Conjugating french verbs – Present tense

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Conjugating french verbs – Present tense

The present tense is one of the most commonly used tenses in French and is used to talk about actions that are happening now or actions that are generally true.

In this lesson, we will learn how to conjugate French verbs in the present tense.

1. -ER verbs:

To conjugate -ER verbs in the present tense, we need to remove the -ER from the infinitive form of the verb and add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun.

The endings for -ER verbs in the present tense are -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.

For example:

Parler (to speak)

  • Je parle
  • Tu parles
  • Il/Elle parle
  • Nous parlons
  • Vous parlez
  • Ils/Elles parlent

2. -IR verbs:

To conjugate -IR verbs in the present tense, we need to remove the -IR from the infinitive form of the verb and add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun.

The endings for -IR verbs in the present tense are -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.

For example:

Finir (to finish)

  • Je finis
  • Tu finis
  • Il/Elle finit
  • Nous finissons
  • Vous finissez
  • Ils/Elles finissent

3. -RE verbs:

To conjugate -RE verbs in the present tense, we need to remove the -RE from the infinitive form of the verb and add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun.

The endings for -RE verbs in the present tense are -s, -s, -t, -ssons, -ssez, -ssent.

For example:

Vendre (to sell)

  • Je vends
  • Tu vends
  • Il/Elle vend
  • Nous vendons
  • Vous vendez
  • Ils/Elles vendent

It’s important to memorize these conjugation patterns and practice them regularly to master the present tense.

Try conjugating different verbs in the present tense and use verb conjugation drills and games to make your practice more enjoyable.

Remember that there are many irregular verbs in French that don’t follow the standard conjugation patterns.

Some of the most common irregular verbs in the present tense include être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), faire (to do/make), and savoir (to know). Be sure to study these verbs and their irregular conjugations separately.

With these tips, you should have a good understanding of how to conjugate French verbs in the present tense.

Keep practicing and you’ll be a pro in no time!

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