Key Idea: This topic is the present tense: regular -er, -ir and -re verbs, nine irregular verbs and reflexive verbs. One French present covers «I speak», «I am speaking» and «I do speak».
Present: -er verbs
- Drop -er, then add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent: «je parle», «nous parlons», «ils parlent».
- The -e, -es and -ent endings are silent, so always show the subject.
- Spelling changes: «mangeons», «commençons», «j'appelle», «j'achète», «je préfère».
- Use it for habits, general truths, what is happening now, and the near future with a time word («demain»).
| Pattern | Endings | Example |
|---|---|---|
| finir type | -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent | nous finissons |
| vendre type | -s, -s, no ending, -ons, -ez, -ent | il vend |
| partir type | drop the last stem consonant in the singular, no -iss- | je pars, je dors |
Irregular present
- Learn nine by heart: être, avoir, aller, faire, venir, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, prendre.
- Age and feelings use avoir: «j'ai 16 ans», «j'ai faim».
- aller + infinitive = near future: «je vais manger».
- pouvoir, vouloir and devoir take an infinitive. Watch «vous êtes», «vous faites», «vous dites».
Reflexive verbs
- Subject + pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) + verb: «je me lave», «tu te lèves».
- Before a vowel, the pronoun shortens: «je m'appelle», «il s'habille».
- Negative: «je ne me lève pas tard».
- These are the daily-routine verbs: se réveiller, se laver, s'habiller, se coucher.
Find the pattern first: -er, -ir like finir, -re like vendre, or one of the nine irregulars.
«Nous finons» or «nous finissons»? Nous finissons: finir keeps -iss- in the plural.
«Il vend» or «il vendt»? Il vend: -re verbs have no ending with il.
«Je suis faim» or «j'ai faim»? J'ai faim: feelings like hunger take avoir.
Which verb gives you the near future? Aller, as in «je vais partir».
Fix «je lève à sept heures». Je me lève à sept heures. The pronoun must match the subject.