French Regular -ER, -IR, And -RE Verb Conjugation Basics
Learn the three main regular verb patterns in French, use them in the present tense, and stop guessing which ending goes where. Wild concept, I know.
If you can conjugate one regular -ER verb, one regular -IR verb, and one regular -RE verb, you can suddenly build a lot of basic French sentences. These patterns are not the whole language, but they are a very solid start.
In this guide, you will learn the present tense endings, the meaning of each form, and real examples with three useful verbs: parler (to speak), finir (to finish), and vendre (to sell).
Yak Tip
French regular verbs are nice because the stem usually stays the same. You remove the ending from the infinitive, then add the new ending for je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles. That is the basic game.
The Subject Pronouns You Need First
| French | English Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | Je parle français. — I speak French. |
| tu | you (singular, informal) | Tu finis vite. — You finish quickly. |
| il / elle / on | he / she / one-we | Elle vend sa voiture. — She sells her car. |
| nous | we | Nous parlons souvent. — We speak often. |
| vous | you (plural or formal) | Vous finissez demain. — You finish tomorrow. |
| ils / elles | they | Ils vendent des livres. — They sell books. |
How Regular French Verb Conjugation Works
- Take the infinitive: parler, finir, vendre.
- Remove the ending: parl-, fin-, vend-.
- Add the present tense endings for that verb group.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| stem + ending | The base of the verb stays, the ending changes | parl- + -e = je parle | fin- + -issons = nous finissons |
| subject + verb | French usually needs a subject pronoun | Tu vends — You sell | Ils parlent — They speak |
Regular -ER Verbs: The Easiest Crowd
Most French verbs are -ER verbs. A classic example is parler, which means to speak.
| Ending | French Form | English Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| -e | je parle | I speak / I am speaking | Je parle avec ma sœur. — I speak with my sister. |
| -es | tu parles | you speak | Tu parles trop vite. — You speak too fast. |
| -e | il parle / elle parle / on parle | he speaks / she speaks / we-one speaks | On parle français en classe. — We speak French in class. |
| -ons | nous parlons | we speak | Nous parlons tous les jours. — We speak every day. |
| -ez | vous parlez | you speak | Vous parlez très bien. — You speak very well. |
| -ent | ils parlent / elles parlent | they speak | Ils parlent au professeur. — They speak to the teacher. |
Rule: For regular -ER verbs, the endings are -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
Useful -ER Verb
aimer — to like / to love
J’aime le café. — I like coffee.
Another One
travailler — to work
Nous travaillons ici. — We work here.
One More
regarder — to watch / to look at
Elle regarde la télé. — She watches TV.
Regular -IR Verbs: Same Idea, Different Endings
A common regular -IR verb is finir, which means to finish. These are the regular -IR verbs that use -issons with nous. Sneaky detail, but a very useful one.
| Ending | French Form | English Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| -is | je finis | I finish / I am finishing | Je finis mon travail. — I finish my work. |
| -is | tu finis | you finish | Tu finis à six heures. — You finish at six o’clock. |
| -it | il finit / elle finit / on finit | he finishes / she finishes / we-one finishes | Elle finit son café. — She finishes her coffee. |
| -issons | nous finissons | we finish | Nous finissons bientôt. — We finish soon. |
| -issez | vous finissez | you finish | Vous finissez maintenant. — You finish now. |
| -issent | ils finissent / elles finissent | they finish | Ils finissent le projet. — They finish the project. |
Rule: For regular -IR verbs like finir, the endings are -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.
Useful -IR Verb
choisir — to choose
Je choisis le train. — I choose the train.
Another One
réussir — to succeed
Tu réussis facilement. — You succeed easily.
One More
grandir — to grow
Les enfants grandissent vite. — Children grow quickly.
Regular -RE Verbs: Same Stem, Slightly Grumpier Endings
A classic regular -RE verb is vendre, which means to sell. The endings are a little different, and yes, that silent final -d disappears in some forms. Because French likes drama, apparently.
| Ending | French Form | English Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| -s | je vends | I sell / I am selling | Je vends mon vélo. — I sell my bike. |
| -s | tu vends | you sell | Tu vends des gâteaux. — You sell cakes. |
| nothing added | il vend / elle vend / on vend | he sells / she sells / we-one sells | On vend des fleurs ici. — They / We sell flowers here. |
| -ons | nous vendons | we sell | Nous vendons notre voiture. — We sell our car. |
| -ez | vous vendez | you sell | Vous vendez en ligne. — You sell online. |
| -ent | ils vendent / elles vendent | they sell | Elles vendent des vêtements. — They sell clothes. |
Rule: For regular -RE verbs, the endings are -s, -s, nothing, -ons, -ez, -ent.
Useful -RE Verb
attendre — to wait
J’attends le bus. — I wait for the bus.
Another One
perdre — to lose
Nous perdons du temps. — We lose time.
One More
répondre — to answer
Elle répond au message. — She answers the message.
Quick Comparison Table
| Verb Group | Example Infinitive | English Meaning | Endings | Example With Nous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ER | parler | to speak | -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent | nous parlons — we speak |
| -IR | finir | to finish | -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent | nous finissons — we finish |
| -RE | vendre | to sell | -s, -s, -, -ons, -ez, -ent | nous vendons — we sell |
Useful Real-Life Sentences
- Je parle anglais et un peu français. — I speak English and a little French.
- Tu regardes le film ce soir ? — Are you watching the film tonight?
- Elle travaille à Paris. — She works in Paris.
- Nous aimons cette musique. — We like this music.
- Vous choisissez le menu. — You choose the menu.
- Ils finissent leurs devoirs. — They finish their homework.
- Je réussis enfin. — I finally succeed.
- Tu grandis vite. — You are growing quickly.
- On vend du pain ici. — They / We sell bread here.
- Nous attendons le train. — We are waiting for the train.
- Vous répondez en français. — You answer in French.
- Elles perdent leurs clés. — They lose their keys.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
- Mixing up -ER and -IR endings
Nous parlissons ❌
Nous parlons ✅ — We speak. - Forgetting the special -IR pattern
Nous finons ❌
Nous finissons ✅ — We finish. - Adding an ending to the third person singular of -RE verbs
Il vende ❌
Il vend ✅ — He sells. - Skipping the subject pronoun
Parle français ❌ in a normal statement
Je parle français ✅ — I speak French. - Confusing pronunciation with spelling
In regular -ER verbs, je parle, tu parles, il parle, and ils parlent often sound the same. French loves silent letters. You will survive.
Practice Section
Try these before peeking at the answers. Mild suffering helps memory.
- Conjugate parler with nous.
- Conjugate finir with vous.
- Conjugate vendre with il.
- Translate: “They finish the lesson.”
- Translate: “I wait for my friend.”
Answers
- nous parlons — we speak
- vous finissez — you finish
- il vend — he sells
- Ils finissent la leçon. — They finish the lesson.
- J’attends mon ami. — I wait for my friend.
Quick Reference Summary
- -ER verbs like parler: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent
- -IR verbs like finir: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent
- -RE verbs like vendre: -s, -s, -, -ons, -ez, -ent
- parler — to speak
- finir — to finish
- vendre — to sell
- Remove the infinitive ending, keep the stem, add the new ending.
Final Yak
Start with one model verb from each group and repeat it until the endings feel boring. Boring is good. Boring means your brain has stopped panicking and started learning.
