Irregular verbs in French are verbs that do not follow the standard conjugation patterns of the regular groups (-er, -ir, -re). They often have unique stem changes, endings, or entirely different roots in certain tenses and moods.

Common Patterns

Irregular verbs typically fall into several groups based on their patterns of stem or ending changes. Here are some of the most common categories:

Rule Group	Description	Example Stem Change	Example Verb
-er verbs with spelling changes	Most -er verbs are regular, but some have changes to preserve pronunciation (e.g., adding -e- or changing c to ç)	je lève (from lever), nous commençons (from commencer)	lever, commencer
-ir verbs (third group)	These are irregular -ir verbs (not like regular -iss- verbs), often with unique stems	je sors, il part, nous fuyons	sortir, partir, fuir
-re verbs and others	Many -re verbs are irregular, with stem changes or suppression of some endings	je réponds, il prend, ils mettent	répondre, prendre, mettre
Irregular past participles	Many verbs have irregular past participles not formed by simply adding -é, -i, or -u	pris, mis, été, fait, vu	See individual verbs
Irregular stems in future and conditional	Many irregular verbs use unique stems in the future and conditional	je ferai (from faire), il viendra (from venir)	See list below
Subjunctive stem changes	Irregular verbs often have unique stems in the present subjunctive	que je sois, que nous allions	See grammar

Key Irregular Verbs

Verb	Meaning	Irregularities	Notes
être	to be	Entirely irregular in all tenses; past participle été	je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, soyez, ils soient
avoir	to have	Irregular stems; past participle eu	j’ai, nous avons, ils ont, que j’aie, eu
aller	to go	Stem changes (vais, ir-); past participle allé	je vais, nous allons, ils iront, que j’aille
faire	to do/make	Stem fai-/fer-; past participle fait	je fais, ils font, ferai, fait
venir	to come	Stem vien-/ven-/viendr-; past participle venu	je viens, nous venons, je viendrai, venu
prendre	to take	Stem prend-; double consonant for ils; past participle pris	je prends, ils prennent, pris
dire	to say	Stem dis-/dir-; past participle dit	je dis, ils disent, je dirai, dit
savoir	to know	Stem sai-/sav-; past participle su	je sais, nous savons, je saurai, su
pouvoir	can	Stem peu-/pourr-; past participle pu	je peux, ils peuvent, je pourrai, pu
voir	to see	Stem voi-/voy-/ver-; past participle vu	je vois, nous voyons, je verrai, vu
venir	to come	Stem vien-/ven-/viendr-; past participle venu	je viens, nous venons, je viendrai, venu

Examples

Tense	French Example	English Example
Present	Je vais au marché.	I go to the market.
Passé composé	Elle a fait ses devoirs.	She did her homework.
Imparfait	Nous prenions le train.	We were taking the train.
Futur simple	Ils viendront demain.	They will come tomorrow.
Conditionnel	Je ferais cela si j’avais le temps.	I would do that if I had time.
Subjonctif présent	Il faut que tu sois prêt.	It is necessary that you be ready.

They will come tomorrow.

Ils venront demain.

Ils viennent demain.

Ils viendront demain.

Ils viendront demain.

'Viendront' is the correct future tense of venir for 'ils.'

She did her homework.

Elle fait ses devoir.

Elle fait ses devoirs.

Elle a fait ses devoirs.

Elle a fait ses devoirs.

'Elle a fait ses devoirs' correctly uses the passé composé of faire with 'a fait.'

Tips for Learning

Memorize common irregular verbs first: être, avoir, aller, faire, venir, prendre, dire, savoir, pouvoir, voir.
Learn irregular stems for future and conditional: These often follow unique rules (e.g., faire → fer-, venir → viendr-, prendre → prendr-).
Practice with subjects: Il/elle and nous/vous forms often show the most irregularities.
Use trigger phrases: Practice using time markers and conjunctions to see irregular forms in context (e.g., “quand …”, “avant que …”, “si …”).
Study past participles: Especially important for the passé composé and other compound tenses.
Consult reliable conjugation resources like Le Bon Usage or Bescherelle for exceptions and complete paradigms.

Reference Tables

être (to be)

Tense	French Example	English Example
Présent	je suis	I am
Passé composé	j’ai été	I was
Imparfait	j’étais	I was/used to be
Futur simple	je serai	I will be
Conditionnel	je serais	I would be
Subjonctif présent	que je sois	that I be

avoir (to have)

Tense	French Example	English Example
Présent	j’ai	I have
Passé composé	j’ai eu	I had
Imparfait	j’avais	I had/used to have
Futur simple	j’aurai	I will have
Conditionnel	j’aurais	I would have
Subjonctif présent	que j’aie	that I have

aller (to go)

Tense	French Example	English Example
Présent	je vais	I go
Passé composé	je suis allé(e)	I went
Imparfait	j’allais	I was going/used to go
Futur simple	j’irai	I will go
Conditionnel	j’irais	I would go
Subjonctif présent	que j’aille	that I go

faire (to do/make)

Tense	French Example	English Example
Présent	je fais	I do/make
Passé composé	j’ai fait	I did/made
Imparfait	je faisais	I was doing/making
Futur simple	je ferai	I will do/make
Conditionnel	je ferais	I would do/make
Subjonctif présent	que je fasse	that I do/make

venir (to come)

Tense	French Example	English Example
Présent	je viens	I come
Passé composé	je suis venu(e)	I came
Imparfait	je venais	I was coming/used to come
Futur simple	je viendrai	I will come
Conditionnel	je viendrais	I would come
Subjonctif présent	que je vienne	that I come

Conclusion

French irregular verbs require memorization and practice, but many follow common patterns of stem change or irregular endings. Focus on the most frequent verbs and use them regularly to gain confidence.

Flashcards (1 of 36)

Tense: Present

English Example: I go to the market.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025