The Present Participle Replacing "Qui"
In French, you can make your sentences more concise by replacing a relative clause (qui + verb) with a present participle. The present participle ends in -ant (equivalent to "-ing" in English).
For example, instead of saying l'artiste qui siffle (the artist who whistles), you can say l'artiste sifflant (the artist whistling). This structure is useful for observing and describing people and things in action.
| There is an artist whistling a song. | Il y a un artiste sifflant une chanson. |
| I am watching the passerby admiring this shop window. | Je regarde le passant admirant cette vitrine. |
| The pedestrian crossing the street is my brother. | Le piéton traversant la rue est mon frère. |
The Golden Rule: It Is Invariable
You may have seen -ant words acting as adjectives that agree with the noun they describe. However, when the present participle replaces a relative clause (usually because it is followed by a direct object or a location), it acts as a verb rather than a pure adjective.
Because it acts as a verb in this context, it is invariable. Its spelling never changes. You will not add an -e for feminine nouns or an -s for plural nouns. Notice how the -ant verbs below do not change, even when describing plural people or things:
| I see hurried people walking on the sidewalk. | Je vois des gens pressés marchant sur le trottoir. |
| The pedestrians avoiding the traffic are careful. | Les piétons évitant la circulation sont prudents. |
| The cars arriving at the intersection stop. | Les voitures arrivant au carrefour s'arrêtent. |