Conjugating Regular French Verbs in the Present Tense

Learning how to change regular verbs in French is super important for speaking and writing. French verbs can be divided into three groups based on how they end: -er, -ir, and -re verbs. Each group has its own endings that you will learn to use in the present tense.

1. Present Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs

a. Regular -er Verbs

• How to Conjugate: To change -er verbs, take off the -er ending from the base form and add these endings:

  | Subject Pronoun | Ending | |------------------|--------| | je | -e | | tu | -es | | il/elle/on | -e | | nous | -ons | | vous | -ez | | ils/elles | -ent |

• Example:

  • Parler (to talk)
    • Je parle (I talk)
    • Tu parles (you talk)
    • Il parle (he talks)
    • Nous parlons (we talk)
    • Vous parlez (you talk)
    • Ils parlent (they talk)

b. Regular -ir Verbs

• How to Conjugate: For -ir verbs, drop the -ir ending and add these endings:

  | Subject Pronoun | Ending | |------------------|--------| | je | -is | | tu | -is | | il/elle/on | -it | | nous | -issons| | vous | -issez | | ils/elles | -issent |

• Example:

  • Finir (to finish)
    • Je finis (I finish)
    • Tu finis (you finish)
    • Il finit (he finishes)
    • Nous finissons (we finish)
    • Vous finissez (you finish)
    • Ils finissent (they finish)

c. Regular -re Verbs

• How to Conjugate: Take off the -re ending and add:

  | Subject Pronoun | Ending | |------------------|--------| | je | -s | | tu | -s | | il/elle/on | (no ending) | | nous | -ons | | vous | -ez | | ils/elles | -ent |

• Example:

  • Vendre (to sell)
    • Je vends (I sell)
    • Tu vends (you sell)
    • Il vend (he sells)
    • Nous vendons (we sell)
    • Vous vendez (you sell)
    • Ils vendent (they sell)

2. Common Irregular Verbs

Besides regular verbs, there are some common irregular verbs that you should know:

• Être (to be)

  • Je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont

• Avoir (to have)

  • J’ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont

• Aller (to go)

  • Je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont

• Faire (to do/make)

  • Je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font

3. Important Grammar Points

• Passé Composé: This is used for talking about past actions. It uses the verbs avoir or être plus the past form of the main verb.

• Adjective Agreement: Adjectives (describing words) must match the gender (male or female) and number (singular or plural) of the nouns they describe.

• Negation: You can say something is not happening by using "ne...pas" (like "Je ne parle pas" means "I do not speak").

• Questions: You can ask questions by using inversion (like "Parles-tu?") or "est-ce que" (like "Est-ce que tu parles?").

• Object Pronouns: These are words that can replace nouns (for example, "Je le vois" means "I see him").

• Comparative and Superlative: You can compare things by saying "plus...que" (more than) and "le plus" (the most).

• Futur Proche: This is how to talk about future actions using "aller" + verb (like "Je vais parler" means "I am going to talk").

• C'est vs. Il est: Use "c'est" for identifying things and "il est" for describing someone or something.

By learning these verb changes and grammar rules, you'll get better at speaking French! Keep practicing for the best results.