French -ir verbs: the finir pattern for English speakers
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
Not every French verb ending in -ir follows the same conjugation. This lesson teaches the regular finir family, including choisir and grandir, and explains why partir should be learned separately.
Recognise the finir family
For finir, remove -ir to obtain fin-. Add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent: je finis, tu finis, il finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent. The letters -iss- appear in the plural forms nous, vous and ils. That feature helps identify the family.
Hear the contrast
Je finis, tu finis and il finit have the same final sound. Nous finissons, vous finissez and ils finissent have an audible -iss- sequence. Do not pronounce the written final -s or -t of the singular forms. When you practise aloud, compare je choisis with nous choisissons rather than reading every letter separately.
Avoid the tempting overgeneralisation
Partir also ends in -ir, but it is not a regular finir-type verb: je pars, nous partons. Dormir and sortir behave similarly. A reliable dictionary or verb reference will tell you which family a new verb belongs to. You can test many regular -ir verbs by checking whether the present nous form contains -issons.
Build meaningful sentences
Je finis mes devoirs avant le dîner means I finish my homework before dinner. Nous choisissons un film means we choose a film. Ils grandissent vite means they grow quickly. French present can describe a habit or something happening now, so use a time expression when the distinction matters to an English reader.
Contrast with your first language
English uses the same verb form for I finish and we finish; French requires je finis versus nous finissons. The sound of ils finissent is not the same as il finit, which makes this group useful for listening practice. Avoid guessing that finir means to finish in every context: the French phrase finir par + infinitive has the special meaning to end up doing something.
| Subject | Finir | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | I finish |
| nous | finissons | we finish |
| vous | finissez | you finish |
| ils | finissent | they finish |
Check the nous form when you meet a new -ir verb: -issons suggests the finir group.
Quick self-check
Complete: nous ___ (finir).
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nous finissons
Change je choisis to ils.
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ils choisissent
Is partir a regular finir-type verb?
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No; nous partons.
Choose: vous (finissez / finissezs).
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vous finissez
Translate: They grow quickly.
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Ils grandissent vite.