Common Regular Verbs in French (ER, IR, RE Verbs)
French verbs fall into three groups by the ending of the infinitive: -er, -ir and -re. Most verbs in each group follow a regular pattern in the present tense, so once you know the pattern you can conjugate hundreds of verbs. This page sets out the three patterns, with common verbs to learn and a short check at the end.
This is part of the A1 French grammar series. For irregular verbs such as être, avoir and aller, see the present tense.
Regular -er verbs
This is by far the largest group. Remove -er from the infinitive and add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
| parler (to speak) | English |
|---|---|
| je parle | I speak |
| tu parles | you speak |
| il / elle / on parle | he / she / one speaks |
| nous parlons | we speak |
| vous parlez | you speak (plural or formal) |
| ils / elles parlent | they speak |
Pronunciation: the endings -e, -es and -ent are silent, so je parle, tu parles, il parle and ils parlent all sound the same. Only the nous and vous forms sound different.
Common -er verbs: aimer (to like, love), écouter (to listen), étudier (to study), jouer (to play), travailler (to work), regarder (to watch), habiter (to live), manger (to eat).
Watch out: verbs ending in -ger keep an e before -ons (nous mangeons), and aller ends in -er but is irregular.
Regular -ir verbs
Remove -ir and add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.
| finir (to finish) | English |
|---|---|
| je finis | I finish |
| tu finis | you finish |
| il / elle / on finit | he / she / one finishes |
| nous finissons | we finish |
| vous finissez | you finish (plural or formal) |
| ils / elles finissent | they finish |
Common -ir verbs: choisir (to choose), remplir (to fill), réussir (to succeed), grandir (to grow), bâtir (to build), obéir (to obey).
Watch out: some common -ir verbs, such as partir, sortir and dormir, do not add -iss- and follow a different pattern (je pars, nous partons).
Regular -re verbs
Remove -re and add -s, -s, (nothing), -ons, -ez, -ent.
| vendre (to sell) | English |
|---|---|
| je vends | I sell |
| tu vends | you sell |
| il / elle / on vend | he / she / one sells |
| nous vendons | we sell |
| vous vendez | you sell (plural or formal) |
| ils / elles vendent | they sell |
Common -re verbs: attendre (to wait), entendre (to hear), perdre (to lose), rendre (to give back), répondre (to answer), descendre (to go down).
Watch out: prendre, faire, être and dire end in -re but are irregular.
Quick check
Put the verb in brackets into the present tense.
- Nous (choisir) un film.
- Tu (attendre) le bus.
- Elles (travailler) le samedi.
- Vous (finir) à cinq heures.
- Il (répondre) à la question.
- J'(écouter) de la musique.
Answers: 1. choisissons 2. attends 3. travaillent 4. finissez 5. répond 6. écoute
Next steps
Once these patterns are secure, move on to negation with ne… pas and asking questions, or go back to the full list of A1 grammar topics.
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