Language/French/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Regular-Verbs

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French Grammar → Verbs and Tenses → Present Tense of Regular Verbs

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:

1. Je (marcher) tous les jours.
2. Elles (écouter) de la musique.
3. Nous (aimer) les bonbons.
4. Tu (regarder) la télé tous les soirs?
5. Ils (manger) une pizza.
6. Elle (parler) français couramment.

Table of Contents - French Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Alphabet and Pronunciation

• The French Alphabet
• French Vowels and Consonants
• French Accent Marks
• Introductions and Greetings

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Gender and Number of Nouns
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Partitive Articles

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Common Irregular Verbs
• Passé Composé
• Futur Proche

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Agreement of Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Formation and Use of Adverbs

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Negation and Interrogation

• Negation
• Interrogation

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Numbers and Time

• Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
• Time and Dates

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Romantic Relationships

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Food and Drink

• Food and Eating Habits
• Beverages and Drinking Habits

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Hobbies and Interests

• Sports and Fitness Activities
• Music and Entertainment

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Geography and Travel

• Regions and Cities in France
• Transportation and Accommodation

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French Culture and Arts

• French Cuisine and Gastronomy
• French Cinema and Literature

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French History and Society

• Major Events in French History
• French Society and Lifestyle

Other Lessons

• 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

• Present tense – French and Francophone Studies – Carleton College

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