The French present tense: -er, -ir and -re verbs
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
French verbs are traditionally sorted into three groups. The first two are regular; the third is a collection of patterns, not a single rule. Master the regular endings first, then learn the most frequent irregular verbs one by one.
Group 1: -er verbs (parler)
| Person | Ending | parler |
|---|---|---|
| je | -e | parle |
| tu | -es | parles |
| il/elle/on | -e | parle |
| nous | -ons | parlons |
| vous | -ez | parlez |
| ils/elles | -ent | parlent |
About nine in ten French verbs belong here. The -e, -es and -ent forms sound the same: parle, parles, parlent. Only « aller » is irregular in this group.
Spelling changes in -er verbs
- manger → nous mangeons (keep the soft g); commencer → nous commençons.
- acheter → j'achète; préférer → je préfère (accent change before a silent ending).
- appeler → j'appelle; jeter → je jette (double consonant).
- payer → je paie or je paye; envoyer → j'envoie.
Group 2: -ir verbs with -issons (finir)
| Person | finir |
|---|---|
| je | finis |
| tu | finis |
| il/elle | finit |
| nous | finissons |
| vous | finissez |
| ils/elles | finissent |
Test: if the nous-form has -issons (choisir → choisissons, réussir → réussissons), it follows finir.
Group 3: several patterns, not one
Everything else is group 3: -ir verbs without -iss-, -re verbs, -oir verbs and irregulars. Learn them in families:
- vendre, attendre, répondre: je vends, il vend, nous vendons (no -t in the il-form).
- partir, sortir, dormir: je pars, nous partons (the consonant drops in the singular).
- prendre (apprendre, comprendre): je prends, nous prenons, ils prennent.
- mettre: je mets, nous mettons. Venir, tenir: je viens, ils viennent.
- Very frequent irregulars to learn by heart: ĂŞtre, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir.
Do not assume every -re verb conjugates like vendre: faire (vous faites), dire (vous dites), boire (nous buvons) and prendre all differ.
Quick self-check
nous (manger)
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mangeons
ils (choisir)
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choisissent
elle (attendre)
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attend
vous (faire)
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faites
je (partir)
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pars