The verb expresses the action, the state, or the change that organizes the sentence around the subject. In French, it is conjugated to indicate person, number, tense and mood. Regular verbs serve as the basis for understanding the major verb families and for linking their formation to Verb Groups.

The verbs of the first group end in -er in the infinitive, such as parler, aimer and jouer. Their stem remains stable in regular conjugation, which allows applying the endings of the present indicative, the imperfect and the simple future with a high degree of regularity. In colloquial speech, some endings can soften, but the writing preserves the full form.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
JeI	parlespeak	Je parle quand je raconte une histoireI speak when I tell a story
NousWe	parlonsspeak	Nous parlons et nous écoutons attentivementWe speak and we listen attentively
IlsThey	jouentplay	Ils jouent pendant que la classe travailleThey play while the class works

The verbs of the second group end in -ir and follow a stable pattern, with finir, choisir and grandir as common reference points. They differ from irregular -ir verbs, which follow different patterns and must be learned separately. This regularity also helps link to the regular past participle in -i and to several derived forms.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
JeI	finisfinish	Je finis mon travail pendant que tu relis ton texteI finish my work while you reread your text
NousWe	choisissonschoose	Nous choisissons et nous avançons ensembleWe choose and we move forward together
IlsThey	grandissentgrow	Ils grandissent tandis que la saison changeThey grow as the season changes

The third group brings together verbs in -re and irregular -ir verbs. It includes verbs like vendre and courir, whose conjugation does not follow the stable pattern of the preceding groups. These verbs require special attention, as their stem can change depending on the tense or the person, and they are useful for understanding Irregular Verbs.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
JeI	vendssell	Je vends quand le marché ouvre tôtI sell when the market opens early
NousWe	vendonssell	Nous vendons et nous préparons la vitrineWe sell and we prepare the display window
IlsThey	courentrun	Ils courent pendant que le bus s’éloigneThey run while the bus pulls away

The present indicative is built on regular endings that recur often in the language: e, es, e, ons, ez, ent. For regular verbs, the stem remains identifiable and the ending mainly marks the person. This logic supports reading [Present of the Indicative] and helps to quickly recognize the common forms.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
JeI	aimelove	J’aime quand le soleil brille au matinI love when the sun shines in the morning
TuYou	aimeslove	Tu aimes et tu écoutes la chansonYou love and you listen to the song
NousWe	jouonsplay	Nous jouons pendant que la pluie tombeWe play while the rain falls
VousYou	finissezfinish	Vous finissez et vous rangez la salleYou finish and you tidy the room
IlsThey	parlentspeak	Ils parlent tandis que la réunion commenceThey speak as the meeting begins

The imperfect is formed from the 'nous' stem in the present, to which the endings ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient are added. This tense is used to express a habitual action, a description, or an ongoing situation in the past. The regularity of the formation makes it easy to recognize the verb base in most regular verbs.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
JeI	parlaiswas speaking	Je parlais et la pièce restait silencieuseI was speaking and the room remained silent
NousWe	finissionswere finishing	Nous finissions pendant que les autres attendaientWe were finishing while the others waited
IlsThey	vendaitwere selling	Ils vendaient quand la place s’animaitThey were selling when the square came to life

The simple future is formed with the infinitive or a stable stem, followed by the endings ai, as, a, ons, ez, ont. It expresses a forthcoming action, a promise, or a certainty projected in time. This regular formation helps to understand the continuity between the infinitive and the future forms.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
JeI	parleraiwill speak	Je parlerai quand la porte s’ouvriraI will speak when the door opens
NousWe	finironswill finish	Nous finirons et nous partirons ensuiteWe will finish and we will leave afterwards
IlsThey	vendrontwill sell	Ils vendront quand la commande sera prêteThey will sell when the order is ready

The regular past participle typically takes -é for first-group verbs, -i for second-group verbs, and -u for many third-group verbs. It is used to form compound tenses and follows the rules of agreement of the past participle with certain auxiliaries and complements. To deepen this usage, it is usefully linked to [Past Participle] and to [Past Participle Agreement].

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
1er groupe1st group	parléspoken	J’ai parlé quand la classe s’est calméeI spoke when the class had calmed down
2e groupe2nd group	finifinished	Nous avons fini et nous avons fermé le cahierWe finished and closed the notebook
3e groupe3rd group	vendusold	Ils ont vendu et ils ont rangé le standThey sold and tidied the stand

The infinitive names the action without conjugating it, as in parler, finir and vendre. The present participle is formed from the verb stem with -ant, and the gerund is built with en followed by the present participle. These non-finite forms are very useful in more complex verbal structures and in Gerund.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
InfinitifInfinitive	parlerto speak	Aimer parler aide quand on prépare un exposéLiking to speak helps when preparing a presentation
Participe présentPresent participle	parlantspeaking	Parlant doucement, il rassure son amiSpeaking softly, he reassures his friend
GérondifGerund	en parlantby speaking	En parlant calmement, elle trouve ses motsBy speaking calmly, she finds her words

Verbal periphrases associate an auxiliary or movement verb with an infinitive to express a temporal or aspectual value. Going followed by an infinitive marks the near future, while venir de followed by an infinitive marks a recent action. These constructions are common in Verbal Constructions and help to understand the dynamics of sentences.

SujetSubject	VerbeVerb	ExempleExample
Futur procheNear future	aller + infinitifgoing + infinitive	Je vais parler quand la réunion commenceraI am going to speak when the meeting starts
Passé récentRecent past	venir de + infinitifvenir de + infinitive	Nous venons de finir et nous sortons maintenantWe have just finished and we are leaving now
IntentionIntention	aller + infinitifgoing + infinitive	Ils vont jouer avant le dînerThey are going to play before dinner

Among regular verbs and their closely related usages, parler, aimer, jouer, finir, choisir, grandir, vendre, and courir appear very early in reading and everyday expression. Mastery of them prepares access to broader systems such as auxiliary verbs, reflexive verbs, and verbal constructions. The informal spoken form often uses 'on' instead of 'we', and some endings are not always heard in conversation.