What is Lire?
Lire is the French verb that means “to read.” You use it whenever you talk about reading something — like a book, a newspaper, a sign, or a message.
- Class: Irregular verb (does not follow regular -re patterns)
- Meaning: to read
- Usage: Used with direct objects (e.g., lire un livre — to read a book)
Special Patterns
Lire has a stem that changes depending on the tense. These are some common stems you’ll see:
- lis- (Present, Imperfect, Future Stem, Conditionnel)
- lu- (Passé Composé, Plus-que-parfait, Passé Antérieur, Futur Antérieur, Conditionnel Passé)
- li- (Subjonctif)
Knowing these stems helps you spot and memorize the patterns!
For compound tenses like Passé Composé, which auxiliary verb does "lire" use?
avoir
"Lire" always uses the auxiliary avoir in compound tenses (e.g., j’ai lu).
Sample Sentences
Je lis un livre.
- I am reading a book.
- I read a book.
Je lis un livre means "I am reading a book." The verb lire means to read.
Sample Sentences
Here are some simple examples of lire in action, along with their English translations:
| French | English | Example Class |
|---|---|---|
| Je lis un livre. | I am reading a book. | Present |
| Nous avons lu le journal. | We read the newspaper. | Passé Composé |
| Ils lisaient des histoires. | They used to read stories. | Imparfait |
| Tu liras ce roman demain. | You will read this novel tomorrow. | Futur |
| J’aimerais lire plus souvent. | I would like to read more often. | Conditionnel |
| Il faut que tu lises ce chapitre. | You need to read this chapter. | Subjonctif |
| J’avais déjà lu ce texte. | I had already read this text. | Plus-que-parfait |
| Après avoir lu, elle a dormi. | After reading, she slept. | Participle (used in past constructions) |
Je lis un livre.
- I am reading a book.
- I read a book.
Je lis un livre means "I am reading a book." The verb lire means to read.
Irregular Patterns
Lire uses the auxiliary avoir in all compound tenses, and the past participle is lu. Its stem changes (e.g., lis-, lu-, li-) depending on the tense or mood.
- Passé Composé: fui (e.g., J’ai lu)
- Subjonctif: li- (e.g., que je lise)
- Other tenses use lis- (e.g., tu lisais, vous lirez)
Flashcards (1 of 8)
- Example Class: Present
- English: I am reading a book.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
