Verbs: present tense
French verbs are the heart of the language. They conjugate — meaning they change form — based on who is acting (I, you, he, we, etc.), when it happens (present, past, future), and the mood (statement, command, wish). The present tense is your foundation: master it first, and other tenses become much easier because they build on the same patterns.
Verb infinitives
The infinitive is the base form of a verb — the form you find in dictionaries. In English, infinitives use "to" (to speak, to eat). French infinitives end in -er, -ir, or -re. The ending tells you which conjugation pattern the verb follows:
| Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -er | 🔊 parler | to speak |
| -ir | 🔊 finir | to finish |
| -re | 🔊 vendre | to sell |
About 90% of French verbs are -er verbs, and they're the most regular.
Subject pronouns
Before conjugating verbs, you need to know the subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, etc.). Unlike Spanish or Italian where pronouns are often dropped, French requires them in almost every sentence. The verb ending alone isn't enough to identify the subject because many forms sound identical. Note that "vous" is both formal singular and plural "you", while "tu" is informal singular only:
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔊 je | I | becomes j' before vowel |
| 🔊 tu | you (informal) | singular, friends/family |
| 🔊 il | he / it | |
| 🔊 elle | she / it | |
| 🔊 on | one / we | informal "we" |
| 🔊 nous | we | formal or written |
| 🔊 vous | you (formal/plural) | |
| 🔊 ils | they (m. or mixed) | |
| 🔊 elles | they (f. only) |
Important: Unlike Spanish, French almost always requires subject pronouns.
Regular -ER verbs: parler (to speak)
About 90% of French verbs are -ER verbs, making this the most important pattern to master. To conjugate, drop the -er and add the appropriate ending. Here's a crucial pronunciation tip: the je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles forms all sound exactly the same (just "parl") — only the written endings differ. Only nous and vous have distinctly different pronunciations:
| Person | Pronoun | Conjugation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | je | 🔊 parle | parl |
| 2nd singular | tu | 🔊 parles | parl |
| 3rd singular | il/elle/on | 🔊 parle | parl |
| 1st plural | nous | 🔊 parlons | par-LOHN |
| 2nd plural | vous | 🔊 parlez | par-LAY |
| 3rd plural | ils/elles | 🔊 parlent | parl |
Note: Je, tu, il, and ils forms all sound the same!
Common -ER verbs: 🔊 aimer (love), 🔊 habiter (live), 🔊 travailler (work), 🔊 manger (eat), 🔊 acheter (buy), 🔊 regarder (watch), 🔊 écouter (listen), 🔊 marcher (walk)
Spelling changes in -ER verbs
Some -ER verbs have spelling changes to preserve pronunciation:
Verbs in -ger add "e" before "o":
- manger → 🔊 nous mangeons
Verbs in -cer use "ç" before "o":
- commencer → 🔊 nous commençons
Verbs like acheter add accent in stressed forms:
- 🔊 j'achète, 🔊 tu achètes, 🔊 il achète, 🔊 ils achètent
- BUT: 🔊 nous achetons, 🔊 vous achetez
Verbs like appeler double the consonant:
- 🔊 j'appelle, 🔊 tu appelles, 🔊 il appelle, 🔊 ils appellent
- BUT: 🔊 nous appelons, 🔊 vous appelez
Regular -IR verbs: finir (to finish)
| Person | Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | je | 🔊 finis |
| 2nd singular | tu | 🔊 finis |
| 3rd singular | il/elle/on | 🔊 finit |
| 1st plural | nous | 🔊 finissons |
| 2nd plural | vous | 🔊 finissez |
| 3rd plural | ils/elles | 🔊 finissent |
Common regular -IR verbs: 🔊 choisir (choose), 🔊 réussir (succeed), 🔊 réfléchir (think), 🔊 remplir (fill), 🔊 grandir (grow)
Note: Some -IR verbs follow different patterns (see irregular verbs).
Regular -RE verbs: vendre (to sell)
| Person | Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | je | 🔊 vends |
| 2nd singular | tu | 🔊 vends |
| 3rd singular | il/elle/on | 🔊 vend (no ending) |
| 1st plural | nous | 🔊 vendons |
| 2nd plural | vous | 🔊 vendez |
| 3rd plural | ils/elles | 🔊 vendent |
Common -RE verbs: 🔊 attendre (wait), 🔊 entendre (hear), 🔊 perdre (lose), 🔊 répondre (answer), 🔊 descendre (go down)
Important irregular verbs
Être (to be)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 suis |
| tu | 🔊 es |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 est |
| nous | 🔊 sommes |
| vous | 🔊 êtes |
| ils/elles | 🔊 sont |
Avoir (to have)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 ai (j'ai) |
| tu | 🔊 as |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 a |
| nous | 🔊 avons |
| vous | 🔊 avez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 ont |
Aller (to go)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 vais |
| tu | 🔊 vas |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 va |
| nous | 🔊 allons |
| vous | 🔊 allez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 vont |
Faire (to do/make)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 fais |
| tu | 🔊 fais |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 fait |
| nous | 🔊 faisons |
| vous | 🔊 faites |
| ils/elles | 🔊 font |
Venir (to come)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 viens |
| tu | 🔊 viens |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 vient |
| nous | 🔊 venons |
| vous | 🔊 venez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 viennent |
Prendre (to take)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 prends |
| tu | 🔊 prends |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 prend |
| nous | 🔊 prenons |
| vous | 🔊 prenez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 prennent |
Pouvoir (can/to be able)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 peux |
| tu | 🔊 peux |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 peut |
| nous | 🔊 pouvons |
| vous | 🔊 pouvez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 peuvent |
Vouloir (to want)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 veux |
| tu | 🔊 veux |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 veut |
| nous | 🔊 voulons |
| vous | 🔊 voulez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 veulent |
Devoir (must/to have to)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 dois |
| tu | 🔊 dois |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 doit |
| nous | 🔊 devons |
| vous | 🔊 devez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 doivent |
Savoir (to know facts)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | 🔊 sais |
| tu | 🔊 sais |
| il/elle/on | 🔊 sait |
| nous | 🔊 savons |
| vous | 🔊 savez |
| ils/elles | 🔊 savent |
Using the present tense
French present tense covers:
- Current actions: 🔊 Je travaille. — I work. / I am working.
- Habitual actions: 🔊 Je me lève à sept heures. — I get up at seven.
- General truths: 🔊 L'eau bout à 100 degrés. — Water boils at 100 degrees.
- Near future (with time words): 🔊 Je pars demain. — I'm leaving tomorrow.
- Ongoing actions: 🔊 J'habite à Paris depuis deux ans. — I've been living in Paris for two years.
Aller + infinitive (near future)
Use aller + infinitive for the immediate future:
- 🔊 Je vais manger. — I'm going to eat.
- 🔊 Nous allons partir. — We're going to leave.
Venir de + infinitive (just did)
Use venir de + infinitive for actions just completed:
- 🔊 Je viens d'arriver. — I just arrived.
- 🔊 Elle vient de partir. — She just left.