient la main si elles connaissaient la réponse.

Main in the Present Subjunctive

Main in the Present Subjunctive
English	Example in French
I doubt my hand is strong enough.	Je doute que ma main soit assez forte.
It's important that you raise your hand.	Il est important que tu lèves la main.
I want him/her to give me his/her hand.	Je veux qu'il/elle me donne la main.
She fears that we shake hands too hard.	Elle craint que nous serrions la main trop fort.
It's necessary that you all wash your hands.	Il faut que vous vous laviez les mains.
I prefer that they hold hands.	Je préfère qu'ils/elles se tiennent la main.