Devenir is the verb to become — and in French it is the workhorse for every change-of-state expression, from changing profession (il est devenu médecin — he became a doctor) to losing your mind (je deviens fou — I'm going crazy). It is built directly on venir (literally de + venir, "to come from") and conjugates identically to it: same three-stem alternation in the present (deviens — devenons — deviennent), same irregular -iendr- in the future, same circumflex-bearing devîmes in the literary passé simple. And like every member of the venir family, it sits firmly in the maison d'être: its compound tenses use être as the auxiliary, and the past participle devenu(e)(s) agrees with the subject in gender and number.
This page is the verb-reference entry: every paradigm, the relationship to venir, the major constructions, and the high-frequency idioms about transformation.
The simple tenses
Devenir belongs to the third group (irregular). It inherits the three-way stem alternation of venir: devien- (singular present), deven- (nous/vous and the imparfait stem), devienn- (3pl present and most subjunctive forms). The future and conditional use the irregular stem deviendr-; the passé simple uses the equally irregular devin- with circumflex on the 1pl/2pl.
Présent de l'indicatif
The 1sg, 2sg, 3sg are all pronounced /dəvjɛ̃/ — perfectly homophonous, distinguished only by the pronoun. The 3pl deviennent /dəvjɛn/ has an oral vowel because the doubled -nn- surfaces as a consonant.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | deviens | /dəvjɛ̃/ |
| tu | deviens | /dəvjɛ̃/ |
| il / elle / on | devient | /dəvjɛ̃/ |
| nous | devenons | /dəv.nɔ̃/ |
| vous | devenez | /dəv.ne/ |
| ils / elles | deviennent | /dəvjɛn/ |
The single -n- in devient leaves the preceding vowel nasalized; the doubled -nn- in deviennent breaks that nasalization. This is the same alternation you hear in vient/viennent, tient/tiennent, prend/prennent. Once you internalize this rule, the entire venir/tenir/prendre family becomes predictable.
Avec le temps, on devient plus patient — du moins, on l'espère.
With time, you become more patient — or so we hope.
Les enfants deviennent insupportables quand ils sont fatigués.
The kids become unbearable when they're tired.
Imparfait
Built on the deven- stem (taken from nous devenons) with the standard imparfait endings. Fully predictable.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | devenais |
| tu | devenais |
| il / elle / on | devenait |
| nous | devenions |
| vous | deveniez |
| ils / elles | devenaient |
La situation devenait franchement intenable.
The situation was becoming downright unmanageable.
Plus j'avançais dans le livre, plus je devenais accro.
The further I got into the book, the more hooked I became.
Passé simple (literary)
The irregular devin- stem with the so-called -ins pattern shared by all the venir and tenir compounds. The circumflex on devînmes and devîntes is obligatory.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | devins |
| tu | devins |
| il / elle / on | devint |
| nous | devînmes |
| vous | devîntes |
| ils / elles | devinrent |
The 1sg/2sg devins is homophonous with the noun devin (soothsayer, fortune-teller) and with the 1sg/2sg of deviner (je devine — I guess) — but the spelling distinguishes them clearly.
Il devint célèbre du jour au lendemain après la parution du roman.
He became famous overnight after the novel came out. (literary)
Ils devinrent les meilleurs amis du monde, contre toute attente.
They became the best of friends, against all odds. (literary)
Futur simple
Stem: deviendr- — the same hyper-irregular -iendr- you find in viendrai (venir) and tiendrai (tenir). Endings are the standard futur endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | deviendrai |
| tu | deviendras |
| il / elle / on | deviendra |
| nous | deviendrons |
| vous | deviendrez |
| ils / elles | deviendront |
Avec un peu d'entraînement, tu deviendras meilleur que moi.
With a bit of practice, you'll get better than me.
Cette ville deviendra bientôt invivable si on ne fait rien.
This city is going to become unlivable soon if we don't do something.
Conditionnel présent
Same deviendr- stem with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | deviendrais |
| tu | deviendrais |
| il / elle / on | deviendrait |
| nous | deviendrions |
| vous | deviendriez |
| ils / elles | deviendraient |
Sans toi, je deviendrais complètement fou.
Without you, I'd go completely crazy.
Si on l'écoutait, on deviendrait tous végétariens demain.
If we listened to her, we'd all become vegetarian tomorrow.
Subjonctif présent
Two stems, exactly mirroring the present indicative split: strong devienn- (singular and 3pl) and weak deven- (1pl and 2pl).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) je | devienne |
| (que) tu | deviennes |
| (qu')il / elle / on | devienne |
| (que) nous | devenions |
| (que) vous | deveniez |
| (qu')ils / elles | deviennent |
The 1pl/2pl forms devenions/deveniez are identical to the imparfait — context disambiguates.
J'ai peur qu'elle devienne aussi froide que sa mère.
I'm afraid she'll become as cold as her mother.
Il faut que tu deviennes plus autonome avant de partir vivre seul.
You need to become more independent before going to live on your own.
Impératif
Three forms, identical to the present indicative (with the standard -er style truncation absent here — deviens keeps its -s).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | deviens |
| (nous) | devenons |
| (vous) | devenez |
The imperative of devenir is rare — you don't usually order someone to become something — but it surfaces in motivational and exhortative contexts.
Deviens la personne que tu aurais voulu rencontrer plus jeune.
Become the person you wish you'd met when you were younger.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: devenu (agrees with the subject in compound tenses: devenue, devenus, devenues)
- Participe présent: devenant
- Gérondif: en devenant
En devenant adulte, on perd certaines illusions.
In becoming an adult, you lose certain illusions.
The compound tenses
Devenir takes être as its auxiliary in every compound tense — it is one of the canonical maison-d'être verbs. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number: je suis devenu(e), elle est devenue, ils sont devenus, elles sont devenues.
Passé composé
être (présent) + devenu(e)(s)
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| je | suis devenu(e) | I became / I've become |
| tu | es devenu(e) | you became |
| il | est devenu | he became |
| elle | est devenue | she became |
| nous | sommes devenu(e)s | we became |
| vous | êtes devenu(e)(s) | you became |
| ils | sont devenus | they became (m.) |
| elles | sont devenues | they became (f.) |
Elle est devenue avocate à trente-deux ans, après une reconversion.
She became a lawyer at thirty-two, after a career change.
On est devenus amis dès la première semaine de fac.
We became friends from the very first week of university.
Other compound tenses
- Plus-que-parfait: être (imparfait) + devenu(e)(s) — j'étais devenu(e)
- Futur antérieur: être (futur) + devenu(e)(s) — je serai devenu(e)
- Conditionnel passé: être (conditionnel) + devenu(e)(s) — je serais devenu(e)
- Subjonctif passé: être (subjonctif) + devenu(e)(s) — que je sois devenu(e)
Quand je l'ai retrouvé, il était devenu méconnaissable.
When I saw him again, he had become unrecognizable.
Sans cet accident, il serait devenu pilote de ligne.
Without that accident, he would have become an airline pilot.
The core uses
1. Devenir + noun: change of identity, profession, status
The most common use. Devenir + a bare or article-introduced noun expresses transformation into a category, role, or profession. With professions, the noun typically appears without an article (devenir médecin, devenir avocat) — the same rule that applies after être (il est médecin).
Mon frère est devenu boulanger après avoir quitté son emploi en banque.
My brother became a baker after quitting his bank job.
Elle est devenue mère à dix-neuf ans.
She became a mother at nineteen.
Cette ville est devenue un véritable centre culturel.
This city has become a genuine cultural hub.
When the noun is qualified by an adjective or modifier, an article reappears: elle est devenue *une mère formidable* (she became a wonderful mother).
2. Devenir + adjective: change of state
The other major use. Devenir + an adjective expresses entry into a new state — equivalent to English get / become / grow + adjective. The adjective agrees with the subject in gender and number, exactly as it would after être.
Avec l'âge, elle est devenue beaucoup plus tolérante.
With age, she's become much more tolerant.
Tu deviens insupportable quand tu n'as pas dormi.
You become unbearable when you haven't slept.
Mes parents sont devenus très protecteurs depuis l'incident.
My parents have become very protective since the incident.
3. Que devient... ? — what's happening with...?
A high-frequency idiom for asking after someone or something you've lost track of. The literal sense is "what is X becoming?" — but the natural English equivalent is "what's X up to these days?" or "what happened to X?"
Que devient ton frère ? Ça fait des années que je ne l'ai pas vu.
What's your brother up to? I haven't seen him in years.
Et toi, tu deviens quoi en ce moment ?
What about you, what are you up to these days? (very informal)
Qu'est devenu ce projet dont tu m'avais parlé ?
What ever happened to that project you were telling me about? (slightly literary)
The form qu'est devenu(e)(s)...? (passé composé in question form) asks about a past trajectory; que devient...? (present) asks about the current state.
4. Devenir fou / devenir dingue — go crazy
Devenir combines with a small set of adjectives to form fixed expressions for losing one's mind, getting overwhelmed, or being driven to a strong emotional state. Devenir fou/folle (literally "to become mad") is the most common. Devenir dingue (informal, "to go nuts") and devenir cinglé (informal, "to lose it") are stronger.
Avec ce bruit qui n'arrête pas, je deviens fou.
With this noise that won't stop, I'm going crazy.
Elle devient dingue dès qu'on touche à ses affaires.
She loses it the moment you touch her things. (informal)
On va tous devenir cinglés à ce rythme-là.
We're all going to lose our minds at this rate. (informal)
The construction is also extended productively: devenir rouge (turn red, blush), devenir blanc (turn pale), devenir tout chose (become out of sorts), devenir vert (turn green with envy or nausea).
High-frequency idioms
- devenir fou / devenir dingue — go crazy
- devenir rouge / blanc / vert / tout chose — turn red / pale / green / become flustered
- que devient... ? — what's happening with...?
- devenir grand — to grow up (of children)
- devenir adulte — to become an adult
- devenir quelqu'un — to become somebody, to make a name for oneself
- qu'est-ce que tu deviens ? — what are you up to? (informal greeting after a long absence)
Tu as drôlement grandi, tu deviens un vrai jeune homme !
You've grown so much, you're becoming a real young man!
À force de travail, il est devenu quelqu'un dans le métier.
Through hard work, he made a real name for himself in the trade.
Comparison with English
Compound tenses use être, not avoir. J'ai devenu is impossible in French. Devenir is a maison-d'être verb: je suis devenu, elle est devenue, ils sont devenus.
No article before unmodified profession nouns. English says she became a doctor; French says elle est devenue médecin (no article). When the noun is modified, the article returns: elle est devenue *une doctoresse exceptionnelle*.
No equivalent of "get + adjective" for many states. English uses get freely (get tired, get angry, get hungry); French often prefers a reflexive verb (se fatiguer, se mettre en colère) or a noun construction (avoir faim). Use devenir for gradual or lasting shifts; use other constructions for momentary states.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using avoir as auxiliary in compound tenses.
❌ J'ai devenu médecin l'année dernière.
Wrong — devenir is a maison-d'être verb. Use être.
✅ Je suis devenu médecin l'année dernière.
I became a doctor last year.
Mistake 2: Forgetting subject agreement on the participle.
❌ Elle est devenu très indépendante.
Wrong — with être as auxiliary, the participle agrees with the subject in gender.
✅ Elle est devenue très indépendante.
She has become very independent.
Mistake 3: Inserting an article before an unmodified profession.
❌ Il est devenu un avocat.
Wrong — unmodified profession nouns take no article after devenir, just like after être.
✅ Il est devenu avocat.
He became a lawyer.
Mistake 4: Using devenir + adjectif for momentary states where French prefers a reflexive verb.
❌ Je deviens fatigué après le sport.
Awkward — for tiring out, French uses se fatiguer or simply être.
✅ Je me fatigue vite quand je fais du sport. / Je suis fatigué après le sport.
I get tired quickly when I exercise.
Mistake 5: Using the wrong stem in the futur or conditionnel.
❌ Je devenirai célèbre.
Wrong — the future stem is irregular: deviendr-, not devenir-.
✅ Je deviendrai célèbre.
I'll become famous.
Key takeaways
Devenir shares every quirk of venir's conjugation: the three-stem present (deviens — devenons — deviennent), the -iendr- future and conditional (deviendrai), the -ins passé simple (devins — devînmes — devinrent), and the dual-stem subjunctive.
Compound tenses use être with full subject agreement: je suis devenu(e), elles sont devenues. No transitive escape clause — devenir is locked into être.
The four main constructions are devenir + noun (change of identity, no article when unmodified), devenir + adjective (change of state, with adjective agreement), que devient... (asking after someone), and devenir fou / dingue (going crazy).
Related Topics
- Venir: Full Verb ReferenceA1 — Venir is the verb to come — but its real importance is the construction venir de + infinitive (passé récent: just did). It also heads a productive family of compound verbs: revenir, devenir, parvenir, prévenir. This page is the full reference: every paradigm, every compound tense, the core uses, and the family.
- Être: Full Verb ReferenceA1 — Être is the most frequent verb in French — the copula, the auxiliary for compound tenses with motion verbs and reflexives, and the verb behind the passive. This page is the full reference: every paradigm, every compound tense, the core uses, and the idioms you must know.
- Naître: Full Verb ReferenceA2 — Naître means to be born — and almost everyone uses it primarily in the passé composé to give a birth year (je suis né en 1990). This page covers the famously irregular paradigm with the unique passé simple stem naqu-, the circumflex on the i (kept or dropped under the 1990 reform), the auxiliary être with full participle agreement, and figurative uses for ideas, movements, and feelings being born.
- Passé composé: être + maison d'être verbsA1 — How to form the passé composé of verbs of motion and change of state with être, and why the past participle agrees with the subject like an adjective.
- DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP: the maison d'être mnemonicA1 — The classic memory aid for the seventeen French verbs that take être as their compound-tense auxiliary, organized as a fictional family with motion and state-change at its core.
- L'Accord du Participe Passé avec ÊtreA2 — How to make the past participle agree with the subject when the auxiliary is être — gender, number, the masculine-default for mixed groups, the on-puzzle, and where the agreement is silent vs. audible.