Crack the Code: Conjugating Regular Verbs in French!
Now that you know the basics of French grammar, it’s time to tackle regular verbs. In French, verbs fall into three main groups based on their endings: -ER, -IR, and -RE. Once you learn the patterns, you’ll be able to conjugate a huge number of verbs easily!
1. Regular Verbs in -ER
The most common type of verb in French ends in -ER. To conjugate these verbs in the present tense, follow these steps:
- Remove the -ER ending to find the stem.
- Add the correct endings for each subject pronoun.
Here’s how to conjugate parler (to speak):
| Subject | Ending | Example with parler |
|---|---|---|
| Je | -e | Je parle (I speak) |
| Tu | -es | Tu parles (You speak) |
| Il/Elle | -e | Il/Elle parle (He/She speaks) |
| Nous | -ons | Nous parlons (We speak) |
| Vous | -ez | Vous parlez (You speak) |
| Ils/Elles | -ent | Ils/Elles parlent (They speak) |
More -ER Verbs (with conjugation examples for all pronouns):
- Aimer (to like):
- Je aime, Tu aimes, Il/Elle aime, Nous aimons, Vous aimez, Ils/Elles aiment
- Regarder (to watch):
- Je regarde, Tu regardes, Il/Elle regarde, Nous regardons, Vous regardez, Ils/Elles regardent
- Chanter (to sing):
- Je chante, Tu chantes, Il/Elle chante, Nous chantons, Vous chantez, Ils/Elles chantent
- Danser (to dance):
- Je danse, Tu danses, Il/Elle danse, Nous dansons, Vous dansez, Ils/Elles dansent
2. Regular Verbs in -IR
Next up are -IR verbs. To conjugate these, follow these steps:
- Remove the -IR ending to find the stem.
- Add the correct endings for each subject pronoun.
Here’s how to conjugate finir (to finish):
| Subject | Ending | Example with finir |
|---|---|---|
| Je | -is | Je finis (I finish) |
| Tu | -is | Tu finis (You finish) |
| Il/Elle | -it | Il/Elle finit (He/She finishes) |
| Nous | -issons | Nous finissons (We finish) |
| Vous | -issez | Vous finissez (You finish) |
| Ils/Elles | -issent | Ils/Elles finissent (They finish) |
More -IR Verbs (with conjugation examples for all pronouns):
- Choisir (to choose):
- Je choisis, Tu choisis, Il/Elle choisit, Nous choisissons, Vous choisissez, Ils/Elles choisissent
- Réfléchir (to think, to reflect):
- Je réfléchis, Tu réfléchis, Il/Elle réfléchit, Nous réfléchissons, Vous réfléchissez, Ils/Elles réfléchissent
- Réussir (to succeed):
- Je réussis, Tu réussis, Il/Elle réussit, Nous réussissons, Vous réussissez, Ils/Elles réussissent
- Grandir (to grow up):
- Je grandis, Tu grandis, Il/Elle grandit, Nous grandissons, Vous grandissez, Ils/Elles grandissent
3. Regular Verbs in -RE
Finally, -RE verbs. These follow the same basic steps:
- Remove the -RE ending to find the stem.
- Add the correct endings for each subject pronoun.
Here’s how to conjugate attendre (to wait):
| Subject | Ending | Example with attendre |
|---|---|---|
| Je | -s | Je attends (I wait) |
| Tu | -s | Tu attends (You wait) |
| Il/Elle | – | Il/Elle attend (He/She waits) |
| Nous | -ons | Nous attendons (We wait) |
| Vous | -ez | Vous attendez (You wait) |
| Ils/Elles | -ent | Ils/Elles attendent (They wait) |
More -RE Verbs (with conjugation examples for all pronouns):
- Vendre (to sell):
- Je vends, Tu vends, Il/Elle vend, Nous vendons, Vous vendez, Ils/Elles vendent
- Entendre (to hear):
- J’entends, Tu entends, Il/Elle entend, Nous entendons, Vous entendez, Ils/Elles entendent
- Répondre (to answer):
- Je réponds, Tu réponds, Il/Elle répond, Nous répondons, Vous répondez, Ils/Elles répondent
- Perdre (to lose):
- Je perds, Tu perds, Il/Elle perd, Nous perdons, Vous perdez, Ils/Elles perdent
Grammar Breakdown
- Regular -ER verbs follow the pattern: e, es, e, ons, ez, ent.
- Regular -IR verbs follow the pattern: is, is, it, issons, issez, issent.
- Regular -RE verbs follow the pattern: s, s, -, ons, ez, ent.
Here are full sentence examples with conjugations for different pronouns:
1. Regular Verbs in -ER
Using parler (to speak):
- Je parle français tous les jours. (I speak French every day.)
- Tu parles à tes amis après l’école. (You speak to your friends after school.)
- Il/Elle parle très vite. (He/She speaks very quickly.)
- Nous parlons souvent de nos projets. (We often talk about our plans.)
- Vous parlez bien anglais. (You speak English well.)
- Ils/Elles parlent toujours ensemble. (They always speak together.)
2. Regular Verbs in -IR
Using finir (to finish):
- Je finis mon devoir maintenant. (I am finishing my homework now.)
- Tu finis souvent tes tâches en avance. (You often finish your tasks early.)
- Il/Elle finit toujours avant moi. (He/She always finishes before me.)
- Nous finissons nos réunions à midi. (We finish our meetings at noon.)
- Vous finissez ce projet demain. (You are finishing this project tomorrow.)
- Ils/Elles finissent leur livre cette semaine. (They are finishing their book this week.)
3. Regular Verbs in -RE
Using vendre (to sell):
- Je vends ma voiture. (I am selling my car.)
- Tu vends des vêtements en ligne. (You sell clothes online.)
- Il/Elle vend des fruits au marché. (He/She sells fruit at the market.)
- Nous vendons des produits bio. (We sell organic products.)
- Vous vendez des billets pour le concert. (You sell tickets for the concert.)
- Ils/Elles vendent leurs vieux meubles. (They are selling their old furniture.)
Now that you’ve got the tools to conjugate regular verbs, try practicing them in sentences and conversations! The more you practice, the easier they’ll become.
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