Regular verbs | ||||||
-er | | -re | ||||
aimer | /eme/ | to like, love | | vendre | /vɑ̃dʀ/ | to sell |
chanter | /ʃɑ̃te/ | to sing | | attendre | /atɑ̃dʀ/ | to wait for |
chercher | /ʃɛʀʃe/ | to look for | | entendre | /ɑ̃tɑ̃dʀ/ | to hear |
commencer | /kɔmɑ̃se/ | to begin | | perdre | /pɛʀdʀ/ | to lose |
donner | /dɔne/ | to give | | répondre (à) | /ʀepɔ̃dʀ/ | to answer |
étudier | /etydje/ | to study | | descendre | /dɛsɑ̃dʀ/ | to go down |
fermer | /fɛʀme/ | to close | | 1st -ir | ||
habiter | /abite/ | to live | | bâtir | /bɑtiʀ/ | to build |
jouer | /ʒwe/ | to play | | finir | /finiʀ/ | to finish |
manger | /mɑ̃ʒe/ | to eat | | choisir | /ʃwaziʀ/ | to choose |
montrer | /mɔ̃tʀe/ | to show | | punir | /pyniʀ/ | to punish |
parler | /paʀle/ | to speak | | remplir | /ʀɑ̃pliʀ/ | to fill |
penser | /pɑ̃se/ | to think | | obéir (à) | /ɔbeiʀ/ | to obey |
travailler | /tʀavaje/ | to work | | réussir | /ʀeysiʀ/ | to succeed |
trouver | /tʀuve/ | to find | | guérir | /geʀiʀ/ | to cure, heal |
* The 2nd -ir verbs are considered irregular sometimes because there are only a few verbs which follow that pattern. Other verbs like partir are sortir /sɔʀtiʀ/ (to go out), dormir /dɔʀmiʀ/ (to sleep), mentir /mɑ̃tiʀ/ (to lie), sentir /sɑ̃tiʀ/ (to smell, feel) and servir /sɛʀviʀ/ (to serve.)
You can also download a list of the 681 most common verbs in French (available in PDF format.)
These verbs are conjugated like normal verbs, but they require an extra pronoun before the verb. Most indicate a reflexive action but some are idiomatic and can't be translated literally. The pronouns are:
me | /mə/ | nous | /nu/ |
te | /tə/ | vous | /vu/ |
se | /sə/ | se | /sə/ |
Some Pronominal Verbs | |||||
s'amuser | /samyze/ | to have fun | se brosser | /səbʀɔse/ | to brush |
se lever | /sələve/ | to get up | se maquiller | /səmakije/ | to put on makeup |
se laver | /səlave/ | to wash (oneself) | se casser | /səkase/ | to break (arm, leg, etc.) |
se dépêcher | /sədepeʃe/ | to hurry | se réveiller | /səʀeveje/ | to wake up |
se peigner | /səpeɲe/ | to comb | se raser | /səʀɑze/ | to shave |
s'habiller | /sabije/ | to get dressed | s'ennuyer | /sɑ̃nɥije/ | to get bored |
se marier | /səmaʀje/ | to get married | se promener | /səpʀɔmne/ | to take a walk |
se reposer | /səʀəpoze/ | to rest | s'intéresser à | /sɛ̃teʀese a/ | to be interested in |
se souvenir de | /səsuvniʀ də/ | to remember | s'entraîner | /sɑ̃tʀene/ | to train/practice |
s'entendre bien | /sɑ̃tɑ̃dʀbjɛ̃/ | to get along well | se détendre | /sədetɑ̃dʀ/ | to relax |
se coucher | /səkuʃe/ | to go to bed | | | |
When used in the infinitive, such as after another verb, the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject of the sentence.
Je vais me coucher maintenant. I'm going to go to bed.
Tu veux t'asseoir ? Do you want to sit down?
Sample Irregular Pronominal Verb | |||
s'asseoir - to sit down /saswaʀ/ | |||
je m'assieds | /ʒəmasjɛ/ | nous nous asseyons | /nunuzasejɔ̃/ |
tu t'assieds | /tytasjɛ/ | vous vous asseyez | /vuvusaseje/ |
il s'assied | /ilsasjɛ/ | ils s'asseyent | /ilsasej/ |
1. Verbs that end in -ger and -cer: The nous form of manger isn't mangons, but mangeons. The e has to stay so the g can retain the soft sound. The nous form of commencer isn't commencons, but commençons. The c must have the accent (called a cedilla) under it to make the c sound soft.
manger-to eat /mɑ̃ʒe/ | | commencer-to begin /kɔmɑ̃se/ | ||||||
mange | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | mangeons | /mɑ̃ʒɔ̃/ | | commence | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | commençons | /kɔmɑ̃sɔ̃/ |
manges | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | mangez | /mɑ̃ʒe/ | | commences | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | commencez | /kɔmɑ̃se/ |
mange | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | mangent | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | | commence | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | commencent | /kɔmɑ̃s/ |
2. Verbs that add or change to an accent grave: Some verbs add or change to an accent grave (è) in all the forms except the nous and vous.
acheter-to buy /aʃte/ | espérer-to hope /ɛspeʀe/ | ||||||
j'achète | /aʃɛt/ | achetons | /aʃtɔ̃/ | j'espère | /ɛspɛʀ/ | espérons | /ɛspeʀɔ̃/ |
achètes | /aʃɛt/ | achetez | /aʃte/ | espères | /ɛspɛʀ/ | espérez | /ɛspeʀe/ |
achète | /aʃɛt/ | achètent | /aʃɛt/ | espère | /ɛspɛʀ/ | espèrent | /ɛspɛʀ/ |
offrir-to offer /ɔfʀiʀ/ | |||
j'offre | /ɔfʀ/ | offrons | /ɔfʀɔ̃/ |
offres | /ɔfʀ/ | offrez | /ɔfʀe/ |
offre | /ɔfʀ/ | offrent | /ɔfʀ/ |
envoyer-to send /ɑ̃vwaje/ | |||
j'envoie | /ɑ̃vwa/ | envoyons | /ɑ̃vwajɔ̃/ |
envoies | /ɑ̃vwa/ | envoyez | /ɑ̃vwaje/ |
envoie | /ɑ̃vwa/ | envoient | /ɑ̃vwa/ |
appeler-to call /aple/ | |||
j'appelle | /apɛl/ | appelons | /aplɔ̃/ |
appelles | /apɛl/ | appelez | /aple/ |
appelle | /apɛl/ | appellent | /apɛl/ |
You have learned the present indicative so far, which expresses what happens, is happening, or does happen now; but if you want to say something happened, or has happened, you use the passé composé. The passé composé is used for actions that happened only once, a specified number of times or during a specified period of time, and as a result or consequence of another action. All you need to learn are the past participles of the verbs.
Regular Verbs: Formation of the Past Participle
-er | -é |
-re | -u |
-ir | -i |
Then conjugate avoir and add the past participle:
J'ai aimé le concert. | I liked the concert. |
Tu as habité ici ? | You lived here? |
Il a répondu au téléphone. | He answered (or has answered) the telephone. |
Nous avons fini le projet. | We finished (or have finished) the project. |
Elles ont rempli les tasses. | They filled (or have filled) the cups. |
To make it negative, put the ne and pas around the conjugated form of avoir.
Je n'ai pas aimé le concert. | I didn't like the concert. |
Il n'a pas répondu. | He didn't answer (or hasn't answered) . |
Elles n'ont pas rempli les tasses. | They didn't fill (or haven't filled) the glasses. |
avoir | to have | eu | /y/ | had |
connaître | to know | connu | /kɔny/ | known |
croire | to believe | cru | /kʀy/ | believed |
devoir | to have to | dû | /dy/ | had to |
dire | to tell | dit | /di/ | said |
écrire | to write | écrit | /ekʀi/ | written |
être | to be | été | /ete/ | been |
faire | to do, make | fait | /fɛ/ | made |
lire | to read | lu | /ly/ | read |
mettre | to put | mis | /mi/ | put |
permettre | to permit | permis | /pɛʀmi/ | permitted |
promettre | to promise | promis | /pʀɔmi/ | promised |
ouvrir | to open | ouvert | /uvɛʀ/ | opened |
offrir | to offer | offert | /ɔfɛʀ/ | offered |
pouvoir | to be able to | pu | /py/ | was able to |
prendre | to take | pris | /pʀi/ | taken |
apprendre | to learn | appris | /apʀi/ | learned |
comprendre | to understand | compris | /kɔ̃pʀi/ | understood |
surprendre | to surprise | surpris | /syʀpʀi/ | surprised |
recevoir | to receive | reçu | /ʀəsy/ | received |
rire | to laugh | ri | /ʀi/ | laughed |
savoir | to know | su | /sy/ | known |
voir | to see | vu | /vy/ | seen |
vouloir | to want | voulu | /vuly/ | wanted |
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