Language/French/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Regular-Verbs
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Present Tense of Regular Verbs in French
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
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
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
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
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.
Sources
- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_verbs">French Verbs</a>
- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_conjugation">French Conjugation</a>