Present Tense Conjugation of Irregular Verbs in French

In this article, we’ll look at how to use four important irregular verbs in French: être, avoir, aller, and faire. Learning these verbs is important because you will use them a lot when speaking.

The Irregular Verbs

1. Être (to be)

The verb être helps describe who you are, how you feel, and other traits. Here’s how you use it in the present tense:

• je suis (I am)
• tu es (you are, talking to one person)
• il/elle/on est (he is, she is, one is)
• nous sommes (we are)
• vous êtes (you are, talking to a group or formally)
• ils/elles sont (they are, masculine/feminine)

Example Sentence: Je suis étudiant. (I am a student.)

2. Avoir (to have)

The verb avoir shows ownership and age. Here’s how to use it in the present tense:

• j’ai (I have)
• tu as (you have, talking to one person)
• il/elle/on a (he has, she has, one has)
• nous avons (we have)
• vous avez (you have, talking to a group or formally)
• ils/elles ont (they have, masculine/feminine)

Example Sentence: Nous avons un livre. (We have a book.)

3. Aller (to go)

The verb aller means to go and is also used to talk about the future. Here’s the present tense:

• je vais (I go)
• tu vas (you go, talking to one person)
• il/elle/on va (he goes, she goes, one goes)
• nous allons (we go)
• vous allez (you go, talking to a group or formally)
• ils/elles vont (they go, masculine/feminine)

Example Sentence: Tu vas à l’école. (You go to school.)

4. Faire (to do/make)

The verb faire is used in many activities and expressions. Here’s how to use it in the present tense:

• je fais (I do/make)
• tu fais (you do/make, talking to one person)
• il/elle/on fait (he does/makes, she does/makes, one does/makes)
• nous faisons (we do/make)
• vous faites (you do/make, talking to a group or formally)
• ils/elles font (they do/make, masculine/feminine)

Example Sentence: Elles font du sport. (They do sports.)

Key Grammar Points

To make negative sentences with these verbs, use ne...pas. For example, Je ne suis pas fatigué. (I am not tired.)

When using articles (words that go before nouns), remember:

• Definite articles: le (masculine), la (feminine), les (plural)
• Indefinite articles: un (masculine), une (feminine)

Conclusion

Knowing how to use these irregular verbs in the present tense is very important for speaking French fluently. Try to practice these verbs in sentences, and notice how they change. You will see them often in conversations. Happy learning!