Regular Present Tense French Verb Endings – ER, IR, RE
French verbs are divided into three main groups according to their infinitive endings: -ER, -IR, and -RE.
The good news is that regular verbs in each group follow predictable patterns. Once you learn the endings, you can conjugate many French verbs in the present tense.
In this lesson, we’ll look at how to conjugate regular -ER, -IR, and -RE verbs in the present tense. You’ll find a conjugation chart and examples for each group.
You can download a free PDF of this lesson in my private French Grammar Library.
REGULAR FRENCH VERBS ENDING IN -ER
The majority of French verbs belong to the -ER group. To conjugate regular -ER verbs in the present tense, remove -ER from the infinitive and add the appropriate endings.
The endings are:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| Je | -e |
| Tu | -es |
| Il / Elle / On | -e |
| Nous | -ons |
| Vous | -ez |
| Ils / Elles | -ent |
Let’s use PARLER (to speak) as an example.
First, remove -ER from the infinitive to get the stem PARL-. Then add the appropriate ending.
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | parle |
| Tu | parles |
| Il / Elle / On | parle |
| Nous | parlons |
| Vous | parlez |
| Ils / Elles | parlent |
Here are a few examples:
- Je parle français. – I speak French.
- Nous parlons anglais. – We speak English.
- Elle parle avec son professeur. – She speaks with her teacher.
- Vous parlez très bien français. – You speak French very well.
Notice that the endings for je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles are generally silent in pronunciation. The nous and vous forms have more clearly pronounced endings.
You can find more examples in my list of regular French verbs ending in -ER.
REGULAR FRENCH VERBS ENDING IN -IR
Regular -IR verbs follow a different pattern. To conjugate regular -IR verbs in the present tense, remove the final -R from the infinitive and add the appropriate endings.
The endings are:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| Je | -is |
| Tu | -is |
| Il / Elle / On | -it |
| Nous | -issons |
| Vous | -issez |
| Ils / Elles | -issent |
Let’s use FINIR (to finish) as an example.
First, remove the final -R from the infinitive to get FINI-. Then add the appropriate endings.
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | finis |
| Tu | finis |
| Il / Elle / On | finit |
| Nous | finissons |
| Vous | finissez |
| Ils / Elles | finissent |
Here are a few examples:
- Je finis mes devoirs. – I finish my homework.
- Tu finis ton travail. – You finish your work.
- Nous finissons le repas. – We finish the meal.
- Ils finissent leurs exercices. – They finish their exercises.
An important point: not every French verb ending in -IR is regular. Verbs such as PARTIR, SORTIR, and DORMIR do not follow the FINIR pattern. Make sure you learn which -IR verbs are regular.
You can find more examples in my list of regular French verbs ending in -IR.
REGULAR FRENCH VERBS ENDING IN -RE
To conjugate regular -RE verbs in the present tense, remove the final -E from the infinitive and add the appropriate endings.
The endings are:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| Je | -s |
| Tu | -s |
| Il / Elle / On | no ending |
| Nous | -ons |
| Vous | -ez |
| Ils / Elles | -ent |
Let’s use VENDRE (to sell) as an example.
First, remove the final -E from the infinitive to get VENDR-. Then add the appropriate endings.
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | vends |
| Tu | vends |
| Il / Elle / On | vend |
| Nous | vendons |
| Vous | vendez |
| Ils / Elles | vendent |
Here are a few examples:
- Je vends ma voiture. – I am selling my car.
- Tu vends des livres. – You sell books.
- Elle vend sa maison. – She is selling her house.
- Nous vendons des vêtements. – We sell clothes.
Remember that the third-person singular form of a regular -RE verb has no additional ending. The conjugated form ends in -D, as in IL VEND.
You can find more examples in my lesson on regular French verbs ending in -DRE.
A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Regular -ER verbs: remove -ER and add the endings.
- Regular -IR verbs: remove the final -R and add the endings.
- Regular -RE verbs: remove the final -E and add the endings.
These patterns apply to regular verbs. Some verbs have spelling changes or irregular conjugations, even though they end in -ER, -IR, or -RE.
Learning the regular endings gives you a very useful foundation for conjugating French verbs in the present tense.
