Regular verbs follow predictable patterns for conjugation based on their endings. French has three main groups of regular verbs:
- -er verbs: Most common regular verbs (e.g., parler — to speak).
- -ir verbs: Follow the pattern of adding -iss- in certain tenses (e.g., finir — to finish).
- -re verbs: Stem from removing -re; conjugations often end with -s, -ons, -ez, etc. (e.g., vendre — to sell).
Irregular verbs do not follow these patterns and must be memorized separately.
Conjugation Patterns
. -er Verbs (e.g., parler — to speak)
| Pronoun | Present | Passé Composé | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | parle | ai parlé | parlerai |
| Tu | parles | as parlé | parleras |
| Il/Elle | parle | a parlé | parlera |
| Nous | parlons | avons parlé | parlerons |
| Vous | parlez | avez parlé | parlerez |
| Ils/Elles | parlent | ont parlé | parleront |
. -ir Verbs (e.g., finir — to finish; add -iss- in present tense for nous/vous/ils)
| Pronoun | Present | Passé Composé | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | finis | ai fini | finirai |
| Tu | finis | as fini | finiras |
| Il/Elle | finit | a fini | finira |
| Nous | finissons | avons fini | finirons |
| Vous | finissez | avez fini | finirez |
| Ils/Elles | finissent | ont fini | finiront |
. -re Verbs (e.g., vendre — to sell; drop -re for stem)
| Pronoun | Present | Passé Composé | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | vends | ai vendu | vendrai |
| Tu | vends | as vendu | vendras |
| Il/Elle | vend | a vendu | vendra |
| Nous | vendons | avons vendu | vendrons |
| Vous | vendez | avez vendu | vendrez |
| Ils/Elles | vendent | ont vendu | vendront |
Summary
- Regular verbs are classified by their infinitive endings: -er, -ir, -re.
- -er verbs are the most common and follow the simplest pattern.
- -ir verbs add -iss- before endings in the present tense (and correspondingly in past participle/stem).
- -re verbs require dropping -re, and their endings look similar to -er verbs but without the e.
- Past participle forms: -é (parlé), -i (fini), -u (vendu).
- Use auxiliary avoir + past participle for passé composé in these regular verbs.
- Future tense is formed by adding endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive.
Conjugate the verb "vendre" (to sell) in the passé composé for "ils" (they).
Ils ont vendu leurs billets.
Past participle for -re verbs ends in -u. Use "avoir" + "vendu" for passé composé. "Ils ont vendu" is correct.
Conjugate the verb "finir" (to finish) in the future tense for "vous" (you plural).
Vous finirez le projet la semaine prochaine.
Future tense is formed by adding endings to the infinitive. For "vous," add "-ez" to "finir-" making "vous finirez."
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
