French regular verbs (-er, -ir, -re) follow standard conjugation patterns in all tenses, building on consistent stem + endings.
French has three main groups of regular verbs, categorized by their infinitive endings: -er, -ir, and -re. Each group follows a predictable pattern for removing the ending and adding the appropriate French ending, making it easier to conjugate any regular verb in that group.
- -er verbs (e.g., parler, aimer) are the most common and follow the simplest pattern.
- -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir) take a stem plus -iss- in most forms.
- -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre) drop -re and add endings directly.
Conjugating Regular Verbs
Step 1: Remove the ending
- -er: Remove -er (e.g., parler → parl-).
- -ir: Remove -ir (e.g., finir → fin-).
- -re: Remove -re (e.g., vendre → vend-).
Step 2: Add the endings
French Subject | -er Ending | -ir Ending | -re Ending | Example (Parler, Finir, Vendre) --- | --- | --- | --- | --- je | -e | -is | -s | je parle, je finis, je vends tu | -es | -is | -s | tu parles, tu finis, tu vends il/elle/on | -e | -it | — | il parle, elle finit, on vend nous | -ons | -issons | -ons | nous parlons, nous finissons, nous vendons vous | -ez | -issez | -ez | vous parlez, vous finissez, vous vendez ils/elles | -ent | -issent | -ent | ils parlent, elles finissent, ils vendent
Sample Verbs
| French Verb (Infinitive) | English Infinitive | Example Sentence (FR) | Example Sentence (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler | to speak | Je parle français. | I speak French. |
| finir | to finish | Elle finit ses devoirs. | She finishes her homework. |
| vendre | to sell | Nous vendons des fruits. | We sell fruit. |
Usage Beyond Present Tense
Once you know the stem (by removing -er, -ir, or -re), you can use it to form other tenses:
- Passé composé (with avoir): j’ai fini (I finished)
- Imparfait: add endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient) to the stem
- Futur simple: add endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) to the infinitive (for -re, drop the final e)
Summary
French regular verbs follow a simple 2-step formula:
- Remove the infinitive ending (-er, -ir, -re)
- Add the group’s standard endings
This applies to more than just the present tense—knowing the stem opens all conjugation doors.
What’s Next?
You can now try conjugating any regular verb you encounter. When you’re ready, explore irregular verbs and how they break these patterns!
After mastering regular verb patterns, what is the next step in French verb learning?
Study irregular verbs and their unique conjugations.
Irregular verbs break the standard patterns and often appear in common usage, so they are the next challenge after regular verbs.
Flashcards (1 of 3)
- Example Sentence (FR): Je parle français.
- Example Sentence (EN): I speak French.
- English Infinitive: to speak
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
