Language/French/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Regular-Verbs
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Present Tense of Regular Verbs in French[edit | edit source]
In French grammar, the present tense is used to describe actions happening now, to describe habitual actions, and to describe actions that will happen in the future. In this lesson, you will learn about the present tense of regular verbs in French.
Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the Present Tense[edit | edit source]
Regular verbs in French are conjugated according to their infinitive form, which is formed by taking the stem of the verb and appending the infinitive ending –er, -ir, or –re.
For -er verb, we remove the -er ending to keep the stem of the verb, then add the endings specific to each subject:
Subject | Ending | Example |
---|---|---|
je | -e | Je parle |
tu | -es | Tu parles |
il/elle/on | -e | Il parle |
nous | -ons | Nous parlons |
vous | -ez | Vous parlez |
ils/elles | -ent | Ils parlent |
For -ir verbs, we remove the -ir ending to keep the stem of the verb, then add the endings specific to each subject:
Subject | Ending | Example |
---|---|---|
je | -is | Je choisis |
tu | -is | Tu choisis |
il/elle/on | -it | Il choisit |
nous | -issons | Nous choisissons |
vous | -issez | Vous choisissez |
ils/ elles | -issent | Ils choisissent |
For -re verbs, we remove the -re ending to keep the stem of the verb, then add the endings specific to each subject:
Subject | Ending | Example |
---|---|---|
je | -s | Je attends |
tu | -s | Tu attends |
il/elle/on | - | Il attend |
nous | -ons | Nous attendons |
vous | -ez | Vous attendez |
ils/elles | -ent | Ils attendent |
Examples of Regular Verbs in the Present Tense[edit | edit source]
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the present tense:
French | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Je cherche | ʒə ʃɛʁʃ | I search |
Tu manges | ty mɑ̃ʒ | You eat |
Il travaille | il tʁavaj | He works |
Nous parlons | nu paʁlɔ̃ | We speak |
Vous croyez | vu kʁwaje | You believe |
Ils chantent | il ʃɑ̃t | They sing |
Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense[edit | edit source]
While most French regular verbs are conjugated using the present endings specific to their infinitive form, there are numerous irregular verbs which do not follow this pattern. Some of the most common verbs that are irregular in the present tense include:
- etre – to be
- avoir – to have
- aller – to go
- faire – to do, to make
- prendre – to take
- pouvoir – can, to be able to
- vouloir – to want
- savoir – to know
- venir – to come
Practice[edit | edit source]
Choose the correct form of the verb in the present tense to complete the following sentences:
- Je (marcher) tous les jours.
- Elles (écouter) de la musique.
- Nous (aimer) les bonbons.
- Tu (regarder) la télé tous les soirs?
- Ils (manger) une pizza.
- Elle (parler) français couramment.
Videos[edit | edit source]
Group 1 Regular French Verbs ending in "ER" (Present Tense ...[edit | edit source]
FRENCH VERB CONJUGATION: ER VERBS - PRESENT TENSE ...[edit | edit source]
Irregular French Verbs: Present Tense Conjugations - YouTube[edit | edit source]
French Present Tense - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Present tense in French - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Position of object pronouns with infinitives
- Conjugation group 3 — verbs with infinitives which end in —re
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Kings, queens and popes
- Mass nouns used countably
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Order of cardinal numbers and adjectives
- Subject verb agreement
- Summary table of subject pronouns
- Adjectives modifying the noun
- Ordinal numbers
Sources[edit | edit source]
◀️ Partitive Articles — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Common Irregular Verbs ▶️ |